HGV/LGV Training Costs May Be Prohibiting Driver Recruitment

In yesterday’s blog post, we brought to your attention the release of a new parliamentary report that outlines the problems associated with recruiting new drivers for the haulage industry. The report discussed a number of hindrances to driver recruitment, including lack of visibility, lack of value, lack of guidance, and a lack of educational proficiency. Today we would like to draw your attention to a fifth hindrance that we did not reference yesterday: HGV and LGV training costs.

The parliamentary report points out that new drivers are subject to higher insurance and training costs not necessarily associated with other sorts of vocational training. These upfront costs may be affordable in the eyes of an experienced adult who has already been in the workforce for a number of years, but to a young person just starting out, the thought of having to come up with several thousand pounds to pay for training can be intimidating.

Parliamentary group members are calling on the Government to see what can be done about improving student loan programmes to make HGV and LGV costs more accessible to a greater number of students. They are also asking for action on insurance in the hopes that something can be done to make it more manageable for young drivers.

Exactly what action should be taken was not outlined in the report. We assume those in favour of action will be asking for more money to be put to student loan programmes in the future. They might also ask for less stringent borrowing requirements and more affordable repayment terms.

Let’s hope that whatever action the Government does decide to take proves fruitful. As the parliamentary report clearly states, the current driver shortage in the UK is quickly reaching critical mass. If something is not done to reverse the trend in the near future, there could be serious repercussions in the years ahead.

Train Now, Pay Later

The HGV Training Centre is proud to offer our students a ‘train now, pay later’ option through our partnership with Pay4Later. This programme allows students to finance their HGV or LGV training costs with a scheme that provides affordable monthly payments that most students can easily manage. We are the only commercial driver training company in the UK to offer the Pay4Later programme.

If you are a young person considering professional driving as your career, we invite you to contact us today to learn about financing options. The options apply to all of our courses. That means you can finance your training whether you are looking to drive HGVs, LGVs, coaches, buses, or heavy construction equipment.

We offer high-quality driver training that has proven successful over the years. For example, our students taking the PCV theory test pass it – the first time – at a rate of 92%. Our professional trainers have the knowledge and experience necessary to teach you what you need to know. In no time at all, we can have you trained, licenced and ready to look for work.

Sources:

The Lode Star – https://theloadstar.co.uk/party-parliamentary-freight-group-hgv-driver-shortage-crisis/