Launched at the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) event at Silverstone, BTCC driver Tom Ingram – who is undergoing training to secure an HGV licence – drove a 44-tonne Dunlop Motorsport truck around the track.
There are 600,000 HGV-licensed drivers in the UK, with the average age 57, and a quarter of them are due to retire in the coming decade. Estimates are that 45,000-60,000 extra drivers will be needed to meet current demand.
The campaign’s aims include boosting the appeal of the driving profession, developing new funding channels for training, improving roadside facilities for drivers and simplifying the qualification process.
RHA chief executive Richard Burnett says: “We have been putting Tom through formal training to become a fully qualified HGV driver. By highlighting driving as a career in this way, we aim to raise awareness among younger people to the fantastic career possibilities available within the freight logistics industry.”
For more on the campaign, click the link below.