Still Waiting.

[GeorgeandAde]

Decided to renew my HGV licence and completed eyesight test,HGV medical and sat 35 hours of CPC training online.Total cost of about £400.
Sent all my completed documents away to DVLA just over 6 weeks ago.
Still sat here waiting for licence to drop through the door before I can legally drive again.
Can't get through on the phone to them and 3 un-answered emails.
I wonder why there's a shortage of lorry drivers.🤬🤬

 

[otherclive]

Decided to renew my HGV licence and completed eyesight test,HGV medical and sat 35 hours of CPC training online.Total cost of about £400.
Sent all my completed documents away to DVLA just over 6 weeks ago.
Still sat here waiting for licence to drop through the door before I can legally drive again.
Can't get through on the phone to them and 3 un-answered emails.
I wonder why there's a shortage of lorry drivers.🤬🤬

I would be minded to send your MP a copy of this. Or Tweet DVSA and DoT.
Disgraceful but unfortunately not surprising as DVLA seem to have been amongst the government departments that have consistently been poor throughout the pandemic.

 

[RogerL]

I've been waiting since February 2021 for DVLA to complete their medical assessment - it needs doing every year as I'm on a 1-year medically restricted licence - I can continue driving under RTA section 88 for a year without a licence but if they take longer, I'll have to stop until the complete their review.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Yes RogerL.
Mine expired in 2018 so that section 88 doesn't apply to me unfortunately.
Never mind.....postman may have a surprise for me tomorrow.lol.

 

[JezzerB]

DVLA seem to be a disgrace.

 

[otherclive]

The DT reports that 58 days have been lost to strikes this year at DVLA. 50000 vocational license applications have been waiting two months and any application involving medical assessments or information cannot be dealt with by staff WFH due to data protection. More strikes threatened as its all about concerns over Covid transmission in the offices.

 

[Beachball]

Yes RogerL.
Mine expired in 2018 so that section 88 doesn't apply to me unfortunately.
Never mind.....postman may have a surprise for me tomorrow.lol.

I hope you get some good news

 

[Thingy]

I had some real issues with DVLA and without boring you too much with the details, they tried to apply a rule to me that was illegal. I won in the end and to this date, I think I am the only person to have received a handwritten apology from their top man and a cheque for compensation.

Basically I have an injury related Glaucoma in one eye (brake fluid) and for a car licence, in one eye it is non-notifiable. However, for LGV its is notifiable and requires a medical every 12 months with field of vision test. Both classes came back limited to 12 months with medical and as I was no longer interested in using my LGV I told them to remove it. When my licence returned, for my car classes I was still limited to 12 months with medical...........................for a non notifiable condition. We went to war and many correspondences and two plus years later, I won..

 

[RogerL]

I had some real issues with DVLA and without boring you too much with the details, they tried to apply a rule to me that was illegal. I won in the end and to this date, I think I am the only person to have received a handwritten apology from their top man and a cheque for compensation.

Basically I have an injury related Glaucoma in one eye (brake fluid) and for a car licence, in one eye it is non-notifiable. However, for LGV its is notifiable and requires a medical every 12 months with field of vision test. Both clases came back limited to 12 months with medical and as I was no longer interested in using my LGV I told them to remove it. When my licence returned, for my car classes I was still limited to 12 months with medical...........................for a non notifiable condition. We went to war and many correspondences and two plus years later, I won..

The minimum vision standard required by DVLA for car drivers is pathetically low - my wife has glaucoma with significant reduction of field in her left eye but every routine check-up gets the confirmation that she can still drive - she knows her vision is simply inadequate so doesn't drive but retains her licence as it reduces my insurance cost with her as a named driver.

