The UK driver shortage - changes to HGV tests announced

The UK road haulage industry has been suffering the impacts of a mass driver shortage for the last few years, and this unfortunate situation has only been exacerbated by the difficulties brought about by recent political and economic challenges post-Brexit and post-COVID, leading to a shortfall of an estimated 90,000 drivers nationally.

With the impacts of Brexit causing many EU-national drivers to return home, a huge backlog of tests still pending as a result of the pandemic, a retiring workforce, and the delayed IR35 tax changes now being introduced, the Government has been urged to act quickly to avoid further disruptions to vital supply chains within the UK. 

“Last week, the Government announced that the HGV testing process is set to be shortened,” says Head of Compliance, Martyn Richardson. “Currently, the law requires that lorry drivers first pass a driving test in a Cat C rigid vehicle before they can learn to drive a larger articulated Cat C+E lorry, however the first stage of this process is set to be eliminated.

“There are also plans to remove the reversing element of the test, and the uncoupling and recoupling exercise for vehicles with trailers, instead having these skills tested separately by a third party. 

“Whilst we acknowledge that the UK Government is taking proactive measures to tackle the current crisis facing our industry, fast-tracking drivers through the testing process is arguably not the best method of doing so. 

“Whilst there are some positives to the changes being made, we will continue to operate our driver training programmes by placing trust in our trainers’ discretion, and no driver will be placed into a vehicle that we or they feel they are unready for.”