ACCORDING to DVSA statistics 487,505 Driver Qualification Cards issued in 2019 are set to expire before the end of 2024, drivers between them need to attend a staggering 17 million hours of periodic training to renew their card in 2024. On average, that’s 3.4 million hours of training each year, for five years.
Whilst the DVSA advises that drivers should each attend seven hours of periodic training per year, the fallout from Brexit and increased demand for drivers, along with the suspension of in-person training during the pandemic meant that this was almost impossible to achieve in 2020 and 2021.
The number of periodic training hours fell to record lows and did not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2022.
Still faced with driver shortage, this leaves many transport operators with the dilemma of having to release drivers over the next 18 months to attend additional periodic training in order to renew their DQC on time.
Do hauliers know what percentage of their vocational driver workforce have DQC cards due to expire in 2024, and the number of hours of training outstanding for each driver?
GB drivers can check their CPC periodic training record online via the DVSA and give temporary access to their employer.
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