Drivers are in particularly short supply right now, and the talent shortage has become acute enough to receive mainstream media coverage. Of course, the UK is dependent on truck drivers for many aspects of life – transportation of essential goods isn’t possible without thousands of skilled drivers crisscrossing the country day and night to keep store shelves full and the economy humming.
As the shortage of qualified drivers starts to bite, it’s worth taking a look at one of the major problems affecting driver recruitment and keeping qualified drivers away from current job vacancies.
The Driver CPC (Driver Certificate of Professional Competence) was introduced in 2009 under EU regulations to professionalise the driving industry and improve safety. It requires drivers to undertake 35 hours of training to obtain their CPC, and then commit to the same amount of training every five years to renew the qualification.
There is, however, a significant number of drivers in the UK who are licenced to drive trucks but have let their CPC lapse – a talent pool that is currently inaccessible. For employers struggling to meet business demand, the Driver CPC requirement is another hurdle to hiring people who otherwise have the years of experience needed to drive heavy vehicles.
It’s important to note that drivers do not sit for an exam after their CPC training, so there is no way to determine the effectiveness of the course. Even worse, a driver could repeat the same training module for five days in a row and still meet the requisite number of hours to get their CPC.
For employers, the Driver CPC can be a costly obligation in terms of time and money. Some drivers have delayed their CPC renewal due to limited budgets for training, or operational pressures making the prospect of taking time off for training impossible.
These issues, in our view, indicate that truck drivers in the UK would be easier to hire if the Driver CPC requirement was paused, or perhaps scrapped altogether. This view is echoed by employers and industry groups, including The Road Haulage Association (RHA) and The Association of Pallet Networks. The RHA has noted many retired drivers won’t be enticed to come back to the industry if they must sit for hours of CPC training, for example.
In this dynamic market, recruiting the right talent for driving roles takes an awareness of the many issues affecting employers and candidates alike. We’re working with our talent networks and using our market expertise to assist companies in the Midlands and South Yorkshire to recruit drivers from all backgrounds into a variety of roles. To learn more about how QS Recruitment can help you find the best drivers, get in touch with our specialist team.
