Who should be a Lorry Driver?

[PaulS]

The government has acknowledged a shortage of lorry drivers. But this proposal will only make the roads a more dangerous place for cycling. Lorries are dangerous.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announced :

"funding of up to £7,000 per apprenticeship from August for people training to be a lorry driver, while there was also grant funding to train military service leavers, ex-offenders and the long-term unemployed to move into lorry driving."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58364308

[Mike Sales]

Should not driving HGVs be subject to the same sort of regime as flying airliners?
Drivers should have extensive training, with simulators, medicals, black boxes and inquiries when things go wrong.
We need a much closer regime of inspection and maintenance of the machine. Random checks usually find many faults, even in critical areas like braking.
Lorries don't kill as many at one go as planes, but they operate in much closer and more critical proximity to many more people, and in total kill rather more.
They are the most dangerous and intimidating vehicles on our roads.

[Bonefishblues]

Objective data here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... sv/preview

[Bmblbzzz]

How will increasing the number of lorry drivers make roads more dangerous for cycling? It won't increase the total demand for lorry journeys. By making more drivers available to meet the demand, it will reduce the temptation for drivers, employers and government to increase driving hours. Tired drivers are not safe drivers (of any vehicle). It is safer to have more drivers driving fewer hours per day than fewer drivers driving longer hours per day. It is also better for drivers' health. And while experience is also a safety factor, so is training; therefore it can be argued that recently trained drivers might be safer, particularly in aspects that probably received less attention in the past, which probably includes cyclists and pedestrians.

Or is the idea that military service leavers, ex-offenders and the long-term unemployed will make dangerous lorry drivers because they have been in military service, offenders or unemployed? In which case, what sorts of people should be trained as lorry drivers?

There are various reasons to be sceptical of this scheme but I don't think safety is one of them.

[Carlton green]

Who should be a Lorry Driver? Anyone who is happy to be one and who also has the necessity skill, temperament and physical capabilities to complete the job. It won’t be something that everyone can do but it also isn’t the most demanding job in the world. Don’t import drivers from elsewhere but rather balance employment within the folk that live here and if that means paying more to drivers then do so. We should be valuing people who do boring jobs, accepting that less intellectual jobs have value to society and not continually seeking for everyone to have degrees.

[Jdsk]

Why shouldn't someone with a degree work as an HGV driver?

Thanks

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

And while experience is also a safety factor, so is training; therefore it can be argued that recently trained drivers might be safer, particularly in aspects that probably received less attention in the past, which probably includes cyclists and pedestrians.

This is a very interesting point. For any safety-critical job I'd like to see much more checking and evaluation for as long as they're doing it. We have a tendency to put a lot of effort into stringent testing on entry but not so much into ongoing review,

Jonathan

[Bullseye]

We have a few Lorry drivers in my cycling group and they are very much pro cycling and very experienced drivers. Personally I think everyone learning to drive should be on a cycling awareness course as part of the test not just singling out Lorry drivers.
And nobody should be driving on our roads for a living if they can't read our road signs.

[Pendodave]

Why shouldn't someone with a degree work as an HGV driver?

Indeed, when i left higher education many moons ago, I worked in an area very specific to my degree course (developing computer mapping applications at an oil company).
Now I drive trains.
Both paid the mortgage and provided various ups and downs along the way.
I enjoyed my degree then (geog) and I love what it's given me now. It's a way of life!

[Jdsk]

Why shouldn't someone with a degree work as an HGV driver?

Indeed, when i left higher education many moons ago, I worked in an area very specific to my degree course (developing computer mapping applications at an oil company).
Now I drive trains.
Both paid the mortgage and provided various ups and downs along the way.
I enjoyed my degree then (geog) and I love what it's given me now. It's a way of life!

That's great to hear.

Training for a particular job is not the only purpose of higher education!

Jonathan

[Oldjohnw]

I have a PhD friend who is a wood carver and another with a Science Master’s who is a baker.

Education is a benefit in its own right.

[al_yrpal]

Tony Blair

Al

[gbnz]

They are the most dangerous and intimidating vehicles on our roads.

Hmm, have to admit I've hardly ever had an issue with HGV's whilst on the road. Quite notable that the drivers on a virtually universal basis, always stay well back when they can't overtake, prior to pulling well over to the other side of the road whilst overtaking. Particularly notable this summer whilst I've been using a A Road as part of a high speed exercise route.

And to be fair, I always ensure that I assist them in overtaking when possible, pulling over, or off the road (Nb. Had a decent response from the builders merchants HGV earlier this year, who handed over a box of maintenance type gloves FOC when serving behind the counter one day!)

[squeaker]

Doesn't sound that attractive a career to me, esp. at £10/hr

[Psamathe]

They are the most dangerous and intimidating vehicles on our roads.

Hmm, have to admit I've hardly ever had an issue with HGV's whilst on the road. ...

I have had issues with domestic oil delivery tankers - I suspect in part as at speed they create far worse air turbulence than many other vehicles. Which to me highlights the need for cycle awareness training as part of any drivers license as there is more to understand than "don't hit ...".

As raised above

...Personally I think everyone learning to drive should be on a cycling awareness course as part of the test not just singling out Lorry drivers....

Ian