Certificate of Excellence in Van Operations being offered by the FTA

The FTA (Freight Transport Association) has announced on their website that they are to begin offering two new training courses for van operators, the Certificate of Excellence for Van Operators and the Certificate of Excellence for Passenger Van Operators. Mark Cartwright, FTA's Head of Vans and LCVs, said: "Any organisation operating vehicles as part of its business activity must ensure the safety of drivers and the public, as failure to do so can have serious consequences. These courses will provide van operators with a wealth of best practice guidance for operating safely, legally and efficiently and are designed to help raise standards across van operations."  Based on the guidelines contained in the association's Van Excellence Code (the scheme launched in 2010 to promote high standards of van operation and driving by accrediting operators against an industry code of good practice), the course will cover areas such as vehicle maintenance systems, vehicle administration, driver licensing, securing of loads, speed limits/limiters, towing equipment and driver identification, behaviour and competence. At the end of the course, an assessment will be performed and the Certificate of Excellence will be given out. The FTA certificate will be valid for three years. For more details on these brand new training courses and the Van Excellence code, please visit the FTA website here.