The Conspiracy Theory

[DREAMGLASS]

Like lots of folks in business, I sometimes scan the situations vacant to remind myself why I work for myself. Something caught my eye the other day which brought up something interesting.

Like Justin I hold a lgv (and psv) license to drive large vehicles, although it is not something I do vocationally. Chatting casually to someone about three years ago I find you now have to buy a card to use digital tacographs which has to be renewed on a regular basis. On top of that the EU had introduced a strict working time directive limiting the hours you can work. The have always been limits on the hours you can drive, but the new legislation dramatically reduced the earning potential of drivers, by limiting the actual working hours. The latest ruse by the EU has now been to introduce compulsory classroom training every five years, without which your vocational licenses will no longer be valid. The cost of that training which is informal for which there are no tests to pass, would be in the region of £1500. Most of those costs will have to be borne by the individual drivers themselves

I know that lorries aren't everyone's favourite vehicle and guess we've all been stuck behind ones going exactly the same speed as the vehicle in the nearside lane, but we are dependant on those load luggers turning out in all conditions to deliver goods for our businsses, deliver our products and even put the food on our shelves. Without them we simply wouldn't have an economy. It's just the way that the EU appear to be taking things, that I wonder for how much longer it will be commercially viable for anyone to even consider a career as a lorry driver. Most people go out to work to earn money, not keep lining the pockets of government departments. We all do enough of that through tax and vat on everything.

I have a theory that it is all a conspiracy to get lorries of the roads, as with worsening traffic congestion, badly maintained roads, covert and overt enforcement everywhere, increasing pressure on driver to operate in a cost effective manner, it does raise the question, "who in their right mind would want to take a hgv test nowadays"?

[Justin]

Interesting theory, just had a quick scan so will read again later.

I'm a lorry driver so can see this from inside the industry. Taking trucks off the road is a sure fire way to bring the country to its knees. The old saying stands, if you've got it a truck delivered it.

It's different up here in Shetland as we run under domestic rules so no tachos.

[DREAMGLASS]

You will find details of the new compulsory scheme here Justin.

http://www.drivercpc.org/en/what-is-driver-cpc/

[fredster]

another form of goverment tax on us the working man ...
i do security work and we have to have a license to work ...costing £300 every 3 yrs at the moment and the training was around £250 per course... we dont get anything extra by having this license but without it we are stuffed ...
They'll be taxing sex next

[Justin]

You will find details of the new compulsory scheme here Justin.

http://www.drivercpc.org/en/what-is-driver-cpc/

Already done the CPC along with the 11 examinations that come at the end of it. Luckily our boss is switched on and put some of us through last year. There was talk of this being scrapped but at the moment they're keeping it going.

[DREAMGLASS]

Unfortunately, most drivers will end up paying out those fees themselves. Looking at prices on the net, that will be approx £1500 for them to cough up every five years, on top of the cost of the normal license renewal and renewal of their digicard. Most of those drivers took their driving tests many years ago in good faith. To now be told their licenses will no longer be valid unless they take regular classroom training and put their own hard earned money into the pockets of training providers is nothing more than legalised extortion.

Likewise in 'Fredsters' case, you have security guards with many years experience suddenly being told they can't work without a SIA license, paid for out of their own pockets. Another one now it there is the CRB check. This isn't just limited to folks like care workers, but I've also seen outfits like parcel companies and even drain unblocking companies requesting these (at the applicants expense).

Although the goverment and the EU come up with these silly ideas, there is generally no financial assistance available to the common worker out there to actually pay for these courses and certificates. For those poor souls out there that are currently unemployed and seeking work, these costs are probably something they can little afford to pay to get themselves back into work.

[jennywren]

No problem there we can say we're British, they say they British has a low sex drive, the Government will get very little, mind you they might put sex cameras like the speed cameras, how fast will yours go. Mine will go click click click click and so forth, mind you I'm not saying what speed lol

[smitch6]

i haven't got the energy for that any more rofl

[busybusybee]

It's ridiculous im afraid, it's like there intentionally trying to put trucker's out of business!