Bottleneck threat as CPD deadline approaches

10th July 2011

Commercial vehicle operators run the risk of having to park up their vehicles if drivers have not done their CPC training by the 2014 deadline.

There are around 500,000 HGV licence holders in the UK currently, and under new legislation they will be required to do 35 hours of training by 2014.  However, Aviva reports that only 1% of those expected to take up courses have done so, sparking fresh fears over whether the transport industry will meet its 2014 deadline.

With only a small proportion of drivers qualified, Aviva is urging the industry to focus on the benefits of what Continuing Professional Development can do for their business, and not to delay setting up a training plan – to avoid having to remove drivers from the road if the deadline isn't met.

"There has been alarmingly little take-up of Driver CPC courses, despite wide promotion for more than a year,” said Aviva’s Steve Palmer. “Operators know they have to do something, but for whatever reason - costs, recession or high staff turnover - there has been a reluctance to get the ball rolling.

"A lot of firms are under-estimating the severity of the situation if they leave it too late.  With around only 2,000 approved trainers, there is a real chance of a bottleneck as the deadline approaches.  There are no real signs that the government will extend the deadline and a staggered approach is advisable – if you have 200 drivers doing 35 hours training each, it's impossible within a year."