In a post-Brexit UK, the need to attract new HGV drivers into the industry has never been greater. A conservative estimate of the UK’s current shortfall of drivers is in the region of 70,000, leading to moves being planned by the Department for Transport (DfT) to make it easier for drivers to return to the industry and remain CPC compliant. 

Currently, the driver’s Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) is a qualification all UK HGV drivers need to renew every 5 years. While there is no practical element to the training, 35 hours of study is required to obtain a CPC card either in-person or online. As such, the DfT has submitted proposals to reduce the length of these CPC modules for industry feedback.

Seeking to Better Regulate Drivers Following Brexit 

The DfT, under the stewardship of Transport Minister Mark Harper, has stated that it’s seeking views on how driver CPC qualification is maintained. Following on from the UK’s exit from Europe back in 2020, the government enjoys greater autonomy to regulate HGV drivers, and it’s consulting the industry with a view to taking advantage of this fact. 

Potential measures being considered include the elimination of mandatory course time limits and durations when a DCPC is split up over two separate days. Also up for consideration are plans to introduce a periodic test rather than period training – something that would be delivered directly by the DVSA. 

New International Parallel Qualifications Also in Proposals

Also included in the government’s proposals is the creation of parallel qualifications for driving in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Essentially represented by a combination of a national and an international (I-DCPC) qualification, the change would allow for domestic driving with just the international part allowing driving to and from the EU.

A DfT spokesman spoke recently on the matter, stating: “We would like to emphasise that the proposals are all subject to consultation and no final decisions have been made on which reforms may be taken forward. Proposals on which we are consulting will require amendments to legislation.

You can read and provide feedback to the consultation on the government website, as well as read the DCPC review report. Furthermore, the closing date for feedback is Thursday 27th of April at 11:45 pm. 

Working Hard to Reduce the UK’s HGV Driver Shortage

The dearth of HGV drivers in the United Kingdom has been an ongoing problem for quite some time, however, there does seem to be a speck of light at the end of the tunnel. At HGVC, we’re fully behind government moves to make it easier for returning drivers through the elimination of unnecessary rules and regulations. Obviously, only time will tell if the current proposals will be adopted.

Regardless of the outcome, our team will continue to do what they do best – delivering industry-leading HGV licence acquisition programs that can be scaled to meet any size of need via our UK-wide network of training centres. To find out more about us and how we do things, please take the time to browse our website. 

Alternatively, to get in touch directly to talk about your requirements, you can either click ‘contact us’ or call 0330 818 8888. There you’ll find a friendly member of the HGVC team who will be more than happy to discuss how we can help you meet your objectives.