Guest Article: 2 Start Strive for Consistency
Looking for top quality products and services is something everyone has done before. It is in our interest to look for the best of a product/service we are looking to purchase. Training providers and courses are no different.
When you look at booking a training course, in most cases, you do some research and look for the best, most sought after training provider. This provider will, in most cases, offer top quality instructors, courses and facilities/equipment. The best training can be subjective depending on what you are looking for. Some look for positive, consistent reviews, others look for high pass rates and long-term serving employees.
Training providers love to show their customers how they are a good quality training provider, with high pass rates, top quality equipment and awarded certifications by other reputable bodies like the National Register of LGV Instructors (NRI).
2 Start is no different. An established training company in the logistics sector, 2 Start love to show the importance of high quality and competent trainers, as well as pushing to have all training courses accredited by the appropriate awarding bodies.
It is vital to reiterate risk mitigation through proactive implementation of industry standards.
According to the “Reported road casualties in Great Britain, provisional estimates: year ending June 2022” there have been approximately 660 reported road casualties by LGV/HGV occupants in the UK, and 18 reported road fatalities. Both road users and pedestrians may find these disconcerting to say the least, which is why there is a bigger push for Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) to tighten the rules for becoming an instructor.
As of December 2023, 2 Start is currently working towards making all HGV/LGV Instructors across our depots registered by NRI, with approximately 18 of 2 Start’s driver training instructors on the register already. Registration is achieved by passing the NRI LGV Instructor examination, which must be re-taken every five years to maintain registration. Successful candidates are awarded an NRI Certificate to demonstrate their achievement and their name appears on the public register on the NRI website. But once all 2 Start’s driver training instructors are on the register, we won’t stop there.
2 Start are supporting the NRI efforts to increase the requirements of becoming an LGV/HGV instructor. This is through the endeavour of making all who become an LGVHGV instructor join the National Register. This will assure safe, accurate and competent training of students to drive any vehicle classed as an HGV.
If the NRI certification was to become the industry standard when it comes to conducting LGV/HGV training as an instructor, this would be a game changer and significantly impact the quality levels of drivers hitting our roads. Surpassing these expectations ensures reliability for students. Putting highly reputable standards in place across the UK would enhance quality, which is most valuable in this industry.
The benefit of making the register a legal requirement is so those who can technically teach someone to drive an LGV/HGV can demonstrate that their knowledge and experience is current and of a minimum standard set by the NRI in order to obtain their instructor licence. This will also help make our roads safer.
As it stands, someone who has held a Category C+E licence for three years can train someone to drive a Category C+E. That could be seen as counter intuitive, since the “trainer” may have not driven a Category C+E vehicle for a year, or maybe longer.
Not to mention that they may have picked up bad habits, which they could subsequently pass on to their “student” which could result in an increased risk of a road incident occurring.
Additional factors to also consider is that a student is typically learning to drive an HGV for commercial purposes, so they will need to be compliant within their workplace.
This is why having a trusted, registered and reputable instructor train you is more comforting than someone who has had no training whatsoever regarding the teaching of a student, and their current knowledge, which could be outdated.
National Register of LGV Instructors (NRI)
As the NRI is the only DVSA endorsed instructor register it should be the most sought-after approval for those who wish to conduct logistics driver training.
NRI has the following objectives:
- Agree and maintain a set of standards for the skills and underpinning knowledge required to be an effective LGV instructor
- Improve the standard of LGV instruction available
- Increase the number of registered LGV instructors
- Contribute to an improvement in the national pass rate of LGV vocational tests
NRI is exclusively an examination body, who further monitor and maintain standards across the UK. The purpose of the register is to help instructors be recognised within their field of expertise. NRI encourages those who are looking to be seen as an expert in driver training to join the register, as it reinforces credibility in your training. It has been explained how the NRI “…work closely with DVSA to ensure that NRI continues to meet DVSA standards.”
With the aim of making all 2 Start instructors registered by the NRI, as well as being an NRI exam centre, 2 Start are striving for consistency when it comes to credible and safe training.