Driver recruitment and training in a post-COVID world

Speaker: Simon Gardner, BEd (hons), CMILT, FARRM, RoSPA dip
Delegated Driving Examiner, Cardiff Bus

The PCV/HGV driver scene is currently enduring a hugely difficult time. With a significant driver shortage already apparent prior to COVID, the situation has only got worse. Some of the important current challenges that Simon will cover include:

• Driver shortage
• Interviews and assessments under COVID restrictions
• Medical appointment delays
• Licence backlogs
• Driver resignations due to stress

Simon will also talk delegates through the eight-week process that he and his training academy team take their new recruits through including:

• CPC
• Post-sickness training
• Post-RTC training
• Driver conduct and discipline processes
• Vehicle type training including electric vehicles
• Training to reduce emissions and future incidents
• Assisting the emergency services with driver training

The themes covered in this masterclass will be valuable to anyone involved in recruiting and training drivers for passenger carrying or commercial vehicles.

In the Q&A, we also get into driver fatigue, inflated wages, missed induction training, licence & medical delays, training agency drivers, electric buses and how culture can positively affect recruitment and retention.

About Simon Gardner

Simon Gardner heads up the Cardiff Bus driver training academy and a DVSA Delegated Driving Examiner PCV cat D, D1, D + E & Module 4 Driver CPC (PCV). He has been a qualified driving instructor for over 20 years.