A licence worth keeping

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teamtalk
The news update for everyone on the books
at Driver Hire and dh Recruitment.
Edition 6
A licence worth keeping
Where does time go? It’s hard to believe that there’s now less than two years left to complete your Driver CPC
training. The qualification was introduced for LGV drivers in 2009, and gave them a 2014 deadline for completion
of the initial 35 hours’ training required to earn their blue Driver Qualification Card (DQC). Are you well on your
way, or are you one of the many thousands of LGV drivers who haven’t yet made a start?
There are many reasons why
completing your Driver CPC training
makes sense. Come September 2014,
if you haven’t got your DQC, then you’ll
no longer be able to drive professionally.
For the past year, the Recruitment &
Employment Confederation’s ‘Monthly
Report on Jobs’ has listed LGV drivers
as a key job skill in short supply. So one
thing is for sure – if you keep up-to-date
with your training, you’re not going to
be short of work.
Thousands of LGV drivers have already
obtained their DQC, and over 23,000
have undertaken Driver CPC training at
one of Driver Hire’s 83 training locations
nationwide. What’s more, they continue
to give our training a very enthusiastic
thumbs-up, with 94% agreeing that they
found it both relevant and useful.
So if you want to continue making the
most of your LGV licence, then
completing your Driver CPC has to be a
priority. Fortunately, with Driver Hire it
couldn’t be easier.
Simply contact your local office,
visit www.driverhire.co.uk/training
or call our training hotline on
0808 178 9977 to find out more.
Make Someone Happy:
SLOW DOWN!
Deaths resulting from road traffic accidents rose by 3% in 2011. This
was the first increase for almost a decade. What’s particularly disturbing
is that the biggest rise in deaths has been amongst pedestrians.
That’s why Brake, the road safety campaign group and organisers of ‘Road Safety Week’, has
chosen ‘Slower Speeds = Happy People’ as the theme for this year’s event, which takes place
from 19th - 25th November. The aim is to raise awareness of speed when driving near schools,
shops or in any residential area.
“Of course it’s essential to be aware of your speed wherever you’re driving,” says Chris Chidley,
Driver Hire’s CEO. “But limiting your speed to 20mph in residential areas makes it safer for
vulnerable road users such as pedestrians or cyclists.”
To support the campaign, Driver Hire offices across the UK are sending a reminder of the
‘Slower Speeds = Happy People’ message to drivers and customers, through special posters
and flyers.
“At Driver Hire we believe that road safety is important 365 days a year – not just during Road
Safety Week, Chris concludes. “That’s why we’re putting our full support behind the campaign.”
Road Safety
Week 2012
19th - 25th
November
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teamtalk
Keep an eye on
your eyesight
It pays to have regular eye tests.
In fact failure to do so can result
in the loss of your livelihood.
That’s what category C+E driver,
Gareth Wells has discovered.
Gareth, who was a driver on the
books at Driver Hire Birmingham,
has held an LGV licence for over
20 years. An experienced driver,
he’d noticed some deterioration in
his eyesight so he booked a routine
eye test at Specsavers in Yardley.
He’d assumed he simply needed
a new pair of specs.
But his vision problem proved to be far more sinister. The
optometrist at Specsavers realised that something wasn’t quite
right. In fact, following an appointment at Sheffield Eye Hospital, it
was confirmed that Gareth had a cancerous tumour at the back of
his eye.
He was prescribed radiotherapy treatment to kill the tumour, but
unfortunately, as a consequence, Gareth was left blind in one eye.
He was then offered revolutionary surgery which has saved his sight.
Gareth reported his vision problems and subsequent treatment to
the DVLA who, following a field test, sadly had to revoke his LGV
licence. The story does however have a happy ending. Because of
Gareth’s vast experience and exemplary record with Driver Hire, his
boss, Jim Richards, offered him work in the office. He’s now
undergone training and is using his industry knowledge to deliver
Driver CPC courses.
“I hadn’t really appreciated how important regular eyesight checks
are – not just for helping your vision but in picking up other potential
health problems,” says Gareth. “I’ve urged all my family and friends
to make sure they visit their optician, and will certainly make sure I
keep up my regular appointments.”
Edition 6
Les looks back on
a fine fifty years
behind the wheel
After 52 years in road transport – a large part of it behind
the wheel of an LGV - Bristol driver Les Shapcott has
decided it’s time to hang up his keys. Well, maybe…
“The only reason I’m retiring is to spend more time with my
great grandchildren,” says the youthful 83-year old. “I’ve got 28
grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren, the youngest of
which I’m going to be looking after until he starts school next
year. So I haven’t totally ruled out a comeback!”
A former Grenadier Guard, Les passed his LGV test in 1959.
“The first commercial vehicle I drove was a milk float. I then
moved to a Scammell three-wheeler. Along the way I’ve driven
a bus, delivered Walls ice cream and worked for BRS, C&A and
Unilever. I moved into training with the Road Transport Industry
Training Board before joining Tibbett & Britten’s transport office.
I joined Driver Hire when I ‘retired’ for the first time in 1993.”
Out of the many
vehicles he’s driven,
Les’ favourite is a
MAN artic. He well
remembers his early
days on trucks with
crash gear boxes and
no heating! “Although
there was less traffic
then, I think it was
harder getting around in
a goods vehicle on ‘A’
roads. The motorway
network has made life
much easier for truckers,” Les comments.
Rhian Hill at Driver Hire Bristol will be sorry to see him go.
“Les is a real character and a good driver. We knew we could
always rely on him to do a great job for us. If he decides to
come out of retirement, we’d be more than happy to use him
again – and so would our clients.”
Road user charge for foreign trucks
The Government has announced that
foreign lorries using UK roads will be
charged up to £1,000 a year from
the year 2015.
The current situation is that UK hauliers
travelling to mainland Europe have to pay road
charges; foreign registered trucks coming into
the UK pay nothing. The long awaited move to
level the competitive playing field was
announced by Transport Secretary Patrick
McLouglin. He described it as: “a vital shot in
the arm for the UK haulage industry.”
Although the charge will also apply to UK
trucks, they will benefit from a corresponding
cut in vehicle excise duty – the net result
TEMPORARY STAFF
PERMANENT RECRUITMENT
being that they will pay no more than they are
doing now.
Commenting on the announcement, Geoff
Dunning, Chief Executive of the Road Haulage
Association described it as a “happy day for
hauliers.”
He added: “We’ve been campaigning for years
to see a system introduced which will lessen
the financial advantage currently enjoyed by
our European neighbours. Mr McLoughlin is
obviously very aware of the important role
played by UK hauliers in rebuilding the
economy, increasing UK competitiveness
and boosting growth.”
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For more Driver Hire news and information, the latest job vacancies or to find your local office contact details visit:
www.driverhire.co.uk
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