The DVSA says the 40 examiners will come from existing employees and external candidates. The additional examiners will enable the DVSA to offer more lorry driving test appointments.
The UK Government is keen to increase the availability of vocational driving tests in order to alleviate the country’s HGV driver shortage, and the DVSA says it is developing measures to maximise testing capacity. This includes a consultation regarding plans to streamline the process for drivers to gain their HGV licence.
In a statement, the DVSA said it had already increased the number of vocational driving tests from 2,000 a week pre-pandemic to 3,000 by using overtime and allocating additional employees into testing.
Commenting on the recruitment drive, DVSA Chief Executive Loveday Ryder said:
We recognise the haulage industry keeps the wheels of our economy turning and have listened to its concerns about the current lorry driver shortage. We have responded by doing all we can to support the industry in tackling this issue through increasing lorry driver testing. This includes our latest campaign to recruit more vocational examiners so we can maximise our lorry testing capacity.
Meanwhile, Roads Minister Baroness Vere said the new recruits will help to keep the UK moving:
Our HGV drivers provide a vital service delivering food, medicine and other vital goods to where they’re needed. That’s why we’re committed to working with industry to address the shortage of drivers and have unveiled a package of robust measures. Increasing the DVSA’s testing capacity is a crucial part of this plan, and I’d encourage anyone with the right experience to apply for a role – helping keep our country moving.