Pictured: Shropshire construction workers at McPhillips are already trained

A training company has scheduled extra courses for Shropshire and West Midlands companies after the announcement by the Freight Transport Association of a "considerable" shortfall in the number of truck drivers on track to complete compulsory training in time.

By September 2014 all lorry drivers in Europe must complete 35 hours of training to comply with Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) requirements. Drivers of buses and coaches have until 2013.  

If professional drivers do not complete their training hours on time, they cannot drive vehicles over 3.5 tons and minibuses with nine seats or more.

The industry may find itself paying extra for the training if they continue to delay sending drivers on courses as prices will rise as demand surges nearer to the 2014 deadline and the number of available courses decline, warned Isobel Harding, of the FTA.

In response, Shropshire's TTC Automotive is putting on driver CPC courses in November and January and later in the year to encourage county firms to get their drivers trained before an inevitable rise in the cost of attending a course.

They have launched a Driver Commitment initiative where training prices remain fixed if drivers book now for future training programmes with costs able to be spread over a length of time.

"We guarantee that people who sign up now would get their qualification in time and at the lowest possible cost," said Evita Hussey, TTC Automotive's Driver CPC Training Co-ordinator for Shropshire and the West Midlands.

Driver CPC training comes at a time when the industry is experiencing hard times with hiking fuel prices and tough trading conditions. But having the qualification gave drivers "a competitive edge" in the jobs market, she said.

"But there is still a deadline for training to be completed and in two years time costs will have risen as demand soars for courses and we would urge companies to get their drivers trained now as it will be more economical in the long run.

"Companies will have to invest more in training if they delay."

Companies could leave themselves exposed to a lack of choice and more cost if they delayed the training, added the FTA's Isobel Harding.

"The logistics sector comprises very professional firms who completely support efforts to professionalise the industry and improve road safety and many of our members have invested heavily in ensuring that Driver CPC works for them. However, by delaying the inevitable these companies could be walking a dangerous line."

For course information contact TTC Automotive, part of the TTC Group,  praised for its nationwide driver education courses aimed at reducing the accident toll on the nation's roads. TTC Automotive, of Hadley Park, Telford, also manage business vehicles and drivers to promote safety, reduce running costs and meet legal requirements. 

For more information visit www.ttcautomotive.co.uk or call 0333 8000 222, email driver.training@ttcautomotive.co.uk Join TTC Automotive's open group on LinkedIn Small Business (SME) Driver Compliance

Introduced two years ago across the EU to maintain high driving standards and improve road safety, Driver CPC has been designed to continually improve the knowledge and skills of professional LGV and PCV drivers.