MUMBAI: Shriram Transport Finance Company (STFC), India’s largest commercial vehicle financer has partnered with Skill India to train 1000 drivers to ensure seamless and accident free transportation of oxygen tankers. With an objective to streamline Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) Tankers supply chain amidst the pandemic, Shriram Transport Finance Company has launched a CSR initiative- Shriram Seva Sankalp LMO Driver Training.
The campaign aims to upskill 1000 experienced Heavy & Medium Vehicle drivers to carefully handle & transport Cryogenic LMO Tankers.The Holistic Cryogenic Medical Oxygen Tanker Driver Training Program will offer the trainees a deep-dive into the theory, hands-on practice on simulator, handling of Hazardous cargo tanker and in-plant LMO loading and unloading along with all other safety precautions to be taken.
This will help in creating a pool of skilled drivers to transport cryogenic medical oxygen tankers owing to its growing significance in medical management of COVID-19 across hospitals. Post the successful completion of the training program, the drivers will be awarded with a certification by Logistics Skill Council.
Skill India is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in 2015 with an aim to train Indians in different industry-related jobs. The Ministry is responsible for co-ordination of all Skill Development efforts across the country, removal of disconnect between demand and supply of skilled manpower, and building the vocational and technical training framework. Oxygen shortage along with shortage of drivers with capabilities to handle oxygen tankers were a major concern in the second wave of the pandemic in 2021. Therefore, to combat these challenges better in the current wave, STFC through its partner, DB Skills is working in collaboration with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to upskill drivers.
While over 500 drivers have successfully completed their training in January 2022, the company aims to certify the remaining 500 drivers by March 2022. The shortlisting of experienced heavy motor vehicles (HMV) drivers to enroll for the capacity building training program was conducted at the approved Training Centers funded by Shriram Transport Finance Company Ltd. at multiple locations including Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
Umesh Revankar, VC & MD, Shriram Transport Finance Company said, “Drivers have always been an integral part of the Shriram Ecosystem. Thus upskilling drivers and enabling them to be in tandem with the rising needs of the society is a cause that is close to our heart. Since the start of our CSR training program, over 10,000 candidates have been trained to drive heavy and light motor vehicle with ease. The need for skilled drivers to operate oxygen tankers was felt in 2021 owing to the acute shortage of oxygen in the country. As India braces towards meeting challenges of the third wave of the pandemic, our endeavor is to once again provide continuous support to the society. Thus, we have stepped up to the opportunity and decided to work together with the government to avert a similar situation in the future.”
Recently, Shriram Transport Finance Company (STFC) Ltd had also organized a vaccination campaign for truck drivers titled ‘Highway Heroes’ in collaboration with TV9 Network and Apollo Hospitals. The month-long campaign initiated to vaccinate 6000 drivers was inaugurated in Chennai and executed in transportation hubs in five cities including Chennai, Hyderabad, Nalagarh, Kolkata and Dharuhera.
