At the moment, the UK is experiencing a shortage of drivers, which has recently been given widespread attention due to the current demand for fuel. In response to this, the Department for Transport have now announced a new extension to ADR Certificates. As of the 28th of September 2021, the following extension has been established:
Any current ADR driver who was due to expire between the 27th of September 2021 and 31st of December 2021 will now have their cards extended to the 31st of January 2022.
How Did This Extension Arrive?
Over the last few months, there has been a good deal of media attention on empty shelves in the supermarkets, and a lack of fuel at forecourts. While this hasn’t been due to a lack of supplies, it has been caused by a lack of available drivers in the UK. Trade Associations have even stated that the UK is now short of approximately 100,000 drivers.
In September, the Department for Transport surveyed a number of ADR centres to enquire about their availability, and the possibility of increasing their capacity for students. Later that month, the announcement was made that the ADR certificates would be extended, with the intention of easing the issues related to the shortage.
How Does This Affect Drivers?
Any driver with a valid ADR card that was due to expire between the 27th of September and 31st of December will now have until the 31st of January to complete their Refresher courses. These drivers will also need to carry a paper copy of Authorisation 990, along with their ADR card, in order to be recognised for the extension. You can view and download the Authorisation 990 letter by clicking here.
However, any drivers with qualifications that have already expired are not affected by the extension, and will need to attend the ADR Initial course before they can start driving again. You can find a list of courses being delivered by our Consortium members by clicking here.
How Does This Affect Trainers?
The winter period can normally be fairly busy due to the increase in demand for fuel, and while we have yet to see how this extension will affect the usual level of demand, the Department for Transport have said to expect an increase in numbers after January due to this, alongside other efforts to increase the number of drivers in the UK.
With the Department for Transport saying to expect an increase in candidates next year, companies may wish to use this time to train more instructors, and centres not currently delivering ADR may use this time to complete the approval process. For those interested in getting started, we will be running an ADR Instructor Course on the 18th of October, which you can learn about here.
NLTC will, as always, remain committed to its members during this time, and our team is here to assist with any queries you might have.
