The RHA pressed for increased action to tackle the LGV driver shortage when it met skills minister Nick Boles on Monday.
It told the minister that £150 million of emergency funding from the government would also benefit George Osborne – as extra social taxes and an increase in fuel duty would come into play with more UK trucks on the roads.
RHA chief executive Richard Burnett described the meeting as “challenging but positive”.
“The positive news was that the minister confirmed that the LGV Trailblazer Apprenticeship has been approved. The challenging area concerned the need to convince government that the apprenticeship funding must cover the cost of training for the licence acquisition and for an emergency £150 million funding package to be made payable direct to hauliers.
“I emphasised to the minister that an apprenticeship which failed to cover the training costs associated with licence acquisition was about as much use as a truck without an engine.”
