Will van drivers be subject to additional regulation and training requirements in the future, as lorry and bus drivers already are?

With overloading and poor maintenance common in vans under 3.5t, it’s definitely a possibility. However, one way of stemming the tide of red tape might be greater self-regulation by van operators themselves.

One initiative that’s gained momentum since its launch in 2010 is the Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence initiative, among whose members are van hire firm Hertz Van Rental.

Until recently, the Van Excellence initiative has been targeted at fleet operators and transport managers, who attend a half-day training session and are then expected to implement the code across their fleet.

The Van Excellence Code is very much a cut-down version of the areas of competence an HGV certificate of professional competence (CPC) holder must demonstrate in order to run a lorry fleet. The focus on areas of responsibility such as van maintenance, load safety and driver compliance.

Van Excellence has now taken another step forward towards mirroring the regulation regime for HGVs by introducing a Certificate of Driver Competence. This appears to be similar in intent to the mandatory HGV drive Certificate of Professional Competence. The Van Excellence CDC focuses on a broad range of areas, including pre-use vehicle checkes, rules of the road, load safety and green and safe driving.

Like the HGV driver CPC, the FTA certificate has a three-year validity. Feedback from the inaugural course, which was attended by fleet management representatives rather than drivers, was positive.

Attendee Simon Pill, Iceland Foods Ltd Delivered Sales Project Manager said:

“The Van Excellence course was a really good day of learning, well facilitated and extremely useful.”

Another delegate, Andy Blythe, who is National Logistics Manager at Alliance Healthcare, commented:

“This is a terrific step forward for the van driver population and industry sector.”

I imagine that as with the HGV Driver CPC, many van drivers will think that the Van Excellence CDC certificate as being akin to teaching their grandmothers to suck eggs. Yet it might be preferable to a legally-required alternative.

I can see major fleets continuing to sign up to Van Excellence and to this new certification scheme for drivers, in order to improve the questionable reputation of ‘white van man’ and stave off the risk of further regulation. I’d imagine that it’s also a cost-effective way to help minimise liability under corporate manslaughter rules.