People keep asking me why don't I come out of retirement and take a lorry driving job. I suppose I could, I am confident that I could still get in any lorry and drive it, even though it's been thirteen years since I last did so. Some things have changed though, the CPC, Certificate of Professional Competence, is now mandatory for all drivers.
I passed a CPC exam many years ago, back then it was for anyone who was thinking of going into transport management. I thought I might do that when I wanted a change from sitting in a cab to sitting at a desk. It never happened, I loved sitting in a cab. Nowadays the CPC is different, it was added to a list of training and qualifications a driver needed to get a job. Most of this legislation came from Brussels, supposedly to set a level playing field. It never did.
Most of the drivers who came from other European countries have now gone back home, which has left us with a shortage. Another reason is that the industry is not training up new drivers.
John Redwood asked the question in Parliament yesterday, why don't we train up new drivers. That seems like a common sense thing to say. Boris replied that they are doing all they can to get people back to work. Waffling and missing the point completely.
The DVLA is in such a disarray that applicants for a licence are having difficulty going through the process. The frustrations of jumping through many hoops, and the cost of training, around £3,000, is putting many would be drivers off. New applicants can't even get a provisional licence to start their training. Working from home, furlough, and pinging staff has put a spanner in the works.
If companies need new staff, for any job, they should be investing in new training. If they can't afford it there should be grants available from the Government. Some haulage companies will take young people on in say, van driving or warehouse jobs, and put them through the system inhouse until they get the training and licences needed to handle larger vehicles. Sadly there are not enough of these places to cover the shortfall.
We may see more empty shelves as time goes on if nothing is done to address the problem. More drivers are needed so set up more training centres, and cut out some of the hoops. I am sure people would step forward with the promise of a job afterwards.
Government should understand the fact that the whole infrastructure is build around lorries and drivers moving goods about. Everything you see has been on the back of a lorry at some point. It's very short sighted to sweep the problem under the carpet. Put money into training to stop the country grinding to a halt. Train new drivers to replace the ones leaving. There's a bit of common sense for you. Are you listening, Boris.
Thanks for popping in. Looking a bit dull outside, I am sure it will brighten up.
Toodle pip. ilona
That's. A great photo of you ilona.youvlook like you had a curly perm back then.its nice to think back to all we have achieved in our life.i think it would've been exiting driving great big lorry's about I could imagine sitting high up on the road looking down at people in their cars lolx
ReplyDeleteYes, I had a curly perm. It was fun sitting high up in a lorry cab. That's what attracted me to it in the first place.
DeleteWell said Ilona! There is no point throwing more money at the drivers, although that will help it will not cure the problem. They need to address the issue of facilities for LGV drivers! Delivery destinations need to allow drivers to use their staff facilities or supply separate ones for them. At a lot of places there aren't any toilets or washrooms for them to use, especially away from the motorways. During the height of the pandemic many service stations however were still charging full price for overnight parking BUT the drivers were not allowed to use the facilities nor were they allowed to buy food! As you quite rightly say, at the end of the day, everything we use has at some point been on the back of a lorry.
ReplyDeleteFacilities have always been poor for drivers. I got around the problem of of no toilet facilities for women. I stopped in a layby before I reached my delivery point, to pee behind a hedge.
DeleteThis is a world wide problem. Here in Australia they're warning of large shortages by Christmas . We have some shortages at the moment, especially if the come from the eastern states. Long hours and average pay. Most drivers I've seen are middle age at the best. Coved has magnified the problem.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people get into truck driving because it is perceived as an exciting life. Travelling around, freedom of the road and all that. Some have it in their blood and will carry on, like me, others will pack up after a short time as they find it's not all it's cracked up to be.
DeleteI know a Brit lady trucker who moved to Australia years ago. She is still there and sends me pics of the massive trucks she drives. Got to hand it to her, she is not afraid of work.
Ilona: Things are no better in the US. Our company had to wait over six weeks to get a shipment of electrical equipment shipped from the Port to our warehouse about 300 miles away - all straight Interstate driving, no delivery time commitments - just get in the truck and drive. There's such a shortage of drivers businesses are being crippled. Discouragaing!
ReplyDeleteAs I said to Terra, people can get out of the habit of going to work, if they are getting paid to do nothing. The jobs you describe seem pretty straight forward.
DeleteWe have a shortage of drivers here in the USA. My family member is a trucker, the company he works for hires new drivers, and when they see how hard they perceive the job to be, they often quit. The new drivers ride with him and he can always tell which ones are going to quit. You look so cute in the photo!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they have furlough in your part of the world, paying people to do nothing, but I feel that this is part of the reason why someone might not want to work. Why bother when I can get paid for going out and enjoying myself.
DeleteThat is a beautiful photo of you Ilona. My young friend desperately wants to get a licence to drive HGV vehicles. The Government have now increased the funding for haulage companies to train drivers. I have e-mailed some local haulage companies to ask if they are training or, if not, if they can offer any advice, but have not heard anything back. If was a while ago, so I doubt I will hear anything now.
ReplyDelete