Support for training
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in A survey carried out by the Road Haulage and Distribution Training Council (RHDTC) has revealed that the industry is not opposed to the new European proposals for compulsory HON driver training. However, operators favour competence-based training over time-based training.
The EC plan would require every driver to take between 210 and 420 hours of training before being allowed to drive CVs, and every five years drivers would have te complete a five-day refresher course. Direct costs would be about £125m—rising to £250m including indirect costs.
Competence-based training focuses on a driver's performance, as opposed to simply dictating a certain training period regardless of proficiency. Participants at a recent RHDTC conference (employers, trainers, unions and the Driving Standards Agency) saw competence-based training as good for profitability and road safety.
"This shows that we need to campaign to shift assessment away from the concept of time spent," says RHDTC chief executive Ian Hetherington. "It makes sense to train someone to given standards rather than train them for a fixed period."