Programme to Offer LGV Driver Training to Those Who Need a Hand

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has just announced the establishment of a new programme in conjunction with two partners that will provide much-needed LGV driver training to people who need a hand getting back into society. The programme, dubbed Road to Logistics, brings together the industry trade group with the Care After Combat charity and Microlise, one of the leading telematics providers in the UK.

According to the RHA’s Richard Burnett, the partnership has brought together three organisations that have already been working on addressing the driver shortage individually, into a stronger partnership that will utilise what all three bring to the table, to generate a much stronger combined result.

Road to Logistics will focus on helping people with legal issues who are sincerely attempting to straighten their lives out and regain a place in society. Burnett says, however, that the programme will be tightly controlled so as to ensure only the highest quality candidates are eligible to participate. Every candidate who applies for the programme will be subject to a rigorous screening process that includes a suitability assessment, medical exam, and a requirement for the candidate to agree to adhere to a strict code of conduct.

The code of conduct covers every aspect of the candidate’s personal and professional behaviour in light of the kind of work he or she will be taking on. The idea is to provide a mechanism whereby Road to Logistics can assure prospective employers that they can place their confidence in those candidates who successfully complete the LGV driver training and licencing process.

Benefits on All Sides

Although all the details about Road to Logistics have not been released, the scheme appears to be a very good one that offers benefits for all sides. New drivers making a sincere effort to get their lives back on track will have access to LGV driver training and, thanks to the RHA and its members, jobs upon completion of that training. Employers will benefit by way of a steady stream of trained and licenced drivers ready to take vacant jobs.

Even the three partners in the scheme will benefit by seeing improved results through collective efforts. While all three did very well as individual organisations, they will do much better working together. Successful implementation and execution of Road to Logistics could provide a model for similar schemes in the future.

We are fully supportive of any effort to seriously address the ongoing driver shortage by increasing opportunities for LGV driver training. The more drivers we can train, the stronger the logistics industry will be in the long run.

The HGV Training Centre will continue to do its part by providing industry-leading LGV driver training at all of our dozens of facilities around the UK. We train hundreds of drivers every month in preparation for long and rewarding careers as professional drivers. We can start the training process for you as soon as you are ready to go.