More HGV testing desperately needed training specialist says
A driver training expert has called for action to increase the testing capacity of lorry drivers to combat the critical shortage which is threatening the country’s supply chain.
Steve Dulson, of Dulson Training, says more must be done to reverse the continuous drain of HGV driver numbers on the roads or risk a crippled UK economy.
It comes as haulage bosses say they are struggling to find enough drivers to keep the economy moving and are calling on the Government to act swiftly to address the problem.
Dulson Training has bases in Shrewsbury, Telford and Wrexham, providing all types of training, including HGV, PCV, towing, driver CPC, forklift, First Aid, and ADR courses.
Mr Dulson said: “The haulage industry is in a desperate state because it just can’t get enough HGV drivers on the road. This is having a devastating effect on the number of deliveries it needs to make to keep the supply chain moving, which in turn will have a greater and greater impact on consumers.
“The Road Haulage Association says there is currently a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers in the UK out of a pre-pandemic total of 600,000 on the roads. Before Covid the shortage was estimated at 60,000 - so it’s plain to see just how serious the problem is.
He said there were several reasons for the shortage.
"Brexit has forced many European drivers to think about their future and have opted to seek job opportunities outside the UK. Changes to tax rules have made self-employed drivers less of an attractive option, some existing
drivers have reduced their hours, retired or simply left the industry, and then there’sCovid.”
"Covid stopped all driver training and testing for almost 18 months and when it did restart it was at a reduced and restricted level."
“Since May we have seen a return to pre-pandemic testing capacity, but it must be said that the pre-Covid capacity was poor and was raising loads of concerns at the time with a lack of testing numbers really restricting new entrants into the industry,”
"A return to pre-Covid levels simply isn’t good enough, we need to increase the test availability for HGV drivers.
Mr Dulson said there was talk about examiners increasing the number of tests they carry out from four tests a day to five or six.
"There must be scope for examiners to carry out more testing through working overtime and at weekends.
“Another answer to the crisis could be to delegate examiners within training organisations - training up experienced people to deliver tests would significantly
increase test availability.
“It’s frustrating for us because at Dulson Training we have the instructor, equipment and customer capacity but are restricted by a lack of DVSA test availability. There are steps which can be taken to start easing the driver shortage problem but they need to be taken now.”
