In the Headlights with Wander Dos Santos

It is important to celebrate the achievements of our employees, who consistently deliver the quality service that we are known for at Fortec. Wander Dos Santos shares his story on how he’s progressed in his 11 years at the company, reflecting on how hard work and determination have got him to where he is today.

I began my career at Fortec as a forklift driver in the warehouse, mainly working night shifts, in 2012. After several years at the company, I was promoted to the role of team leader on day shifts, where I stayed for a few years, learning as much as I could and encouraging my team to do the same.

I was then presented with the opportunity to take part in the Warehouse to Wheels programme, a scheme put in place to give people like me, who began their careers in the warehouse as FLT drivers the chance to progress in the company to become HGV drivers.

I became the first employee to graduate from the training programme, which allowed me to pass my Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) and go on to gain my HGV drivers license. Having the support and financial funding from Fortec to complete the training was a great help and made the process easy to navigate.

Just 3 months after graduating from the Warehouse to Wheels program, I was offered a promotion to become a driver trainer. This was unusual after such a short amount of time as a qualified driver, but really emphasised my ambition to work hard and showed that Fortec believed in me.

The road transport industry is what makes the whole world go round and I know how important it is to work as a team to get from point A to point B. The challenge of getting everything done by a certain time to avoid delays or missing a timeslot is part of why I love the job, as it gives me something to work towards and a structure to my day. Being able to see new faces and new places every day is another huge benefit, as no two days are ever the same.

Throughout my whole journey from starting in the warehouse to becoming a team leader, then gaining my HGV license and now being a driver trainer, I have gained more and more knowledge and I’m very proud of how I have progressed throughout. I would not be where I am today without the help and support of Fortec and all the opportunities I have been offered.