Interview with Rob Peters: Training Progression

In a recent conversation, we had the pleasure of catching up with Rob Peters, a remarkable apprentice who not only completed his MCPC with us but also achieved a significant career milestone by being promoted to Transport Manager. Rob shared his incredible journey below in the logistics industry and reflected on how our training has been a transformative force in his life. Join us as we delve into the inspiring story of growth and success!

Why did you decide to start an Apprenticeship?

I decided to do an apprenticeship primarily because as I was getting older. My body was starting to show the signs of the strain I was putting it under in my role at the time. I was picking up niggly little injuries, and I was in constant pain.

A managerial role came up at the company I was working for, and my wife told me I should apply for it. I applied, and although unsuccessful, it planted the seed of an idea in my head that it was time to get off the road and effect change from the inside.

I was looking through job adverts when I came across one from SP Training offering an apprenticeship role at ATL. I didn’t expect to get it. You don’t find many people in their forties applying for apprenticeships, especially having a family to support in the current economic climate!

How did you progress from there?

Amazingly, I got offered the role and started with ATL on the 11^th August 2022. I immediately set about getting stuck into OLLIE as soon as my tutor Marie let me loose on it. My manager, Jon was very supportive and showcased a fantastic knowledge of the Transport Manager role that was my final aim.

The apprenticeship helped in my new-found role, as the more I got into the job, the knowledge base was also improving at a comparable rate. The two aspects of the apprenticeship – OLLIE and the on-the-job training – dovetailed extremely nicely.

Did you have any struggles while on your Apprenticeship?

The only struggle that I really faced was the pressure that I put myself under. Marie and Jon will testify to this. I won’t settle for anything other than success. Knowing that I had a wife and children indoors spurred me on to make the very best of the opportunity that I had been given. I was determined not to let them, Marie, or Jon down! I am very aware of the time and effort that the previously mentioned people have put into me, and failing my CPC, or the apprenticeship as a whole would have meant failing them.

How did you find the training and exams?

I sat my training and exam for the International Transport Manager CPC in February and March this year. My instructor was Martyn, and he made the information very easy to take on board and digest. In every circumstance, he found a way to apply what we were learning to real-world situations. This made complex things so much easier to grasp and mentally retain. I got my results in May and gained 2 very good passes in the multiple choice and case study.

The Transport Manager CPC is HARD. Make no mistake about that. For the two weeks I was on it, I lived and breathed it. It is most definitely a qualification where you get out what you put in. It is not something to be taken lightly or half-heartedly.

Could you let us know a little more about the tutors and instructors you worked with?

I cannot speak highly enough of the tutors that I have been working with SP training over the last 15 months. On top of my apprenticeship, I have also completed the Class 1 bootcamp. I feel that knowing how to do the job that I expect my drivers to do enables me to be a more effective Transport Manager than someone who just blindly passes instructions on. You have to have an understanding of the possible implications of those instructions.

Again, my tutor/instructor for my Class 1, Kevin, was absolutely outstanding. Calm and unflappable in the passenger seat as I got to grips with a vehicle much larger than anything I have ever driven before. In all honesty, though, getting my Class 1 is something I was destined to do. I have been around HGVs since I could walk and I have loved them all my life. Driving them is an absolute pleasure for me, to the extent that I’m now working on the wife to nag her into letting me buy one and convert it into a camper. She’s not having any part of it so far!

Where did you go from there?

Since passing the CPC earlier this year, Jon, my mentor, decided to leave the company for pastures new. Due to my ever-expanding knowledge base and continued improvement at pace with the apprenticeship scheme, I was promoted from Apprentice Transport Supervisor to Transport Operations Manager. With this promotion came a hefty salary increase, coupled with an equally hefty increase in responsibility.

It is a testament to the depth of knowledge within the apprenticeship and how it was delivered that I immediately found myself to be successful in the role. I had confidence in my knowledge base which made up for my lack of experience, and the director of transport offered me the position.

Shortly after this, I was headhunted by a firm much more local to me and they offered me a role as head of logistics. I took the role primarily because it cut my commute down from 55 minutes a day to 5. Again, it’s a salary increase, but it’s also an increase in responsibility. However, I am not phased by it. Whilst I am still very inexperienced in the industry, I am extremely confident that I possess the skills and knowledge to make a success of this opportunity.

Speaking of opportunity, I would like to take this one to thank the people who have been so helpful and played a major part in my success since I began. Firstly, my wife and children. Joanna, Alisha, Caylin, Emi, Jensen and Lily. Without their unwavering faith and support, I probably wouldn’t have even applied in the first place. They’ve been so patient, and because of the pressure I put myself under, they’ve been fantastic at letting me get on with being a grumpy old git.

Secondly, Jon Gupwell, my mentor. His knowledge base and undoubted ability as a TM opened my eyes to what was possible for me, and he was invaluable to me when I was seeking advice.

My tutors – primarily Marie Kerwick, Martyn Cragg, and Kevin Charles – what superbly talented people. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any of them to a learner if I was asked. They are truly gifted when it comes to imparting knowledge.

Finally, all the people at SP training whom I have interacted with throughout my studies, and the people at ATL for their patience while I was trying to get my feet under me at the start. Jenn Bailey, in the transport office, has the patience of a saint.

Without the people that I have just mentioned I wouldn’t have had the success that I have. However, without the apprenticeship, I would have been nowhere. It is an outstanding course, delivered in a format that can be adapted to suit the different speeds of different students. I would definitely recommend it to someone who wants to get into the logistics industry.

18 months ago, I was a van driver. Overlooked for a low-level management role because of lack of experience and knowledge. Now I am head of logistics for a firm that employs over 5000 people. I have to thank SP Training and all their staff for that.

Interview with Rob Peters: Training Progression