1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204 
EU offers keys of the truck to 18-year-olds
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
New EU rules will allow school leavers behind the wheel of an artic in
a bid to boost recruitment. Andy Salter reports.
EXCLUSIVE
NEW DRIVER TRAINING legislation due to take effect from September 2009 will open the way for 18-year-old school leavers to drive 44-tonners.
This is included in the Compulsory Training Directive, also known as the Driver CPC Directive. It will cut the age limit for truck drivers with a C+E entitlement to 18. provided they have acquired a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence.
At present 18-year-olds who wish to work as truck drivers have to embark on a lengthy young driver scheme before acquiring their tickets, "The rule change will make available to all drivers an opportunity that is currently open only to those who wish to enrol on the young driver scheme," says Paul Butler, director for policy at the Driving Standards Agency. It will be a much slicker scheme than that which exists today."
One firm currently taking advantage of the young driver scheme is Reading-based QTR Transport. Proprietor Paul French says he has just taken on two 18-year-olds under the scheme. He explains: -The rule change would definitely help.
"The shortage of drivers means we have taken these two on to train them as we want them to be," he adds. "We've started them as drivers' mates so they get to know the job and get the basic training that they need." French says there was no insurance penalty involved in taking the pair on; in fact he was encouraged to take part by his insurers.
The new regs will require professional truck drivers to acquire a special Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (not related to the current transport manager CPC required for 0-licence entitlement) in order to work in the road transport industry. New drivers will be required to pass a more stringent examination than the current HGV driver training tests, while existing truck drivers will need to complete at least 35 hours of training every year to maintain their Driver CPC entitlement.
• Commercial Motor will be holding a one-day conference explaining the Compulsory Training Directive on 24 November. Contact:020 8652 3887.