In reference to the article by David Coombes in the latest edition of Motor Transport (6 July) I would again wish to comment on the assumptions made.
Unfortunately, Skills for Logistics have been reluctant to accept the wishes of the majority of operators in the industry, who want a Category C+E LGV Driver Apprenticeship rather than a purely Category C apprenticeship.
The quantities of the different types of HGVs in Britain are undisputed: 275,000 rigids and 131,000 artics. I also accept the principle that the general nature of the work performed by rigid vehicles means they are likely to be travelling at a lower average speed than articulated vehicles.
However, the difference in the annual mileage of each type of vehicle is far more extreme. From the latest DfT statistics the average mileage of a rigid is 27,667 per annum but the average mileage of an artic is 72,686 per annum, over two and a half times as much.
Consequently, the number of driver shifts requiring a Category C+E licence exceeds those for a Category C licence.
Restricted O-licence vehicles are predominantly rigids and drivers of these vehicles may be involved in activities in connection with the business of the licence holders and hence the annual vehicle mileage is likely to be lower. 87% of road transport operators previously voted in favour of the Category C+E LGV Driver Apprenticeship rather than the Category C apprenticeship.
I believe the articulated vehicle is still the ‘workhorse’ of the industry. Retail is only one sector requiring logistics services. Manufacturing, automotive, chemicals, agriculture etc are all sectors where the maximum permissible payload in one vehicle is essential for the economic viability of that sector.
For example, the continued expansion of road container haulage relies virtually 100% on articulated vehicles.
I would suggest that the recent increase in online sales and home deliveries has had a much greater impact on the under 3.5 tonnes GVW market than the traditional 3.5 tonnes to 18 tonnes GVW rigid market.
This is supported by the 22.6% increase in light commercials (under 3.5 tonnes) over the last 10 years whilst the number of LGVs has remained the same over that period.
When the Category C+E apprenticeship is finally approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education it will have been more than 18 months since it was originally instigated by the Trailblazer Group.
It has incurred both setbacks and delays in reaching this point but once it is in place it should provide a platform to assist in solving the LGV Driver shortage.
Like David I am in full agreement that the industry now needs to work together to gain approval for the ‘Urban’ Category C LGV Driver Apprenticeship.
Jim French MBE, logistics consultant and co-chair Transport & Warehousing Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group
