Just read that the legal age an LGV licence can be obtained has been lowered from 21 to 18, in a move which will open up a talent pool which operators can draw on.
The age drop was part of the new driver CPC legislation which came into force earlier last year. The change has been met with mixed reaction from the industry with claims that the move will be costly to operators having to cover incresed insurance premiums.
However, supporters say the move will make more potential staff available to companies trying to find drivers, and make it a more attractive career prospect.
The age was lowered across the European Union to try and encourage more people into the industry.
Can anyone tell me if this is part of the ‘young driver scheme’ as the legal info i am getting says it is not anymore. How crazy is this situation going to be with 18 year olds with no experience competing with established drivers? This is also not connected with the military scheme.
I think it’s a good thing, there are some 18 year olds who perfectly capable of passing their HGV, and having to do all the cpc stuff will make sure it’s only the keen ones who complete the training
a mate of mine passed his test recently at 19 out of his own pocket, but is still drivin vans/rigids as the boss wont pay the insurance for him to drive an artic
phantom309:
a mate of mine passed his test recently at 19 out of his own pocket, but is still drivin vans/rigids as the boss wont pay the insurance for him to drive an artic
what did the insurance company say â– â–
My daughter drives for me and all the insurance wanted was a larger excess! They seemed happy that she had done Young Driver and got the NVQ
i went thru the yds when i was 18… left the company i drove for at 21 to drive where i am now… first year my boss had a big bill to pay to put me on insurance… same this year altho it’s abit less now… they say supposed to be 25 where i work due to insurance but because of my enthusiasm for lorrys the bosses liked me and they paid the excess
now at 23 driving a 500bhp topline… happy days lol
dbt:
i went thru the yds when i was 18… left the company i drove for at 21 to drive where i am now… first year my boss had a big bill to pay to put me on insurance… same this year altho it’s abit less now… they say supposed to be 25 where i work due to insurance but because of my enthusiasm for lorrys the bosses liked me and they paid the excess
l
this always puzzles me ! I don’t pay any extra on my insurance for drivers under 25 , it’s just the excess on any claim is £500 instead of £200 ,
dbt:
i went thru the yds when i was 18… left the company i drove for at 21 to drive where i am now… first year my boss had a big bill to pay to put me on insurance… same this year altho it’s abit less now… they say supposed to be 25 where i work due to insurance but because of my enthusiasm for lorrys the bosses liked me and they paid the excess
l
this always puzzles me ! I don’t pay any extra on my insurance for drivers under 25 , it’s just the excess on any claim is £500 instead of £200 ,
this is the same as what i was told when i enquired, the other stipulation was that the young driver would have a dedicated vehicle, and the increased excess was only going to apply to that driver
Oh, Dafydd, is you boss punishing you by making you drive that because he has to pay a higher premium for you?
lol yea rob real punishment and the 164 580 im getting (hopefully before truckfest) is the nail in the coffin lol… could be worse tho if he hated me i could be in a DAF lol
dbt:
lol yea rob real punishment and the 164 580 im getting (hopefully before truckfest) is the nail in the coffin lol… could be worse tho if he hated me i could be in a DAF lol
Yeah, it could certainly be worse, it could be a 143!
Great idea but as most companies want two years proven experience, the majority of young drivers are not going to get a look in until they are 20 at least in the UK.
18 has been the norm in parts of Europe for several years.
