In the midst of a shortage of lorry drivers, the traffic jam at the gates of the driver training centre is a source of distress for transport professionals.
This article is provided to you free of charge. If you want to support our team and promote quality journalism, subscribe now.
At a time when Luxembourg's hauliers are desperately seeking to recruit lorry drivers (see our previous article), they cannot even turn to a freshly trained newcomer who is ready to take the wheel. The reason for this is the waiting time for the initial qualification to become a professional driver. According to the hauliers interviewed by the Lëtzebuerger Journal, the waiting time is ten months, while the Driver Training Centre (CFC) estimates that it is currently four to five months, with a peak in 2021. This overcrowding leads some to believe that a second training organisation would be able to meet the growing demand.
The CFC remains the historical player in the sector. Since 1996, it has been providing driving courses for private individuals and professionals, and has been officially approved to issue the famous code 95, which professional lorry drivers carry on their licences since 2009, when Luxembourg transposed the European directive 2003/59 imposing specific training for professional drivers. "Before that, there was no training in Luxembourg", says Eric Mathias, director of the CFC. "People took their HGV licence and were then trained internally by their employer to know how to drive."
Continue reading for free
Get access to this article by subscribing to our newsletter that is sent twice a week. You also have to have a Journal account.
Already have an account?
Log in
