On the 27th February 2023, the United Kingdom and the European Union introduced the Windsor Framework – a proposed legal trading agreement intend to mitigate bureaucracy for goods destined for Northern Ireland. It’s something that hauliers working in this area have shown strong support for – according to Logistics UK.

Based on recent research, it was found just under 80% of survey respondents welcome the certainty associated with the new proposal, although people are said to still have questions. 

Included in the proposal are separate green and red lanes, with only the latter moving onto the EU and being subjected to normal checks. 

Prolonged Uncertainty in Northern Ireland Since Brexit

Speaking on the matter recently, Logistics UK’s Head of Trade & Devolved Policy Nichola Mallon had this to say:

“The agreement is welcome news for our members who drive the NI supply chain with GB, Ireland and Europe. Since the UK left the EU, our members in NI have experienced a period of prolonged uncertainty as the details of how to trade with our closest neighbours have been negotiated.

More than 55% of our surveyed members agree that the new deal will reduce the administrative and cost burdens on trading between GB and NI, a reduction recognised by two-thirds of those trading between NI and Ireland – all of which is excellent news for businesses in the logistics sector and for the wider NI economy.”

47% of Businesses Uncertain of Affordability On Offer

However, the reaction to the Windsor Framework wasn’t all 100% positive, as the research also highlighted the fact that 47% of businesses were doubtful or uncertain of the affordability it would deliver. Mallon continues:

“The Windsor Framework is a positive position from which to strengthen & grow NI’s trading relationships with both GB & the EU, which have been in limbo since the UK left the European Union.

72% of those businesses questioned which are not currently trading with NI agree that the Framework provides more stability and certainty for trade, while 40% of those surveyed confirmed they will be looking to re-establish trading links with NI. 

This reinforces Logistics UK’s call for a targeted strategy with GB suppliers to re-establish and strengthen trade with NI.”

While nothing official has yet been released, NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has suggested that members of parliament could get to vote on the Windsor Framework proposal within the next 2 to 3 weeks.

Re-establishing Strong Ties Between the UK & EU

Brexit has presented certain challenges since 2020, with many UK and NI hauliers experiencing uncertainty during this period. At Insite, we concur with the haulage operators who have strong support for the Windsor Agreement and are fully behind the proposal as put forward. Any move to make things easier for UK hauliers is a welcome move.

In the meantime, we’ll continue to do what we’ve been doing for decades – delivering industry-leading Insite licence acquisition programs via our national network of training centres. Our services scale to any size of the need, meaning we can help businesses to circumvent the ongoing dearth of drivers in the UK right now. 

To learn more about us and what sets us apart from the competition, please take a moment to browse our website. Alternatively, to get in touch, click ‘contact us’ or call 0330 818 8888, where you’ll find our dedicated team, who’s more than happy to discuss your needs.

In a post-Brexit UK, the need to attract new HGV drivers into the industry has never been greater. A conservative estimate of the UK’s current shortfall of drivers is in the region of 70,000, leading to moves being planned by the Department for Transport (DfT) to make it easier for drivers to return to the industry and remain CPC compliant. 

Currently, the driver’s Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) is a qualification all UK HGV drivers need to renew every 5 years. While there is no practical element to the training, 35 hours of study is required to obtain a CPC card either in-person or online. As such, the DfT has submitted proposals to reduce the length of these CPC modules for industry feedback.

Seeking to Better Regulate Drivers Following Brexit 

The DfT, under the stewardship of Transport Minister Mark Harper, has stated that it’s seeking views on how driver CPC qualification is maintained. Following on from the UK’s exit from Europe back in 2020, the government enjoys greater autonomy to regulate HGV drivers, and it’s consulting the industry with a view to taking advantage of this fact. 

Potential measures being considered include the elimination of mandatory course time limits and durations when a DCPC is split up over two separate days. Also up for consideration are plans to introduce a periodic test rather than period training – something that would be delivered directly by the DVSA. 

New International Parallel Qualifications Also in Proposals

Also included in the government’s proposals is the creation of parallel qualifications for driving in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Essentially represented by a combination of a national and an international (I-DCPC) qualification, the change would allow for domestic driving with just the international part allowing driving to and from the EU.

