Christmas Could Be a Humbug for CV Operators

Operators of large fleets of leased commercial vehicles are warning their customers to prepare for a potential shortage of vans in the weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday. Demand for commercial vehicles rose some 225% between the third and fourth quarters of last year, and industry experts expect an even greater demand this year.

A shortage of vans would be especially troublesome for companies who desperately need them to temporarily boost their owned fleets during the holiday season. These are companies that rely on deliveries as the main engine of their businesses – deliveries that always pick up in the final quarter of the year.

According to Fleet Directory, 70% of the seasonal increase is the result of courier companies who take on holiday contracts for delivering parcels. The growing e-commerce sector adds to the problem by giving courier companies many more parcels to deliver. One expert told Fleet Directory that he expected to see many short-term rental lots empty before November is out.

The problem is a good one to have for companies who lease the commercial vehicles. When the stock of vans is depleted, customers have little choice but to move up to the larger and more expensive LGVs. That means better sales, at least temporarily, for the higher-class vehicles.

Come January, all of those leased vans will begin making their way back to rental lots. Leasing companies will then have 9 to 10 months to prepare before doing it all over again. Such is the nature of the holiday season and the vehicle hire business.

Make Wise Driver Selections

The management of the HGV Training Centre wants to remind courier companies and others preparing for the busy holiday season of the importance of wise driver selections. Just as a van shortage is likely imminent, there may also be a shortage of qualified drivers for temporary hire. It is important that companies do whatever it takes to put only trained drivers behind the wheel.

The HGV Training centre is happy to offer van and driver training, both on an individual and fleet basis. If you are an individual driver looking to pick up some extra money by driving a van, we have classes available for you. If you are a company owner or manager with a corps of drivers to train, we would love to be your training partner.

Our van driver training programme is an intense and fast-paced programme designed to prepare students to pass their tests the first time. It is an approach that focuses on solid retention of only that material necessary to meet legal and safety standards. As just one measure of our success, 92% of our HGV students pass their theory test at the first time of asking.

Do not be caught shorthanded this holiday season. Get your van driver training taken care of right away by signing up with the HGV Training Centre. The quality of our programmes makes us one of the leading commercial driver training providers in the UK.