Category : HGV

Home/Archive by Category" HGV" (Page 6)

HGV Drivers Push For Government Funding

With the election just months away, the recent budget was largely anticipated by many in the driving sector. Driver shortages have been well documented and with a growing demand amongst the freight industry, we are keen to see the Government’s support to help alleviate the issue.

The figures speak for themselves as in this year alone, it is now expected that there will be a demand for approximately 45,000-60,000 professionals drivers to supply goods across the country.

So where did this shortage of drivers come from?

HGV drivers are now required to carry out a compulsory test which will award them with a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) once completed. The new test takes 35 hours to complete and could costs the individual £500.

However, failure to complete the training will result in a £1000 penalty. It’s estimated that this alone has already motivated more than 20,000 drivers to quit or take early retirement. This figure has put pressure on the industry, as without enough HGV drivers, our retailers and other businesses could potentially have ‘empty shelves’ leaving customers short of vital supplies.

To help reduce this pressure, the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association are pushing for the Government to offer funding that will provide training for a new generation of HGV drivers, with a specific focus on getting more women into the industry.

There is also a push to train younger drivers, particularly as recent research found the average age of a HGV driver is 53, much older than most industries. Only 2% of HGV drivers are under 25, while 13% are over 60 years old. The industry has asked for £150 million worth of training for thousands of drivers, urging the Government to act now before the shortage hits and affects the UK’s supply system.

As a compromise the Government has promised to review the speed at which driving and medical tests take place for HGV drivers and will consider how they can speed up this process. Funding support for the training will also be looked into, however this is not guaranteed.

At Drivers Direct we understand the need for more drivers and work with hundreds of clients across the UK to supply qualified drivers to meet their needs. As the freight industry continues to develop and the pressure on deliveries continues, we intend to continue to supply the best drivers, and provide training through our 21 branches. HGV driving can be rewarding and enjoyable career choice with the right training and support.

Continue Reading

Understanding your Digital Tachograph

Almost 20% of all road traffic accidents are sleep related, many of them occurring on high speed roads. When tired, driving ability decreases dramatically; reaction time slows and judgement becomes blurred.

Despite this, figures have shown shocking statistics; 37% of people who use cars, vans or lorries have admitted to driving when tired and 10% who use their vehicles for work have admitted to falling asleep at the wheel.

HGV vehicle drivers are often required to work during unsocial hours, making the risk of fatigue greater. As a result the Government has enforced laws in a bid to protect both HGV drivers and other road users with the hope of decreasing the number of road accidents each year.

The laws established restrict the number of hours a driver can complete without taking a break, so now for every 4.5 hours driven, it is compulsory for the driver to rest for 45 minutes before continuing the journey. The total hours of driving each day is capped to 9 hours, with the fortnightly limit standing at 90 hours.

In 2006, it became compulsory for all commercial vehicles to be fitted with a digital tachograph. A tachograph is used to record information about the driver’s time, speed and distance. They’re used as a measuring device to ensure that drivers and employers follow the government procedures regarding drivers’ working hours. A tachograph will store 365 day’s worth of information that is downloaded on a monthly basis and stored for future reference. It is the size of a radio and has its own memory storage, designed to work in conjunction with a digital tachograph smart card.

A digital tachograph system consists of a sender unit mounted to the vehicle gearbox, the tachograph head and the digital driver card. The sender unit will emit electronic pulses as a reaction to the gearbox output turning. These pulses are accessed as speed data by the tachograph head.

There is a range of modes which detect the driver’s activity as well as speed. ‘Drive Mode’ is automatically activated whenever the vehicle is moving and a ‘rest’ and ‘availability’ mode can be manually selected. Drivers are legally required to accurately record their activities and retain records and produce them as required.

Here at Drivers Direct, it’s compulsory for all our drivers to follow the Government laws, as they are designed to optimise the safety of everyone on the road. All of our vehicles follow protocol and we urge all drivers to be aware of the drivers’ hours rules and to use the Digital Tachograph within the vehicle correctly when driving to make every driving experience safe and enjoyable.