 

[Thingy]

Luckily mine is not much of an issue as far as vision is concerned. I based my argument with them that somebody with only one eye has no restrictions placed on them, as I have one and seven eights, it was grossly unfair to apply a rule to me that was in any case a non-notifiable condition. There argument was that I had informed them and they were going to enforce the rule anyway. In repsonse, I was only informing them in respect of my Class One, and that if they wanted to go to court, so be it. They caved in eventually. As a department, I have to say that they are a complete shower and barely fit for purpose. And now, with the massive backlog, they are threatening strike action. To attempt that in the current climate means for me that they have lost what little faith and respect I had in them.

 

[bertieboy1]

Decided to renew my HGV licence and completed eyesight test,HGV medical and sat 35 hours of CPC training online.Total cost of about £400.
Sent all my completed documents away to DVLA just over 6 weeks ago.
Still sat here waiting for licence to drop through the door before I can legally drive again.
Can't get through on the phone to them and 3 un-answered emails.
I wonder why there's a shortage of lorry drivers.🤬🤬

Is there really a shortage of drivers.Can't help thinking this is put about to hide some other problem.

 

[otherclive]

Is there really a shortage of drivers.Can't help thinking this is put about to hide some other problem.

Yes there is shortage created by an ageing driving population where more are leaving than joining, delays with clearing tests and paperwork and the loss of 1m plus workers from this country. Other nations have reported shortages too as they no longer provide an attractive career offering. However shortages and delays in receiving goods aren't all down to the shortage of lorry drivers. there are other well reported reasons.

What do you think the other problems are then?

 

[otherclive]

Luckily mine is not much of an issue as far as vision is concerned. I based my argument with them that somebody with only one eye has no restrictions placed on them, as I have one and seven eights, it was grossly unfair to apply a rule to me that was in any case a non-notifiable condition. There argument was that I had informed them and they were going to enforce the rule anyway. In repsonse, I was only informing them in respect of my Class One, and that if they wanted to go to court, so be it. They caved in eventually. As a department, I have to say that they are a complete shower and barely fit for purpose. And now, with the massive backlog, they are threatening strike action. To attempt that in the current climate means for me that they have lost what little faith and respect I had in them.

A close friend of mine was diagnosed with glaucoma a few years back, and the damage was late in being spotted as he wasn't a believer in regular eye tests. We thought something was wrong when he was driving as he was continually correcting side to side as he drove. He's been taking medication but that only slows down the progression of the condition. So back in March he submitted his further medical details to DVLA but has not had reply yet. When we went out for a drink last week he picked up the bottle to pour in his glass and positioned the neck about two inches away from the side of the glass!! He's in for an eye operation next Wednesday to cut drainage slots in one eye which reduces the pressure and should slow down the progression in that eye, then a further operation on the other eye . As far as DVLA are concerned though he is still okay to drive, but he's not been doing so since March, and fully expects his licence to be revoked. But those who have no alternative driver, or friends to help out, might still be tempted to carry on driving, despite the risks to themselves and others. This could be another hidden affect of the pandemic.

 

[RogerL]

A close friend of mine was diagnosed with glaucoma a few years back, and the damage was late in being spotted as he wasn't a believer in regular eye tests. We thought something was wrong when he was driving as he was continually correcting side to side as he drove. He's been taking medication but that only slows down the progression of the condition. So back in March he submitted his further medical details to DVLA but has not had reply yet. When we went out for a drink last week he picked up the bottle to pour in his glass and positioned the neck about two inches away from the side of the glass!! He's in for an eye operation next Wednesday to cut drainage slots in one eye which reduces the pressure and should slow down the progression in that eye, then a further operation on the other eye . As far as DVLA are concerned though he is still okay to drive, but he's not been doing so since March, and fully expects his licence to be revoked. But those who have no alternative driver, or friends to help out, might still be tempted to carry on driving, despite the risks to themselves and others. This could be another hidden affect of the pandemic.

For the benefit of your friend, my wife has secondary glaucoma, caused by uveitis in her case - she's lost half the field of vision in one eye and had the Trabeculectomy operation which cuts a slot in the eye for drainage, her condition is stable and she's regularly told at quarterly check-ups that her vision is good enough to continue driving - she, and I, know that it's not nearly good enough to drive safely but that's down to the very low standard for vision required by DVLA.

