By Kirsty Terry, recruitment expert at Milestone Operations
Driver CPC legislation is about to come into force for HGV drivers on 9th September 2014. For all new drivers as of 10th September, 2009 however they are required to have completed their CPC training before they start driving. CPC training involves periodic training of 35 hours every 5 years.
Milestone surveyed a portion of their own drivers to forecast the impact it may have on agency drivers. 8% of those surveyed stated that they wouldn’t be doing CPC training, therefore a worrying amount of the workforce will be lost in September 2014. There will also be the impact of drivers who either can’t afford CPC training, or won’t have completed it in time. 30% of the Milestone drivers have not yet begun their training. It is expected there will be a temporary shortfall in the supply of drivers September 2014.
19% of the industry are also entering retirement age – not including the 8% who don’t plan to complete the CPC training - so up to a quarter of the workforce could be lost over the next few years. The industry will have to double its current rate of recruitment in order to fill the gap if that is the case.
The cost of CPC training is not as high as was initially predicted, there are a large number of training providers all looking to benefit from the large number of drivers who require training within a short period of time. To be competitive, trainers are lowering their prices so as to attract as much of the market as possible.
The introduction of the legislation has received some negative reviews from HGV drivers – reviews from HGV drivers who have completed the training do not always see it as a beneficial qualification. They perceive the legislation as bureaucracy.
Our survey revealed some surprisingly positive opinions about the usefulness of Driver CPC. The most common response by drivers is that most of the areas covered in the training were ‘very useful’.
It is undeniable that the CPC legislation will have an effect on the logistics industry, but the impact should only be short-term. The biggest threat to the industry is more the ageing population of drivers. The industry is unappealing for prospective drivers also – with expensive qualifications, and lack of jobs for newly qualified drivers.
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