The low numbers of EU drivers so far wishing to take advantage of the UK’s new visa scheme suggests that HGV driver shortages will have to be solved domestically.
Controversial changes made by the DfT to boost driver testing capacity may well not be implemented quickly enough to help in the short-term, especially with the heightened demand for delivery drivers over Christmas.
There are many cash incentives being offered by agencies and employers keen to encourage people to become HGV drivers, but new driver training and qualification takes up to nine months.
So, tempting previously qualified drivers back into the industry would seem to be the quickest solution. With an estimated tens of thousands of vocational licence holders in road transport no longer driving, improvements in pay and conditions will be of some help to boost returns to the profession.
Returning (and new) drivers need a drivers card – available from: www.gov.uk/apply-driver-digital-tachograph-card – and for those running their own wagon, an operator license is needed: https://www.gov.uk/apply-vehicle-operator-licence.
To maintain compliance with tacho download rules in the simplest possible way, EasyTac provides a complete kit with everything included – and no ongoing charges or monthly fees. Self-employed drivers need to download and store their driver’s card data, and operators need to store the truck’s tacho data too.
Developed in the UK, EasyTac has been serving the industry since its launch in 2006 – chosen by many thousands of customers for its straightforward approach, with just a one-time cost and free technical support.