New Van Standards May Be on the Way

Next month the Freight Transport Association (FTA) will be holding the third event in its Van Excellence series at the DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro. Among the speakers at the October 29 event will be Gordon MacDonald, the VOSA’s traffic enforcement policy manager. He is expected to outline plans his agency has in place to increase van standards in the UK.

Van operators are contributing more to the cargo transport industry as the UK economy slowly rebounds. Operators are adding vans and drivers, lining up new clients, and working with companies like the HGV Training Centre to promote van driver training.

VOSA believes there are number of things they can do to increase safety among van drivers. Two of the examples cited include increasing the number of roadside inspections and developing new operational standards.

For their part, the FTA welcomes MacDonald’s participation as well as the plans set forth by VOSA. However, they believe the industry is more than capable of self-policing any new standards that are set. They do not believe stricter enforcement is necessary at this time.

In his keynote address, MacDonald is expected to talk a little bit about how the recession negatively affected the van sector but, with a slowly rebounding economy, things are gradually changing. VOSA appears ready to take advantage of a rebounding economy as a means of increasing van standards to coincide with increased hiring.

Training Standards

There’s no word as to whether the new standards will affect van driver training or not. However, if they do, the HGV Training Centre stands ready to implement those new standards accordingly. As one of the UK’s leading driver training companies we pride ourselves in making sure all of our students meet or exceed the standards for their vehicles.

We recognise an expanding economy will mean more professional driving jobs becoming available. We are committed to helping companies fill those jobs with highly qualified drivers who possess both the skill and knowledge to be safe. When students complete our training, they are more than ready to fill those jobs.

The HGV Training Centre offers comprehensive driver training for HGVs, PCVs, heavy construction equipment, horseboxes and horsebox trailers, coaches, buses, light trailers, and caravans. What’s more, our intense and focused approach achieves outstanding results. Our theory test preparations are but one example. We boast a 92% first-time pass rate among HGV students who take the theory test after prepping with us.

Fleet managers and company owners should also be aware we offer CPC training as well. Don’t forget that all HGV drivers must be CPC certified by September of next year. A failure to comply could mean the loss of jobs or heavy fines.

We can provide CPC training on a one-on-one basis or for your entire fleet. You can be confident in knowing that we apply the same stringent standards to CPC training. Drivers who pass through our CPC program will definitely have earned their certificate of professional competency.