RHA None Too Happy with HGV Training Costs

In yesterday’s blog post, we addressed a post-election poll that seems to indicate executives in the haulage and transport industries believe a new conservative government will lead to industry growth as a result of an expanding economy. We also mentioned that the poll showed considerable scepticism over whether or not the government would address the driver shortage problem. Today we want to continue that line of thinking by way of an official statement from the Road Haulage Association (RHA) demanding the government get involved.

As the RHA points out, HGV training costs through some companies can be as high as £3,000. Add to that the cost of CPC training that must be completed once every five years, and training to be an HGV driver can be expensive for those with limited means. The RHA is but one industry organisation that steadfastly believes high training costs are an impediment to encouraging more young people to become professional drivers.

The RHA further explains that smaller haulage companies are already working on razor thin margins and thus cannot afford to pay for driver training themselves. Those companies that do contribute to HGV training costs can only pay for a portion of it. That leaves students with a fairly significant bill to pay out-of-pocket.

Current Reality Requires a Solution

It would be nice to live in a perfect world in which driving students could easily cover HGV training costs by themselves. However, that perfect world does not exist. Keep in mind that we are still recovering from an economic downturn that has resulted in years of stagnant wages and significant unemployment. Until we emerge completely, some intervention is going to be necessary to stem the driver shortage.

One part of the solution is indeed helping to find creative ways to cover HGV training costs for those who cannot afford them. Nevertheless, money is not the only solution. We also have to overcome the decades-old stereotypes of professional driving. Unfortunately, far too many people think of haulage and transport work as a career of last resort; a career someone turns to if they lack the education or skills to do something better. Not only is this perception patently false, it is also damaging to the industry to a degree that it could very soon disrupt the national economy in a big way.

At the HGV Training Centre, we are working hard to make sure such a disruption never happens. We routinely offer new classes for drivers wishing to earn their HGV or PCV licences. We train for all classes of commercial vehicles including articulated lorries, tipper trucks, buses and coaches, heavy construction equipment, and much more.

We invite you to contact us to learn more about our classes and the possibility of financing your HGV training costs through our financing partner. We are doing everything we can to make training accessible to as many new drivers as possible. We want to help you get your career underway.

Sources:

1. HGV UK – http://www.hgvuk.com/?p=18574