Continue Reading

Driving In Bad Weather Is Not Snow Joke

As temperatures drop across the country and snow warnings flood the daily news, now couldn’t be a better time to ensure your vehicle is set for winter driving.

Although there tends to be a fall in road accidents during bad weather conditions, due to fewer motorists using the roads, the Department for Transport reported 4,584 road accidents where someone was injured during snow or ice on the road surface last year.

As one of the UK’s leading driving recruitment agencies, Drivers Direct would like to share a few handy tips for winter driving we’ve pick up along the years.

Winter is the time of year when most preparation is required to stay safe on the roads and avoid breakdowns. Before setting off on a journey, always ensure:

  • Lights are clean and working
  • The vehicle’s battery is working and fully charged
  • Check the tyre condition, including tread depth and pressure
  • Ensure there is enough screen-wash that is concentrated and suitable for cold conditions
  • Ensure you have enough anti-freeze

It’s important when driving in bad weather conditions to pack an emergency kit in your vehicle, should you beak down or get stuck in traffic. This includes:

  • Hazard warning light
  • De-icing equipment
  • A car blanket
  • Torch
  • Emergency rations (drink and a snack)

When driving in bad weather conditions, especially snow or ice, adapt your driving techniques for a safer drive to the following:

  • Reduce speed to lower the chances of skidding
  • Increase stopping distance
  • Avoid harsh breaking
  • Used dipped headlights if visibility is reduced
  • Slow down before bends and corners

When faced with tougher driving conditions, it’s crucial not to panic and remain safe. Our drivers safety is imperative when delivering a quality service to our clients.

 

 

 

Continue Reading

You Booze, You Lose

 

During the Christmas months, alcohol consumption in Britain increases by 40 per cent with 54 per cent of men and 41 per cent of women expected to drink over the recommended guidelines during the festive period.

Every year drink driving campaigns hit our TV screens, radios and catch our attention on the motorways to warn us of the dangers of drink driving. However, do drivers really understand what constitutes as ‘over the limit’?

It is a common misconception that one alcoholic drink is one unit, but with so many different drinks, sizes of glasses and bottles it is difficult to establish how many units are in a single drink.

Another misconception is the legal drink driving limit is two units of alcohol or less. However, the current law states consumers driving are legally allowed to drink 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100millilitres of blood, 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath or 107milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine. To put it simply one unit equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol, which is around the amount of alcohol the average adult can process in an hour.

What drivers really need to know is that, the legal drink driving limit is not as black as white as once thought. The legal limit depends on many variables, such as:

  • Weight
  • Gender (men tend to process alcohol faster than women)
  • Metabolism
  • ABV volume
  • Current stress levels
  • Last time food was consumed
  • Age (younger people tend to process alcohol more slowly)

From the above it is easy to be confused with what is classed as over the drink driving limit. Another factor drivers must consider is what happens the morning after.

After enjoying Christmas celebrations till the early hours of the morning, it is not uncommon for alcohol to stay in our system well into the following day. Therefore those who get in at the wee hours of the morning and start their day at 8 am could still have alcohol present in their blood system. In general, alcohol is removed from the blood at the rate of about one unit an hour, but again this varies from person to person.

Drink Driving affects peoples driving in many ways. The brain takes longer to process messages from the body, resulting in a slower reaction times. In 2012, 1,200 people were seriously injured when a driver was over the legal alcohol limit and as a result, 280 people were killed in drink driving accidents.

As one of the UK’s leading driver recruitment agencies we have a zero tolerance when it comes to drink driving, and as a result, we hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Christmas.

Continue Reading

SPEEDING AHEAD OF NEW CHANGES

Driving in the UK has been somewhat under the ‘spotlight’ recently. There are many reasons for this, mainly due to the changes to CPC training, driverless cars and the abolishment of the tax disk. However, one up and coming change is set to have a big effect on not only professional drivers but also the ‘everyday’ driver.

