AdvantageHGV can reveal that the DSA is seriously considering reducing the age you can try for your HGV licence from 21 to 18. With the new ‘Drivers CPC’ coming into force in September 2009, drivers will have to complete an extra 35 hours of training before gaining their HGV licence. This extra training may make it possible for trainees as young as 18 to take their HGV test.

AdvantageHGV Training Director James Clifford had this to say on the matter:

‘The new Drivers CPC will ensure that all new HGV drivers are trained to the best possible standard. The DSA now believes that the additional training will make it possible for younger drivers to take the course. This is great news for the industry - with HGV drivers still in chronic short supply - dropping the licencing age to 18 will have a positive effect.’

AdvantageHGV - the UK’s largest single trainer of HGV drivers - is geared up for the change, said Clifford:

‘We have over 1,000 trucks at our disposal and we’re more than ready for an influx of 18-20 yr old drivers queuing up to get their licences in late 2009. HGV drivers continue to earn above average salaries - so a career as a driver could be very lucrative for teenagers!’

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It’s official - AdvantageHGV is now the UK’s largest provider of HGV training courses, the company trained it’s 2000th driver last week, meaning they now train more drivers than any other single school across the country.

‘AdvantageHGV was set up with one thing in mind’, said Commercial Director, James Clifford, ‘we aimed to be the UK’s most popular and most efficient HGV training provider. The fact that we have achieved this aim in just one year, is a testament to the skills and service level that Advantage provides. Our HGV training packages are second to none, we offer a guided, fully supported course that ensures our trainees the best chance of success  and with our pass rates now at 74% - we’re achieving that!’

Clifford was also keen to explain the company’s new job search tool:

‘AdvantageHGV have another claim to fame - our phenomenal HGV jobs board is now the single largest jobsite for commercial driving positions. With over 7,000 live positions on the site at any one time, our newly qualified drivers won’t have to wait long before landing a well paid HGV job.’

Visit AdvantageHGV’s new jobs board at:

http://www.advantagehgv.co.uk/hgv_jobs.php

Shell tanker drivers, who recently went on strike over pay, look closer to achieving their target of a £40,000 a year salary. The tanker drivers, who all have an HGV C+E licence, feel that their job should be highly paid.

The HGV driver industry currently offers some of the best wages to work ratio in the UK. Fuel tanker drivers can expect to earn at least £32,000 a year - and all they need is an HGV C+E licence and an ADR (Hazardous Goods) certificate. Both of these qualifications, available from AdvantageHGV, can be obtained in 6-8 weeks - with a well-paid driving job available shortly afterwards.

The Shell dispute only highlights how important HGV drivers are to our economy, and those who carefully and professionally drive 200,000 litres of petrol across Europe, should be rewarded.

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The latest stats from the DVLA show that more and more people are applying for their provisional LGV / HGV licence, with a view to training to become a professional driver.

Industry figures reveal that the chronic driver shortage shows no signs of letting up. With an estimated 80,000 HGV vacancies in the UK alone (6,000 of those jobs can be viewed here:  www.advantagehgv.co.uk/hgv_jobs.php), training to become an HGV driver is still the career of choice for 1000’s of people.

Driver’s unions have recently campaigned to give HGV drivers a minimum wage of £36,000 - and companies such as DHL are considering these proposals. In fact, the wages of a qualified HGV driver have continued to rise way above inflation, year on year for the past 10 years.

With a Europe wide change in the rules to becoming an HGV driver (from Sep 2009 new drivers will have to complete an extra 35hrs of training), new recruits are flocking to the market. Companies such as AdvantageHGV, the UK’s largest provider of driver training courses, are bracing themselves for a ‘booking frenzy’ in the months immediately before the new rules kick in.

So, with £36,000 a year fast becoming a reality for an HGV driver and with over 80,000 jobs showing no signs of being filled in the immediate future - Summer 2008 is the year to train as an HGV driver.

James Clifford, head of UK HGV Training, had these final words to say on the subject:

‘With the fast approaching new EU laws on HGV driver training, the days of the 5 day course will soon be numbered. We advise anyone thinking of trying for their licence to book a training course ASAP - as soon it will take twice as long and cost twice as much!’

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100’s of HGV drivers from all over the UK, descended in their vehicles to London - where they have staged a protest against rising fuel prices. With diesel prices now hitting £1.30 a litre, some haulage firms believe they will go bust very quickly. It now costs over £1,000 in diesel costs to run a HGV for a week, a figure which the haulage world are not happy with.

Protesters have demanded a 25p rebate for essential commercial use, which will bring the UK in line with other European countries. Some members of Welsh HGV firms have threatened to block ports and refineries if the government doesn’t budge.

Petrol and diesel prices are currently 70% tax - so it makes sense for the government to reduce duty when oil prices rise. Other EU countries have helped their citizens quickly and efficiently. The French immediately cut the duty on fuel when oil prices started to rise earlier this year. That example of a forward thinking and helpful government is a far cry from Brown and Darling’s incompetence and greed.

Commentators are predicting a repeat of 2001’s fuel protest, which brought the country to a standstill and like the 10p tax before, the government is widely expected to complete a u-turn on this policy. Hopefully HGV firms, drivers and the millions whose jobs depend on the haulage industry, will be given a helping hand by our so called ‘Labour’ government.

