Training
Be smart – be Van Smart One of the FORS eLearning modules for LCV operators and drivers has recently been updated. Steve Banner explains what’s new and why the changes have been made
F
uelled by an explosion in home delivery, thanks mainly to the Covid-19 pandemic, Britain’s van population is booming. Some 4.6 million light commercial vehicles are currently on the highways, according to figures compiled by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. That large number – the highest figure on record – has major implications for road safety. For drivers who hold a car driver licence, there is nothing to stop them getting behind the wheel of a 3.5-tonne Luton-bodied Ford Transit, even if the biggest vehicle they have ever driven is a Ford Fiesta. They do not have to take a separate test and are not required to hold a Driver’s CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence). Nor does an employer have to possess an O licence. Unlike heavy trucks, the van operation is
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The Standard Summer 2021
largely unregulated, although truck operators who also run light commercials and overload them – or fail to maintain them – will rapidly incur the ire of the Traffic Commissioner. That will be the case even though vans are not specified on O licences. FORS has 1,957 operators with one or more vans (31,018 vehicles) and 531 operators have van-only fleets (7,626 vehicles).
A better understanding
FORS stands ready to help and has just updated its Van Smart eLearning module. The upgrade has been designed to make the knowledge delivered even easier for drivers to digest, as well as thoroughly embed best practice into everyday driving. The issues that the module addresses start before
