HGV Training Blog

A new framework setting out the key competences expected of car driving instructors and motorcycle trainers has been published today by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA.) The National Driver / Rider Training Standard(tm) sets out the skills, knowledge and understanding required to deliver driver and rider training programmes for cars, light vans and motorcycles, both before and after a candidate has passed their test.

The standard sets out what instructors need to be able to do, and the knowledge they need to have, in order to deliver effective learning that will help people to become and remain safe and responsible drivers. This covers areas such as devising effective lesson plans, understanding different learning styles and needs, and giving clear instructions and constructive feedback.

The document builds on DSA’s existing National Driving and Riding Standards that help to define safe and responsible driving and motorcycling.

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said:
“The driver and rider training industry has a vital role to play in making sure that Britain’s roads remain among the safest in the world. “The publication of this standard will help to ensure that all drivers acquire the right skills, knowledge and attitude to use our roads safely.”

The DSA has developed the National Driver/Rider Training Standard(tm) in collaboration with the driver and rider training industry, and will continue to seek feedback from trainers to ensure the standard remains relevant and up to date.

DSA Chief Executive Rosemary Thew said:
“I want to thank the driver and rider training industry for their input in to the development of the standard. This document contributes to the work the DSA is doing to modernise the industry, and is an important step towards improving the way people are taught to drive and ride.”

The publication of the standard fulfils the commitment made in the Government’s Strategic Framework for Road Safety to specify national standards for professional instructors, and will help to inform ongoing discussions around the modernisation of the driver and rider training industry.

The National Driver/Rider Training Standard(tm) can be found on the DSA website.
via News : NDS.

A 58 year old man has died after a collision with a tipper lorry on a cycle superhighway in east London. The cyclist was involved in the collision on the roundabout at Bow Road, Bow, at 08:45 BST on Monday.

Transport for London (TfL) said he was the first person to be killed on the city’s cycling superhighway network. Police said the driver of the lorry had been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and had been bailed until 18 November.

A TfL spokesperson said it was “extremely sorry to learn of the tragic death”.
He said TfL had delivered several initiatives, such as new roadside safety mirrors and awareness campaigns about the dangers of undertaking lorries, over the past year.

An “on-bike” training course for freight drivers in London, an online HGV cycle safety guide and “cycle safe” technology for all TfL highway contractor vehicles were also being introduced by the end of the year, he said.

There are four blue-painted priority lanes for cyclists in London with eight others due to open by 2015.

via BBC News – Cyclist killed on superhighway at Bow roundabout.

From 18 October bus, coach and lorry drivers holding a British paper driving licence are asked to exchange it for a photocard licence in order to receive their driver qualification card (DQC) at no cost.

The DQC proves that a driver holds the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) which professional bus, coach and lorry drivers must now legally hold in addition to their driving licence.

Drivers with a photocard licence will receive their DQC automatically, as the same photograph can be used for both documents. While drivers will still have to pay the usual £20 photocard licence fee, they will benefit from receiving their DQC free of charge, which could save them up to £30 over the 10 year photocard licence period.

Rosemary Thew, DSA chief executive said:
“We’re urging drivers to exchange their paper licence sooner rather than later. As well as saving money, drivers holding a photocard licence will receive their DQC automatically when they have passed the Driver CPC initial qualification or completed 35 hours of periodic training.”

Those drivers leaving the exchange of their licence until after they have completed their training may risk a delay in receiving their DQC. Drivers can apply to exchange their licence online or by post or they can drop off their application at DVLA local offices and selected Post Office branches.

For more information on how to exchange your paper licence visit direct.gov.uk/exchangelicence.
via Professional drivers urged to exchange their paper driving licence – News – Department for Transport.

Unnecessary Whitehall bureaucracy will be tackled and costs for councils reduced following the biggest review into Britain’s traffic signing system for 40 years. The Government hopes that the review will dramatically reduce the number of signs councils need to use by relaxing rules -such as by removing the requirement for some signs – including those to indicate the start of a pedestrian zone, to be placed on both sides of the road.

The new measures will significantly cut red tape by allowing councils to put in place frequently used signs without needing to get government permission every time. There are also proposals to save councils money by allowing them to publicise their Traffic Regulation Orders in a manner that is appropriate for the target audience, rather than forcing them to pay for newspaper advertising as is currently the case.

In addition, there will be changes to reflect the way that travel has transformed over the decades, to make sure that road users are getting the right information at the right time. There will be new signs to alert drivers to parking spaces with charging points for electric vehicles and councils will be able to indicate estimated journey times on cycle routes, to help people plan their journeys.

Norman Baker said:
“This is the most far-reaching review of traffic signs in 40 years. We are cutting pointless bureaucracy, giving councils more freedoms, and updating our suite of signs for the modern era.

“Sometimes the jungles of signs and tangles of white, red and yellow lines can leave people more confused than informed. This expensive clutter can also leave our roadsides looking unsightly and unwelcoming, so the changes I am announcing today will help councils cut the number of signs they need to use.

“We will also be allowing councils to use different ways to get information to drivers, encouraging them to question whether some signs are needed at all and publishing new advice for councils to help them reduce clutter on their roads.

“We want to make sure that there is consistency across the country while allowing local authorities greater discretion in how they use signs on their roads rather than demanding they get approval from Whitehall for signs they need to use regularly. “These changes will ultimately save councils money and lead to more attractive streets which improve the quality of life for local people.”

