Over the last 12 months, there have been a lot of discussions, arguments and speculations on what Britain’s vote to leave the EU will really mean. As millions try to predict the effect the leave vote will have on the economy, jobs and general day to day life, not much has been said about the regulations we will be losing as a result of leaving the EU. Of course, we are talking about the EU regulations around driving and road safety, particularly for HGV’s. How will Brexit impact our haulage and delivery sector – the cornerstone of which British industry is built?
Driver’s Hours Rules
Regulations on the length of time a driver can drive their vehicle before taking a mandatory break, along with the total amount of time worked within certain periods are very strict. Currently, the EU Driver’s Hours Rules are the source of this control, and apply to both goods and passenger vehicles. They are designed to ensure a minimum safety standard and maximum driving time, breaks and minimum rest periods. But with our exit from the EU, would we be freed of these rules?
The short answer is no. This is mainly because the UK Transport Act 1968 has incorporated the EU rules into the regulatory requirements enforced in the UK, so they will continue to apply to both goods and passenger vehicles regardless of our EU membership. However, what might be worth knowing is that the Working Time Directive, which governs average working hours, rest periods and annual leave is up to review in the not too distant future. With business owners calling for changes to the maximum 48-hour working week, a review of ‘on call’ time and a cohesive way to calculate holiday pay, there are still some significant changes to driving hours on the horizon as a result of Brexit.
Driver CPC
The topic makes for a bit more of an interesting debate. Officially, you are required to hold a Driver CPC qualification if you work for a transport company registered in an EU country, or if you’re a citizen of an EU country and will be driving in one. At the moment, that means all UK HGV drivers are required to hold a Driver CPC by law. And if you work for a company that delivers or transports goods in or out of any EU country, that will likely remain the same. But for British based haulage firms, there has been a strong campaign to reform the Driver CPC. It is highly unlikely that the concept – a specific licence to ensure you can handle and operate a HGV safely – will disappear, but we could start to see some significant updated to the requirements, testing and ongoing maintenance rules to create a new CPC licence, which would be specific to the UK.
Of course, Brexit won’t just affect the HGV industry. There are certain EU regulations that affect the ordinary vehicle driver too, and these will change or disappear entirely. To name just a few, fuel prices will likely increase, insurance premiums will shoot up along with moving to a more specific and selective insurance platform, and car purchase prices will go up thanks to additional import charges for a non-EU country. The good news is that you will still be able to use your standard licence abroad when travelling or delivering, so you won’t need to take additional tests for an EU licence. However, if you are a brit living abroad for over 12 months, you may run into trouble and be required to hold an EU licence as well. For more information, or to keep up with the latest HGV career developments, get in touch with the Rapier Employment team today.