With the introduction of Euro 4 engines and the ongoing technological spurt for the ever greener diesel engine I have to wonder if we are actually doing anything to save the environment, it would seem that to meet Euro 4 and Euro 5 emissions levels the engines are not so fuel efficient as the Euro 3 engines (which made the biggest leap in cleaner emissions) and any further development is a fraction of the original reductions in emissions levels. One has to wonder if the increase in natural resource usage (fossil fuels) that Euro 4 and 5 and in likelihood any future regulations compensates for the lower air pollution. You have to wonder about the old non euro trucks that are being shipped all over the globe to burn oil in the far off poorer countries, surely if we are to save the planet then transferring the polluting vehicles from one side of the globe to the other isn’t the answer. I don’t believe the full cost to the industry (and the country) has yet been felt. New trucks using 20% more fuel and the price of fuel up 20% - you’ve got to be kidding!! Stand by for more companies going bust in the next two years. . .

There’s plenty of press (transport related press) about the forthcoming drivers CPC and the how’s, why’s and even the costs but nothing in the general press about it so once again Joe public will be unaware that the thousands of professional drivers on the road are actually undergoing any form of further training or education. I have to wonder if this extra training will mean that drivers visiting supermarket RDC’s will be treated any better. Will they suddenly realise that you have a brain and can tell the difference between a red light and a green light and be allowed to keep your keys with you and sit in your cab instead of having to walk to the office and hand over your keys and sit on a wooden bench or plastic picnic chair with the dozens of other professionals also doing the same job, quite probably not. Perhaps given the state of the waiting times at some RDC’s someone will set up a training programme so that you can learn spend your wasted hours sitting the driver CPC whilst on the wooden bench waiting to be unloaded!
Seriously though, I do envisage a considerable amount of drivers leaving the industry over this, they are already treated like idiots or lepers and sometimes both! So why would anyone want to undergo training to stay in an industry with this kind of attitude? You could train to be a plumber and be met at the door by a bored housewife who is so happy to see you and the first words are ‘would you like a cup of tea’ instead of we are running 4 hours behind we’ll get to you when we can.

John English has been trading for 20 years, mainly international work but more recently in the UK. he runs 4 Scania artic trucks, all unmarked white, His drivers are all British drivers with approx 20 years experience