A DfT spokesman spoke recently on the matter, stating: “We would like to emphasise that the proposals are all subject to consultation and no final decisions have been made on which reforms may be taken forward. Proposals on which we are consulting will require amendments to legislation.

You can read and provide feedback to the consultation on the government website, as well as read the DCPC review report. Furthermore, the closing date for feedback is Thursday 27th of April at 11:45 pm. 

Working Hard to Reduce the UK’s HGV Driver Shortage

The dearth of HGV drivers in the United Kingdom has been an ongoing problem for quite some time, however, there does seem to be a speck of light at the end of the tunnel. At Insite, we’re fully behind government moves to make it easier for returning drivers through the elimination of unnecessary rules and regulations. Obviously, only time will tell if the current proposals will be adopted.

Regardless of the outcome, our team will continue to do what they do best – delivering industry-leading HGV licence acquisition programs that can be scaled to meet any size of need via our UK-wide network of training centres. To find out more about us and how we do things, please take the time to browse our website. 

Alternatively, to get in touch directly to talk about your requirements, you can either click ‘contact us‘ or call 0330 818 8888. There you’ll find a friendly member of the Insite team who will be more than happy to discuss how we can help you meet your objectives. 

With UK haulage doing its best to attract a more diverse range of people into its ranks, it’s keen to show that are more than well equipped to enjoy a long career in the industry. Well, this argument is now backed by studies of DfT data that clearly show that women aged between 20 and 29 have consistently outperformed their male counterparts in HGV training. 

The study was conducted by Pallet-Track, and it revealed that women in this age range have enjoyed higher HGV pass rates than men, year-on-year since 2010. As such, 67.9% of women in this age bracket successfully passed their practical test during this period, which compares favourable to the 63% of men who passed.

Women Represent A Major Key to Tackling the Driver Shortage 

Overall driver pass rates during the test period were at 58.7%, and analysis showed that if an equivalent number of women had taken their HGV test as men, there would now be just under 49,000 more qualified drivers on the road. This is almost equal to the RHA’s current estimation of the shortfall, which is said to sit at 50,000 drivers. 

Despite efforts to attract more female drivers into the industry, just 9.1% (8,731) of all HGV tests were completed by women. Additional information found in the DfT’s 2020 Domestic Road Freight Statistics showed that just 1% of all HGV drivers are women – a stat that has not budged since being included in this yearly report in 2016. 

Lots of Opportunities to Succeed For Women 

Speaking on the matter, Pallet-Track’s Chief Exec Caroline Greene had this to say…

“Sector offers lots of opportunities for women to succeed.Our research should be a real eye opener for the industry as it demonstrates the value of diversifying the logistics workforce. The results of the analysis show that Britain has the talent and skills to overcome any remaining driver shortages and the resources to future proof our workforce.

The majority of truck stop facilities are woefully inadequate and require major improvements. As such, we welcome the government’s recently-announced match funding initiative and hope that this will be a positive step forward for the industry. 

Education is another area where major improvements are needed if we are to inspire younger generations to enter the profession, particularly young women. Logistics plays a major role in all our lives and is the fifth largest employer in the UK, but we need to engage with schools more to demonstrate the breadth of careers that the industry can offer”.

Making HGV Driving an Attractive Proposition

Women have a lot to offer to the UK’s haulage industry, and at Insite, we are fully behind moves to attract more drivers from this rich demographic. Of course, there is still work to do in terms of improving truck stop conditions, but the government has pledged to provide the necessary funding to make them safer and offer better facilities. 

We look forward to welcoming more women onto our industry-leading HGV licence acquisition programs that are delivered via our national network of training centres. 

To learn more about us and how we’re helping to support UK haulage, please take a few moments to browse our website. Alternatively, to get in touch with us, click ‘contact us’ or call 0330 818 8888, and our team will be delighted to speak to you about how we can meet your organisation’s HGV needs.

The UK haulage sector saw a development this week, as the new CO2 targets have been revealed by the European Commission (EC). Covering its proposals for future truck and bus CO2 standards for the next 20 years, the EC has published its plans that seek to reduce carbon dioxide levels significantly during this time. 

Compared to 2019 levels, the aim of the key proposals is to reduce CO2 emissions by:

• 45% by 1st Jan 2030
• 65% by 1st Jan 2035
• 90% by 1st Jan 2040
• 100% for city buses by 2030

The published proposals also state that it will be up to manufacturers to decide which of the available technologies (electrication, hydrogen in combustion vehicles or fuel cells) to employ. 

