100 days till Christmas – and thanks to Driver CPC it could be a tricky one, warns ParcelHero!
How prepared are logistics companies for a Christmas driver shortage?
There are exactly 100 days until Christmas, and logistics and retail companies are finalising their schedules and staffing requirements. For the parcels delivery sector, Christmas probably counts for a good 25% of the year’s business. For some retailers the figure is even larger.
From Christmas postage deadlines for different countries, to how to factor in the increasing popularity of Black Friday sales, it’s a vital time for professionals in the industry. This year however there is a new complication: CPC deadline was September 10th. That was the date when every lorry driver had to complete their 35 hours of periodic training for their Certificate of Professional Competency.
ParcelHero’s David Jinks MILT warns the impact of the CPC deadline on Christmas deliveries could lead to delays. ‘When the full number of self-employed, part time and older drivers who have not renewed their CPC certification is realised, some companies may be seriously concerned about their Christmas schedules. There are a whole group of drivers not directly employed by logistics companies who have chosen not to retrain for their CPC because of the cost involved. They are now no longer available to be drawn on at busy periods. That’s a significant loss that will certainly leave some companies with a headache this Christmas.’
David adds: ‘For everyone in parcels delivery and retail logistics, Christmas is hugely important, and even Santa probably doesn’t plan for it much more than we do! Logistics professionals need to be aware of this potential problem and factor it in to their Christmas planning.’
David says that it is not a problem that will impact on ParcelHero and its customers, however. ‘ParcelHero partners with the leading parcel delivery providers such as DHL and UPS, all of whom have driver training firmly in hand. It’s one thing we don’t have to worry about this December. For some smaller companies in the parcels and wider logistics markets, it certainly is a problem.’
He adds ‘I’m sure most people working in our industry are firmly on top of their Christmas staffing, but if they are not, there are 100 days to fix things!
ENDS
For more information please contact David Jinks, Head of PR, on david@parcelhero.com or by phone on 0208 7584962 (07772 055748 out of office hours)
Roger Sumner-Rivers, founder and MD of ParcelHero.com, is available for further expert comment. Contact David Jinks on 0208 7584962 to arrange an interview.
Leading international online courier ParcelHero strategically partners with the world's leading, logistics companies, including DHL, UPS and DPD to provide a flexible, cost-effective range of parcel delivery services to over 220 countries worldwide. Huge bulk purchasing power allows ParcelHero to offer highly competitive pricing with no compromise in service quality.
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