The new framework includes measures to update and improve traffic signs to make sure that they reflect the way we travel now, as well as providing clear information on prohibitions on the road network.

Changes will include:
Measures to improve cycle journeys by allowing journey times as well as distances to be added to signs on cycle routes and making it easier for councils to use Trixi mirrors to improve visibility of cyclists at junctions and ‘no entry except cycles’ signs to allow contra-flow cycling;

A new sign warning lorry drivers that a road is unsuitable for their vehicles. This will help to prevent situations where lorries following sat nav systems use inappropriate roads, sometimes causing disruption to the local road network and delays to their journey;

Measures to simplify some parking signs after research showed that, although overall understanding of traffic and parking signs among drivers is good, there is scope for some signs to be made clearer;

Allowing councils to use innovative new measures such as pedestrian countdown timers and diagonal crossings without Government approval.

Measures to reduce the impact that traffic signs have on the environment and help cut costs for councils and central government by reducing the levels of bureaucracy needed to put signs in place include:

Issuing guidance to councils to encourage them to improve their streetscapes by identifying and removing unnecessary traffic signs;

Reducing bureaucracy and costs for councils wanting to use 20 mph schemes by cutting the number of signs they need to put in place and making it easier to use variable 20 mph speed limits where necessary, such as outside schools;

Reducing the lighting requirements for signs, so as to reduce costs and carbon emissions;
Allowing publicity for new traffic regulation orders, e.g. for parking restrictions, to be more targeted at those who are affected by proposed changes, helping councils to reduce costs;

Reducing the need for councils to gain approval from the Department for Transport to put in place certain commonly used signs such as those which indicate that parking places are reserved for car club users. This will result in a reduction in signs requiring DfT authorisation of around 40%.

The Traffic Signs Policy Review started in September 2008. The full review document, ‘Signing the Way’, can be found at: www.dft.gov.uk/publications/signing-the-way.

News : NDS.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has published its response to the consultation on a proposal to allow longer HGV’s and semi trailers to use the UK public highway.

The consultation was to allow a 2.05 metre increase in the length of semi-trailers and a maximum overall length for articulated heavy goods vehicles of 18.75 metres.

The response is (for the next 10 years) to trial up to 1800 semi-trailers (approximately 2% of trailers on British roads.)
This equates as: up to 900 of a maximum length increase of 1m (between 13.6 and 14.6 metres), and up to 900 of a maximum length increase of 2.05m (between 14.6 and 15.65 metres.)

The research underlying the consultation proposal suggested that high volume semi-trailers have potential environmental, safety and congestion benefits, including allowing up to 13% more load space than current articulated lorry. This would result in fewer journeys needed to transport the same volume of goods.

It’s predicted that by 2015 this could reduce lorry miles in the UK by 100 – 180 million a year. This would help ease road congestion, reduce air pollution and reduce carbon emissions (by around 100,000 tonnes a year reduction.) The research also found that there would be a net decrease in casualties of around 1.6% from the reduction in lorry miles.

Participation (in the trial) will be voluntary based and is open to all hauliers. All participants (hauliers) are required to meet all the financial costs associated as no government funding is available. Investment therefore is at the participants’ own risk. The trial itself will run for 10 years, to allow those businesses wishing to participate the opportunity to cover the costs of investment in the longer semi-trailers.

There is no guarantee that the use of the longer semi-trailers will continue to be permitted beyond the end of the trial period. The trial is expected to get underway in January 2012 so any interested applicants need to apply sooner rather than later. Information on how to apply can be found on the DfT website.

A recent report by Skills for Logistics suggests a 30% shortfall of CPC qualified drivers by September 10th 2014.

The report reads……………………..

Are we storing up a headache for the future?
It was over two years ago that the Driver CPC was introduced for LGV (over 3.5 tonnes) and three years since it was introduced for PCV.

It will, and has, brought many benefits to the sector, but given the current rate of training there is potentially a risk of a shortfall in number of qualified drivers. With current uptake there is a real danger of a last minute surge in demand for training as we approach 2014.

Many companies have embraced Driver CPC periodic training and encouraged their drivers to do the training. Nearly 22,000 drivers have been issued with a Driver CPC qualification card (through completing 35 hours of training), and nearly 6 million hours of periodic training have been undertaken.

But according to recent research conducted by Skills for Logistics, given the current annual rate of training, by 2014 there will be a 27.5 percent shortfall in the number of hours completed for the Driver CPC. This will be a major challenge for the sector come 2014. A shortage of qualified drivers is in nobody’s interest. Leaving training to the last minute could also result is a over demand for training, creating difficulty accessing high quality training because of the fixed capacity of training providers.

This is likely to mean a number of things; as we approach 2014 training quality might be harder to source and costs could actually be higher. But more compellingly is the evidence that is emerging of the value of Driver CPC to businesses. Could it provide the professional image that is an important component of attracting a young and talented workforce. Could undertaking specific Driver CPC modules result in lower congestion, improved road safety and/or lower fuel consumption?

To repeat Mick Jackson’s comments of a few years ago (Chief Executive of Skills for Logistics) “Driver CPC offers the logistics sector a great opportunity to make training work for its business needs and to develop the skills of its drivers, ultimately having an impact on the professionalism of the sector, and that can only be a good thing can’t it”.

There are real positives associated with training and the Driver CPC more specifically, but also their maybe potential negatives of leaving it to the last minute. Given that Driver CPC training is mandatory, is it worth reaping the benefits of Driver CPC sooner rather than later.