EC Choosing to Divert Resources to Marine & Aviation Sectors 

There have been hopes in recent months that low-carbon and renewable fuels will have a viable place in the road networks of tomorrow. However, the EC has dashed them by specifically stating their intention to divert these resources to the marine and aviation sectors, despite being able to be used within a well-established fuelling & technical structure. 

Exempt from being included with a manufacturers’ precise CO2 targets are:

• Vehicles used for public order maintenance purposes e.g. fire trucks & ambulances
• Vehicles constructed or adapted for civil protection
• Small volume manufacturers (up to 100 registered vehicles)
• Mining, agricultural and forestry vehicles 
• Armed forces & track-laying vehicles
• Vocational vehicles e.g. refuse trucks

As well as there being overall CO2 reduction targets for powered vehicles, trailers are now going to be included within them, although exact details are yet to be released.

ACEA Has Certain Reservations About the Proposals 

While the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) is yet to fully analyse what’s in the EC’s proposals, their spokesman – Volvo Group Chief Exec Martin Lundstedt – has expressed reservations. A lack of coordination with recent Euro-7 proposal seems to be to blame for the misgivings expressed by Mr Lundstedt. 

Warning that Euro-7 should not divert attention from the shift toward climate neutrality and should be aligned with the investment required to meet CO2 standards. Mr Lundstedt added the following to the conversation…

“While other world regions are incentivising their way towards zero-emission mobility, Europe is trying to regulate its way – and even that is not being done in a harmonised way. If zero-emission solutions don’t become more profitable than diesel operations soon, operators won’t buy our vehicles…

…and as a result, we will simply not be able to meet the CO2 target. At the end of the day, vehicle technology – be it battery-electric, fuel-cell electric or hydrogen-powered trucks – is only one part of the solution. To succeed with this transition, we urgently need coherent, joined-up policies.”

Working Towards a Greener UK Haulage Industry

As the UK’s haulage industry creeps ever closer to the promise land of zero emissions, the focus becomes evermore intense on the development of greener technologies. These EC targets represent an indication of the challenges we face, but by working together, there’s no reason that we can’t succeed in this ambitious plan. 

As that pans out, the Insite team will carry on doing what it does best – delivering industry-leading HGV licence acquisition programs via our extensive national network of UK training centres. To find out more about what we do and how we do it, take a moment to browse our website where you’ll find exactly what you need. 

Alternatively, if you’d like to get in touch directly, click ‘contact us’ or call 0330 818 8888, and a member of our friendly team will be happy to discuss your needs. 

After a long and challenging period for the UK haulage industry, there’s some good news to report, as the HGV industry has just posted another year of growth, with longstanding supply chain problems also appearing to ease. During 2022, HGV registrations increased by 9.6% (to 40,716 units) according to a new Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) report.

These figures come in the first complete year of open trading since the end of the pandemic, which saw robust demands being made of the UK’s construction, distribution and haulage sectors. And while the market still sits 16.1% lower than it was in 2019, a strong performance in Q3, followed by a 14.4% increase year-on-year in Q4 led to a strong end to the year. 

Significant Growth Throughout the Year

2022 was a significant year of growth for the haulage sector, with articulated truck deliveries going up by an impressive 21.9% (to 19,414 units). Rigid registrations were only up 0.3%, however, by far the most popular segment was tractors, increasing by 21.7%. Box vans also saw a rise of 0.2% (taking them up to 4,062 units).

Curtained-sided trucks also saw an increase in demand of 5.9%, although registrations in tippers and drop-sided lorries was down a little. Refuse vehicles saw the biggest drop, with demand falling by 14.8%. All in all, the industry has seen a major upswing in demand that bodes very well for the future. 

HGV Registrations Increase Across the UK

Overall HGV registrations in the United Kindgom increased, with all home nations seeing a meaningful rise during 2022. The overwhelming majority (87% of the market) were seen in England, with Scotland coming in at 6.8%. Third and fourth spots were taken by Wales (3.1%) and Northern Ireland (2.4%) completing the picture. 

