Coach Driver Training Hampered by Difficult Recruiting Process

We talk a lot about the HGV driver shortage in our regular blog posts. Yet the same shortage threatening the haulage industry is also biting at the heels of the transport industry. Companies desperate for coach and bus drivers are finding they just cannot fill open positions fast enough. According to one source, a more difficult recruiting process is hampering coach driver training and preventing new drivers from getting into the field.

Research supplied by Comensura suggests that there may be two things making life more difficult for coach and bus companies. First is the cost of training, specifically the legally mandated CPC driver training that went into effect for coach and bus drivers in 2013. New drivers trained after 2009 receive their initial CPC training as they earn their licences, but that training must be repeated once every five years to retain a PCV licence. At an average cost of £2,000, the training is an expensive proposition for drivers.

Coach and bus companies might be willing to help cover the cost of CPC training for employees, or they may not. However, it does not help the unemployed driver looking to get back to work at some point after his or her most recent CPC certificate has expired. That driver must earn a new CPC certificate, at his/her own cost, before he/she can even begin looking for work.

The second problem, according to Comensura, is one of regulatory changes and bureaucracy making it harder to allocate drivers to particular jobs. The recruiting process for experienced drivers now takes a week longer than it used to, making it more difficult to quickly fill positions. Moreover, with recruiters having to spend so much time working around the bureaucracy, there is less time and energy to focus on recruiting new drivers to the transport field.

A Cheaper, More Streamlined Process

It is evident that the transport industry is willing to do what it takes to recruit and hire new drivers. Nevertheless, the industry cannot do it alone. It needs government help by way of a cheaper, more streamlined process that eliminates unnecessary bureaucracy and makes coach driver training affordable for the average candidate. Failing to address these two problems will do nothing more than continue to hinder the industry moving forward.

The HGV Training Centre is doing our best to help by offering convenient and affordable training at nearly four dozen locations throughout the UK. Our numerous locations make training convenient no matter where you live. Furthermore, with new classes forming regularly, you will not have to wait six months to get into a programme that could take a year to complete. We can get you in, trained and ready to look for work within a matter of weeks.

In terms of affordability, the HGV Training Centre is the only company in the UK offering financing through Pay4Later. You can receive your training now, and then pay the bill gradually over time. It is the least we can do to help.

Sources:

1. OnRec – http://www.onrec.com/news/statistics-and-trends/shortage-of-uk-driving-staff-could-bring-%C2%A374bn-transportation-industry-to