The British Government has proposed a speed limit change for heavy good vehicles (HGV’s) over 7.5 tonnes on single track roads from 40 mph to 50 mph, with changes coming in to effect as early as January 2015. The decision was made after Claire Perry, Transport Minister, decided it was time to tackle congestion in the UK and keep the country moving whilst also reducing the risk of dangerous driving.

Recent statistics from the Department for Transport (DfT) highlighted motorists are 11 times more likely to have an accident on a rural road than on a motorway, even though country roads have significantly lower speed limits.

The government also plans to raise the speed limit for HGV’s on dual carriageways from 50 mph to 60 mph, therefore matching the legal limits for vans and buses.

The Road Haulage Association stated the decision by ministers was evidence based and will be strongly welcomed by hauliers and their drivers as the current speed limit is long out of date, can cause driver frustration and unnecessary road safety risks. But what are the other benefits?

As well as reducing driver frustration and iritic overtaking, the new changes are also set to benefit the haulage industry by £11 million of savings per year as well as other businesses receiving goods quicker.

Not only has the government looked into the speed limits but they are also investing £3.3 billion in major road schemes which will provide over 500 miles of additional lane capacity to the strategic road network. A second piece of work will see £10.7 billion allocated to add at least 400 miles of increased capacity on the busiest motorways.

The haulage industry is always adapting to cope with growing or new demands and these changes need to be reflected on the UK’s roads. The Government’s changes demonstrate this and although the changes may not be welcomed by everyone, they are all heading in the right direction.

 

Continue Reading

ARE MOTORISTS HEADING FOR A WINTER OF DISCONTENT?

As we head into winter, it seems that the budget for improving road quality has been cut dramatically but how much will the realignment of budgets affect the quality and quantity of the essential road maintenance needed to keep our roads in good shape?

Research by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has revealed that £1.2 billion has been cut from road maintenance budgets over the last four years, following a review of government spending in 2010.

It has also been suggested that the cuts have been made to better prepare the government for ‘unforeseen’ events, which can cover a range of scenarios from cold snaps through to the severe flooding we experienced in February 2014.

Since the cuts have come into place, an additional £1.1 billion has been spent to help manage nine separate ‘unforeseen events’ that have required urgent investment in order to help keep the roads open. Although critically important, this fluctuating expenditure has left councils less able to budget for the road maintenance needed in their local communities.

The poor state of British roads is costing businesses and the government alike; in the last two years alone, there have been compensation charges of £31m for damage to vehicles by potholes, even though to fix a pothole only costs around £50. The Department of Transport has responded by stating that they were ‘absolutely committed to tackling potholes on local roads’, yet there is public concern that still not enough is being done to maintain existing roads or on preventive strategies.

It’s not all bad news, we have also been promised 962 miles of new roads to cope with the significant increase in traffic that’s expected in years to come.  This will help alleviate pressure points or bottle necks on the road network.

With more than 700 of our commercial drivers out on the road each week, every day we see the importance of having roads effectively maintained to ensure not only the secure delivery of goods but the safety of our drivers and others.  Let’s hope this latest budget cut won’t lead to a winter of discontent for drivers.

Continue Reading

Hands Free or Not Hands Free?

Since December 2003, it has been illegal to drive in the UK while using a hand held phone.  However, hands-free devices weren’t included in the ban.

But legal experts are now warning fleets and their drivers that they could fall foul of the law if they are involved in a collision, even while using a hands-free phone.

The warning comes in the wake of new research (by Brake and Direct Line) that shows hands-free use has increased from 22% in 2006 to 38% today.

Although many drivers believe that using a hands-free device is legal, unfortunately the law is not that simple.  If a driver is involved in a collision while using a hands-free device, they may still be open to prosecution for not being in proper control of the vehicle, or even for dangerous or careless driving.

