/ NEWS Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 7
Driver Hire Darlington business development manager David Symington with CPC trainer Darren Hume , and drivers undertaking their CPC training .
‘ We ’ re entering critical era ’ warns driver training company
A Newton Aycliffe-based company is warning there could be a shortage of HGV drivers due to strict new government legislation that ’ s come into force .
Driver Hire Darlington , a franchise of the national firm , say the transport and logistics sectors are approaching a “ watershed moment ” as some drivers refuse to take the tests .
Many people are unaware of significant changes that are already under way after new Certificate of Professional Competence ( CPC ) legislation was implemented in September 2009 across Europe and the UK .
The new rules means drivers of lorries over 3.5 tonnes have to sit 35 hours of classroom study , covering various aspects of their working environment , by September 2014 .
Consequences for companies and drivers caught operating after the deadline without their DCPC in place will see fines of £ 1,000 and licences suspended .
And Driver Hire Darlington , based in Carlton House at The HUB , reckons the industry will see a critical shortage of drivers in the coming years .
David Symington , business development manager for Driver Hire Darlington , warned : “ As with many new pieces of legislation , some people have chosen to ignore this thinking it will disappear or be scrapped this is not the case .
“ People within the industry feel that the September 2014 deadline will be a watershed moment within the transport and logistics industry , with many older drivers making the decision to retire from driving duties rather than doing the 35-hour training .
“ With the lack of new drivers coming into the industry and with more online retail businesses needing to move product , this could prove to be a critical few years for our sector .
“ At Driver Hire Darlington we are starting to see a lot more interest from companies and drivers with regards to the Driver CPC training that we offer .
“ We have been working with many companies in the area over the last year , planning their training , making sure that their drivers and their business will benefit from the 11 modules that we offer .
“ The feedback we have received from the drivers has been excellent , this is down to our trainers .
“ My advice to any driver or company is with less than 18 months to go there are concerns that there will be a shortage of trainers and , as always , when there are supply-and-demand issues , prices may increase dramatically .”
Driver Hire Darlington is currently training drivers from a number of nearby transport companies as well as independent operators , using experienced CPC trainer Darren Hume .
Tony Cook , a freelance driver , said : “ I liked the course material supplied and it was good to be trained by a fellow driver .
“ I found the process easy , with Driver Hire taking care of all the paperwork and tracking the hours I have already done .”
Any firms or individuals wanting to know more can call David Symington on 01325 314887 , or email darlington @ driverhire . co . uk