Government announces ‘major review’ of HGV driver training

The Government has announced a ‘sweeping review’ which will seek to improve compulsory ongoing training for HGV and bus drivers.

Drivers are currently required to undergo five days of periodic training every five years to ensure they remain fully qualified to professionally drive HGVs and buses.

This training is an EU initiative and is compulsory within what is known as the Driver Certificates of Professional Competence (DCPC) regime.

While the DCPC’s aim is to keep safety standards high, the DfT says some drivers are left to pay for the training themselves and are not paid whilst attending their training course. Feedback from industry suggests this puts off many drivers who have left the profession from returning.

The review will look at how the process can be updated to reduce the burden on drivers – and ensure it doesn’t act as a barrier to working in the sector.

Grant Shapps, transport secretary, said: “We understand it’s vital for drivers to remain fully qualified – but we’re looking to ensure they can do so in the most efficient way possible whilst maintaining road safety standards. 

“No driver should be out of pocket or out of work through no fault of their own.

“This is the latest in a raft of 30 measures we’ve taken to support this vital sector and encourage drivers to return to the job or kickstart a new career in the industry. 

“These measures are working – there is no backlog of HGV licence applications and we’re seeing over a thousand more people than normal apply for a licence each week.”

Meanwhile, the Government has also confirmed that all new HGVs in the UK will be zero-emission by 2040.

It says this, combined with the UK’s 2030 phase out for petrol and diesel cars and vans, represents a world-leading pledge to end the sale of all polluting road vehicles within the next two decades.

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