More so, even if an employee uses a mobile device with a hands-free kit, there is a risk of prosecution to the employer if the police can prove that employees were pressured to use devices to the extent that they become distracted by calls or other interactive communications.

Research by TRL found driver reaction times to be 30% slower while using a hands-free phone than driving with a blood alcohol level of 80mg alcohol per 100ml blood (the UK limit), and nearly 50% slower than driving under normal conditions.

The report goes on to suggest that people are four times more likely to be involved in an accident whilst using a mobile phone, whether hands-free or not.

Despite a lack of support for a total ban amongst fleets, more than 60% of respondents in a survey acknowledged that the use of a hands-free device while driving does distract drivers, with one in five (21.4%) agreeing that they contribute to serious accidents.

The bottom line is that the safest course for employers might be to instruct employees not to use a mobile device for any interactive function while driving.

At Drivers Direct, we make it our business to know the law inside out when it comes to driving.  By reading and understanding the small print, we ensure all our drivers are highly trained and aware of the rules and regulations applicable to them.

So for peace of mind and a guaranteed supply of legally compliant drivers, contact Drivers Direct today.

 

Continue Reading

Keeping Britain’s Roads Moving

Although amongst the safest in Europe, Britain’s roads are also the busiest and most congested.  So the news that a whopping £24 billion has been ring fenced to create a high performing road network in England that’s fit for the 21st century and beyond is most welcomed.

In the biggest investment since the 1970s, this represents a tripling of investment in England’s major roads to over £3 billion a year up to 2021, and is a giant step towards delivering a safer and more sustainable road network.

The improvements will see the construction of 962 miles of new roads to help deal with the projected 43% increase in traffic over the coming decades, as well as easing congestion at some of the most notorious and long-standing traffic hotspots on England’s roads. £9 billion of the total will be spent on the maintenance of existing roads, of which £6 billion will be spent on resurfacing 3,000 miles of roads.

So far, the Government has committed to 60 new road schemes, the majority of which should be completed by 2021, with the extra capacity being achieved mainly by the use of smart motorways and selective widening.  However, it’s expected that the scope of the project will be extended further following the 2014 Autumn Statement.

With more than 700 drivers now on our books, we’re always on hand to support clients and ensure that they have access to a pool of qualified drivers available to deliver on their promises.  Now with a schedule of developments lined up to improve the quantity and quality of our roads, businesses and drivers can see this as the green light that’s needed to help get Britain’s roads moving.

Continue Reading

Driving In New Regulations

As the industry continues to acquire more and more regulations, qualifying to drive trucks has a new hurdle to overcome with the requirement for drivers to achieve a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) certification.

Enforced by a European Union directive, the new Driver CPC qualification aims to increase safety on the roads by ensuring drivers are better trained and up to date with current legislation.  To achieve this, professional drivers now need to maintain their skills at the highest level by attending 35 hours of periodic training every five years.

Anyone who drives heavy-duty lorries, buses or coaches for a living needs the Driver CPC certification alongside their vocational licence to remain legally compliant, and employers can’t legally take on any driver who doesn’t possess the Driver CPC.  Furthermore, employers need to ensure that their drivers renew their qualification every five years.

New drivers get Driver CPC as part of their HGV training but existing drivers will need to complete their 35 hours of periodic training by the 10th September deadline to remain compliant.  The fine for driving professionally without a certificate can incur fines up to £1000.

To add to the mix, the restrictions and requirements are different for various drivers, depending on when they gained their licence and there are also some exceptions for certain drivers.  As with every new piece of legislation, confusion and a change in practices are almost always inevitable.

With more than 700 of our drivers on the road each week, we’ve been quick to ensure that all our drivers conform to any existing or new legislation and are trained to the highest degree to be legally compliant and ready for the road.

Working with the FTA, and by being ahead of the game, we’re able to support clients during the transition and in doing so hope to lift the burden that comes with increasing regulation off our clients’ shoulders.

Continue Reading