The SMMT also confirmed that there’s a growing demand for zero emission trucks. Furthermore, lorry manufacturers are in the process of investing a great deal of money into the next generation of trucks and attempting to accelerate hydrogen and electric models to market. That said, right now there’s no single technology that meets all use case needs. 

“A Plan For HGV Refuelling/Recharging Infrastructure Is Needed”

Despite the news being positive, the SMMT still thinks there is room for improvement in terms of the current plan for establishing the necessary refuelling/recharging infrastructure. As such, the SMMT’s Chief Exec Mike Hawes called for a much clearer plan for public refuelling and recharging infrastructure that’s able to meet HGV needs. 

He had this to say on the matter…“Another year of growth in HGV registrations marked by a strong second half performance shows that operators have an increasing appetite to invest, with deliveries enabled by the easing of supply and logistics disruptions.

“As manufacturers deliver more zero emission vehicles to market, there must be policy certainty and infrastructure assurance to inspire further fleet renewal. This will be essential to the UK’s ability to deliver its decarbonisation agenda, while keeping the British economy and society on the move.”

The Green Shoots of Recovery Are Appearing 

After the challenging year that was 2022, it’s heartening to now see the green shoots of recovery start to appear. With increasing demand in most sectors and the UK supply chain looking in better shape, things are looking better. However, we shouldn’t rest on our laurels, as further good news like this surely still relies upon hard work and focus. 

As such, at Insite, we’ll continue to do what we’re best at – offering industry-leading HGV licence acquisition programs via our huge UK training centre network. To learn more about what sets us apart from the competition and how we help to support UK haulage, please take a few moments to browse our website. 

Alternatively, to get in touch, either click ‘contact us’ or call 0330 818 8888, and a member of our team will be more than happy to talk you through your options. 

Insite, has teamed up with Youth First CIO, a London-based charity dedicated to helping young people get into work, to provide HGV driving training to disadvantaged young Londoners. The partnership will create an “HGV career pathway” as part of Youth First’s Youth Employment Scheme (YES) for 15 young people aged 17 to 19 over the course of a year.

The initiative will primarily benefit young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds in Lewisham, a borough in South East London, who often face complex domestic situations and peer pressure. The combination of Youth First’s Youth Employability Scheme and Insite’s HGV driving course will equip these young people with the skills and structure they need to become HGV drivers and help address the shortage of drivers in the capital.

Despite HGV driver salaries starting at around £32,000 per year and having the potential to rise to £40,000 with experience, HGV driving is not a commonly considered career for young people. A common barrier to entering the industry is the requirement to already have a driving licence, which many disadvantaged young people lack.

The HGV career pathway eliminates these challenges by providing young people with the opportunity to obtain a driving licence while also preparing them for the workforce. They will gain valuable skills such as teamwork, punctuality, planning, and creativity, as well as receive training in CV and application preparation, interview skills, and role play. Local HGV employers will host taster days, and those who obtain their driving licence will be offered an induction into the HGV driving training programme.

Employers in need of HGV drivers can partner with Insite and Youth First to fund the initiative and recruit potential HGV drivers upon completion. Insite and Youth First are also appealing to London-based employers who want to support young people in Lewisham through their corporate social responsibility initiatives.

James Clifford, CEO of Insite, said: “The average age of an HGV driver is around 50 years old. The industry often struggles to recruit and retain younger drivers. So, anything we can do to help to get younger people interested in HGV driving as a long-term career is a huge positive. The Youth Employability Scheme helps overcome a significant barrier to getting young people into the industry around the need to already have a driving license. What’s more, we’re delighted to do what we can to support a scheme which aims to help young, disadvantaged people who may come from difficult domestic environments and often face peer pressure to choose a less desirable path in life. We’d welcome any employer who’d like to support the scheme to get in touch.”

Mervyn Kaye, CEO at Youth First, said: “All young people have an equal right to healthy, happy childhoods, leading to a fulfilling adult life. Our programmes give younger people based in Lewisham the skills and resilience to stick to education and prepare for working life. When the country is crying out for younger HGV drivers, our driving career pathway will help us train young people in rewarding careers while helping reduce the chance of later long-term unemployment. We hope retailers, logistics companies and local employers will help us improve Lewisham young people’s prospects by supporting them to obtain a driving license and gain practical insight into careers as an HGV driver.”