 

[bertieboy1]

Yes there is shortage created by an ageing driving population where more are leaving than joining, delays with clearing tests and paperwork and the loss of 1m plus workers from this country. Other nations have reported shortages too as they no longer provide an attractive career offering. However shortages and delays in receiving goods aren't all down to the shortage of lorry drivers. there are other well reported reasons.

What do you think the other problems are then?

I don;t believe it plenty of lorries on the road.

 

[otherclive]

I don;t believe it plenty of lorries on the road.

And plenty that you can’t see laid up in haulage yards. Why don’t you believe it then?

 

[otherclive]

For the benefit of your friend, my wife has secondary glaucoma, caused by uveitis in her case - she's lost half the field of vision in one eye and had the Trabeculectomy operation which cuts a slot in the eye for drainage, her condition is stable and she's regularly told at quarterly check-ups that her vision is good enough to continue driving - she, and I, know that it's not nearly good enough to drive safely but that's down to the very low standard for vision required by DVLA.

My friends procedure seems to have gone well. He had his operation on Wednesday and went back yesterday for a follow up. The specialist measured the pressure in the eye and felt it was too high. So he applied a local anaesthetic to the eye by drops. Then proceeded to manipulate and press the eyeball. Did this three times between measurements after which he declared himself satisfied with the pressure reading. A follow up next week! Sounds worse than it was said my friend.

 

[Hutch]

And plenty that you can’t see laid up in haulage yards. Why don’t you believe it then?

The M1 motorway, J13 to J14, is about 1 mile away from me and when crossing it, there is about 50% less HGV's on it.

 

[bertieboy1]

Decided to renew my HGV licence and completed eyesight test,HGV medical and sat 35 hours of CPC training online.Total cost of about £400.
Sent all my completed documents away to DVLA just over 6 weeks ago.
Still sat here waiting for licence to drop through the door before I can legally drive again.
Can't get through on the phone to them and 3 un-answered emails.
I wonder why there's a shortage of lorry drivers.🤬🤬

Is there really a shotage of lorry drivers.There seems to be plenty lorries on the road.

 

[otherclive]

Is there really a shotage of lorry drivers.There seems to be plenty lorries on the road.

Haven’t you already made that point in post #15? Ades experience seems to support the reports of shortages of HGV drivers.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Yep...
Still waiting patiently for the renewed licence to arrive.
Luckily,I've managed to get a job with Next, driving a 3.5 ton van delivering to the Next stores,approx. 2-5 drops a day.
I generated a code for them to check my driving details with DVLA,and they are happy for me to begin on the smaller vans and then step up to HGV's once my licence arrives.
Apparently,some of the drivers there have been waiting 4 months or more for licences to be processed.😲

 

[Mel]

Sorry if this has already been mentioned but it may be worth emailing your MP and the Transport Secretary. ( Quite easy to do via Gov.uk) and tell them about the DVLA situation. They probably already know but the more people who raise it, the better.
Mel

 

[RogerL]

Yep...
Still waiting patiently for the renewed licence to arrive.
Luckily,I've managed to get a job with Next, driving a 3.5 ton van delivering to the Next stores,approx. 2-5 drops a day.
I generated a code for them to check my driving details with DVLA,and they are happy for me to begin on the smaller vans and then step up to HGV's once my licence arrives.
Apparently,some of the drivers there have been waiting 4 months or more for licences to be processed.😲

Join the queue - I applied to renew my licence in November 2020, still waiting so I've had to re-apply as my Section 88 concession only lasts a year.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Blimey.
Thats a long time.
I was told that section 88 didn't apply to me as my licence expired in 2018.
Apparently,to qualify,your application has to be submitted before your licence expires where you can then continue driving.
Hope yours arrives soon.