Fleet Driver Training Should Address Weight Restrictions

As a leading provider of fleet driver training in the UK, the HGV Training Centre is more than capable of custom designing training programmes to the unique needs of each client. We can cover everything from the safe handling of materials to teaching drivers how to use their vehicles more efficiently. We believe an important component of fleet driver training for companies operating in metropolitan areas is the addressing of weight restrictions.

Nearly every medium and large sized city in the UK has some weight restrictions in place. Sometimes drivers are ignorant of those restrictions, other times the restrictions are simply ignored. What hauliers need to understand is that municipalities are stepping up their efforts to improve enforcement. A recent example is the implementation of a video surveillance system in the London Borough of Hillingdon. One of their vendors recently delivered a brand-new Civil Enforcement as a Solution (CEaaS) product that will largely automate the process of enforcing weight restrictions.

The system makes use of unattended video surveillance and licence plate recognition technology to capture infractions in real time. The video images are sent to the vendor’s computer network where they can be analysed by enforcement specialists. Genuine infractions are then passed on to the processing department to be dealt with. The system is the first such system to be delivered to a UK municipality. If it works well, we expect the vendor to be engaged by other municipalities for similar systems.

Controlling Traffic in Our Cities

Weight restrictions are often viewed by haulage companies as impediments to the smooth operation of their businesses. And while that may be true, the purpose of implementing weight restrictions is intended to be anything but an impediment. As we frequently explain in our fleet driver training programmes, the use of weight restrictions is to control traffic flow in metropolitan environments.

The reality is that the road systems in most of our cities are not designed to handle the kind of traffic we have today. And because our cities are so old, the kind of expansion and redesign that would make the road system more compatible with modern traffic is not possible. Therefore, municipalities must engage the various tools they have to control traffic flow.

Controlling traffic does a number of things. First, it reduces unnecessary wear and tear on city streets. Second, it alleviates congestion as much as possible. Third, it increases safety by managing traffic in such a way as to protect everyone using the roads.

We are extremely proud of the fact that our fleet driver training programmes address issues such as weight restrictions. We would be thrilled with the opportunity to custom design a training programme for your company. Our training programmes can make your drivers better so that they can serve your customers properly. As an added bonus, some of our fleet driver training can also be utilised to help your drivers meet their CPC requirements. If you would like to know more, just contact us.

Sources:

1. UK Haulier – http://www.ukhaulier.co.uk/news/road-transport/roads/london-borough-of-hillingdon-deploys-cctv-based-enforcement-of-hgv-weight-restrictions/