New Testing Centre Opens in Hertfordshire

HGV training in Hertfordshire just got a little bit easier thanks to brand-new Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) for commercial vehicles opened at HTC Hemel Hempstead. The facility marks the 400^th ATF opened since the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) embarked on an ambitious plan to close government testing centres and transfer their services to private operators.

The Hertfordshire facility is owned and operated by the HTC Group, based in London. The testing lane was added to property that already included a number of other services for HGV owners and operators. Company spokesperson Peter Gibbons says they hope to make the Hemel Hempstead location a ‘one-stop shop for all customers in the area’.

The idea behind privatising commercial vehicle testing is one of making it as convenient as possible for the commercial sector. Under the old model, drivers sometimes had to travel great distances in order to have their vehicles tested. This meant lost working hours for the driver and significant downtime for the vehicle.

Building a number of new government facilities to reduce the burden on drivers would have meant a significant investment from the DVSA. It made more financial sense to turn over operation of the facilities to private entities that already have the infrastructure in place. And for the record, the actual testing is still carried out by a DVSA tester assigned to each station.

A Workable Solution

When the DVSA first announced privatisation plans there was some speculation as to whether or not it would really work. Nevertheless, it turns out the programme has more than met expectations. Statistics show more than 72% of all commercial vehicle inspections are now taking place at the private facilities scattered across the country. Privatisation has reduced vehicle downtime, made for more efficient testing and made life a lot easier commercial drivers.

The HGV Training Centre expects to benefit from the new facility in Hemel Hampstead inasmuch as we offer HGV training Hertfordshire. It will make it easier for us to have our vehicles inspected once a year. We applaud the efforts of the DVSA and the HTC group to get it open.

If you are in need of HGV training in Hertfordshire, we invite you to call us today. And even if you’re not near Hertfordshire, we offer commercial driver training at more than 45 facilities around the UK. There is probably one close enough to you to make driver training very convenient.

The HGV Training Centre can provide all the training you need to operate an articulated lorry, box truck, tipper truck, horsebox, forklift, and more. We offer comprehensive training that more than prepares you to begin looking for work as soon as you pass your tests. We even help our students find work by providing an up-to-date database of all the jobs available within the UK.

Our goal is to provide the commercial driver training you need to succeed. Our knowledgeable and dedicated staff will do whatever it takes to make sure you reach your goals.

Sources:

HGV UK – http://www.hgvuk.com/01/08/atf-number-400-opens/