PD PORTS, the largest private employer in Teesside, has offered six Stockton Riverside College students the unique opportunity to shadow its LGV drivers to help combat driver shortages.

The programme, which has been developed by Stockton Riverside College in collaboration with the Road Haulage Association, PD Ports and fellow logistics providers Prestons of Potto, will see students travel in an artic LGV alongside experienced drivers to gain an exclusive insight into life on the road.

PD Ports Chief Commercial Officer, Geoff Lippitt, said: “At PD Ports, we have long foreseen the potential issues around driver shortages as we recognised that drivers typically fell into an ageing demographic, leaving behind a huge skills gap.”

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“As the largest private employer in the region, and global leaders in the logistics sector, we know how important collaboration is when trying to tackling skills shortages.

"This programme demonstrates how, by working together, we can effectively challenge perceptions and offer invaluable insights into potential career paths."

Over the course of two days with their respective mentors, students gained an understanding of how to work with EU regulations, conduct pre-vehicle checks, load securing and handle the paperwork associated with being a driver all whilst travelling around the UK.

 

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