Midland reflects on shifting training landscape
Midland Transport Training has reported a massive influx of enquiries regarding Driver CPC , as the quinquennial September periodic training deadline looms for many.
In addition to the deadline, director Perry Preston cites the compounding factor of Covid – which has limited drivers’ ability to complete periodic training earlier in the cycle – as having contributed to the noticeable surge in drivers wanting to get on a course as soon as possible.
Some have left it until the last minute, he explains, and are now asking for five straight courses in succession, which he describes as “possible but demanding”.
The company highlights its commitment to giving drivers the chance to sit a variety of different DCPC courses rather than repeating the same ones.
“Courses that are extremely popular at the moment are bridge strikes, and also manual entries on digital tachographs,” said Perry Preston.
“We have just written a new drivers’ hours, Working Time Directive and manual entries course, because this seems to be the main feature that drivers seem to be lacking a good understanding of… DVSA seem to be focusing on manual entries quite a lot [during roadside stops]. So it’s clear drivers and operators need to be on top of this to avoid fines at the roadside [and] unwanted operator compliance risk score (OCRS) points.”
He also commented on the Department for Transport’s plans for Driver CPC reform (Transport Operator 126) which, should they proceed under the next government, will reduce the minimum course length for domestic-only drivers to 3.5 hours rather than seven.
“This doesn’t seem to be going down well,” said Perry, according to a poll his trainers had been conducting among drivers on the company’s courses. He queries whether the upload fee will be halved as well as the course length (his suspicion is not), and points out that many training companies are likely to cost for a full day even if an operator has only booked out a trainer for a 3.5-hour course.
“So unless a training company can get a two back-to-back courses with one company, or the same company but different drivers, costs will be increased,” he suggested.
“I don’t think this has been thoroughly thought through.”
Perry says Midland has also observed an increased focus on online courses, namely via Zoom.
“That said, we still have bookings for classroom-based courses,” he added.
“However, the trend seems to be 90 per cent online and only 10 per cent in the classroom now.”
He suggests that some less ‘tech-savvy’ drivers who are not as au fait with laptop, PC, tablet or phone use – perhaps due to a lack of experience of using such technology in their day-to-day jobs – are being turned off by this trend.
“As a consequence of this, drivers have told us they won’t be doing any more courses after their deadline and will exit the industry,” said Perry, “which is something no one wants to see happen.”
