Charles Burke TRS Specialist Vehicle Sales Rhondda Valley
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Truck dealer Burke has been in the industry for more than 40 years and is worried the Driver Training Directive will sound the death knell for many owner-drivers.
It will finish a lot of them, especially the older ones," he warns. "People aged 55 or over will probably think twice about staying on in the industry."
Unlike salaried drivers, one-man bands will probably end up bearing the cost of training themselves. Burke fears the prospect of losing work and says having to pay for training to do a job many have done for decades will not be popular. But what about new recruits?
The idea of sitting a four-hour theory test will deter many, says Burke. "People who consider a driving career are rarely the types who go to university to do a degree," he adds. This is a lot of money for someone to get a job that's not exactly the best-paid one in the world."