Before the Wheels Turn

Every train that runs on time and every bus that pulls up at the stop rests on a quiet, invisible effort: the supply chain. Before the Wheels Turn is a warm, plain-language guide for anyone stepping into that world for the first time, whether it is your very first job or a move into rail, buses or freight from somewhere else entirely.
Written by a former procurement and logistics executive, it explains the whole field without jargon: procurement and sourcing, buying with public money, contracts, inventory and spares, stores and depots, maintenance and overhaul, obsolescence, logistics, risk, safety and counterfeit parts, cost, sustainability, data and the people who make it all work. At its heart is an original framework, the Availability Chain, a single simple picture (Foresight, Sourcing, Holding, Flow and Trust, wrapped in Stewardship) that ties every task back to one goal: keeping vehicles ready and safe for the public.
Friendly colour-coded boxes run throughout, defining key terms, sharing practical tips, illustrating ideas with real-world examples and laying out the handful of simple formulas worth knowing. The book closes with a first-ninety-days plan, a glossary, quick-reference checklists and an appendix of formulas at a glance.
Clear, kind and genuinely useful, this is the guide the author wished someone had handed him on his own first morning. If your work helps keep the world moving, it will help you find your feet faster and enjoy the work sooner.