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Norwich Council have narrowly voted in favour of allowing HGVs to use bus lanes when entering the city. The scheme, which was opposed by cyclist groups, hopes to alleviate congestion on main roads.

The forward-looking scheme will help with congestion. Bus lanes, although taking up half the road on approaches to Norwich, are only utilised by 10% of the traffic. This forces the other 90% (including HGVs) to sit in solid traffic, which causes more emissions, more noise and loses business £millions. By allowing HGVs to travel in the bus lanes, Norwich can ensure that delivery of fresh produce and consumer goods can arrive safely, quickly and with less impact on the environment.

Adrian Gunson, a voting member on the committee, supported the scheme and saw the benefits for the city as a whole.

He said: “The point is we’ve been asked today by those who are opposed to it to treat it as if Norwich is exclusive to cyclists”.

This sensible approach would work well in other cities - especially London, where roads have been hi-jacked by cyclists lobbies - yet cyclists account for no more than 9% of road traffic in the city.

Allowing HGVs and private cars (if they are occupied by two or more passengers) to use bus lanes in the Capital would be a remarkable step forward. An unavoidable fact of our ‘home shopping’ generation, is that more and more goods need to be transported by HGV. Every Tesco / Ocado home delivery needs a qualified HGV driver - and the roads need to accommodate this fact.

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A BBC investigation has discovered websites where HGV licences can be bought for as little as £250. The site, which maintains it sells ‘novelty’ driving licences, will send an almost perfect copy of a UK driving licence (with whatever categories you want on it) once you pay them £250.

Although the HGV entitlement on the licence is fake - and won’t show up if a police officer or employer checks with the DVLA - but concerns have been raised that the licences look real enough to pass roadside checks.

The licences can also be ordered with a paper counter-part if an extra £100 is added to the bill and this has raised concern amongst HGV operators. HGV training courses take a minimum of 5 days to complete, with a vigorous DSA driving test at the end.

Anyone thinking of buying a fake HGV licence could be in for a shock if they try and use it to get a job. Gary Benardout, Managing Director of AdvantageJobs said:

‘At Advantage we have over 5,000 HGV positions available at any time, if a potential employee were to arrive for a job interview with a fake licence, the consequences would be dire. 99% of employers will screen HGV licences via the DVLA hot-line - and if a fake licence holder is sitting in-front of them…they’ll call the police’.

The police can prosecute fake licence holders for fraud, and in the event of an accident, hefty jail terms can be handed down to non-insured, fraudulent licence holders.  The DVLA and the police have powers to enforce jail terms of 10 years for fake licence holders.

Finland became the latest European nation to decide against road pricing plans for HGVs. Britain is still thinking about introducing a ‘pay as you go’ scheme for HGVs across the UK. These plans have been rubbished by the FTA and RHA as ‘unworkable’. The pay as you drive option (to replace road tax) would mean the HGV drivers, owners and operators end up paying a fortune in tax - as they travel the highest mileage of any vehicles on the road.

Finland’s transport and communications ministry said in a statement Thursday it had stopped planning a trial of a heavy goods vehicle road pricing scheme for want of a workable technical solution. The government had intended to test an HGV road pricing system in southeastern Finland, which has long experienced congestion in the form of lorries heading for Russia. The ministry said in the statement that the introduction of road pricing would have reduced the area’s competitiveness.  However, the working group that dismissed the road pricing trial also proposed charging vehicles entering a new lorry park to be built in the southeast. The government hopes the 24-million-euro lorry park will ease congestion on roads leading to border crossings.

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The new HGV & commercial driver’s jobsite from AdvantageHGV now has over 4,000 live HGV jobs online.

Sourced from haulage operators, agencies, small businesses and government departments - the jobs board at www.advantagehgv.co.uk/hgv_jobs.php  now contains more direct HGV employment opportunities than any other website.

The simple, easy to use interface has proved a hit with HGV drivers. Simply select your licence and than chose where you want to work - it’s as easy as that. AdvantageHGV director Gary Benardout said:

‘Advantage’s new HGV jobs board has taken our HGV Training offering to another level. We now train and find our drivers jobs when they’ve got their licence - this is a first for the industry. And best of all - it’s free! Free for drivers to search for jobs, free for employers to advertise their jobs and free to receive updates on jobs in your area, as and when they occur’.

Keep checking for more from the AdvantageHGV website - as developments in the pipeline include: An HGV video guide to training; full 100 question theory test modules; jobs ‘wanted’ section and much, much more.

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Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s is planning to open its new 500,000 sq ft distribution facility this summer. The centre, based in Selby, Yorkshire will generate over 500 jobs in the HGV and distribution sectors, proving once again that HGV drivers will be in exceptionally high demand.

Sainsbury’s smaller facilities at Matby and Skelton are predicted to close when the Selby depot opens. There are no predicted job losses - as HGV drivers will move to Selby - where they’ll still need another 500 to run the new site!

With HGV Training centres across Yorkshire, Advantage HGV can train drivers in just 5 days. So if you live in that part of the world and fancy a well paid Sainsbury’s driving position - get in touch.

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