Sales of vans over 3.5 tonnes could soon drop significantly as the Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) is now a legal requirement for van drivers for heavy duty commercials.
For the same reason, sales of 3.5t vans are set to increase, as many operators aim to downsize rather than take the 35 hours training required to gain a CPC.
Buyers of 3.5t vans must also have a tachograph and operator’s licence, and are also restricted to 56mph because of mandatory speed limiters. Drivers can be fined up to £1,000 for driving professionally without Driver CPC, and as it would mean that technically they hold an incorrect driving licence, their insurance could also be void.
“It seems like there has been a sole focus in the industry on CPC training for truck drivers, but in reality almost 4,400 vans over 3.5 tonnes sold this year in the UK will be subject to Driver CPC legislation”, reports Steve Bridge, Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Vans.
The alternative for many traditional four- and five-tonne van buyers is to downsize to a 3.5t van, and improvise with a more limited payload. The best-in-class payload for a 3.5t panel van is the Movano at 1,684kg, followed not far behind by the Nissan NV400, Renault Master and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
Click to see all the latest offers on Movano vans.
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