The requirement will be that each driver has at least one day of classroom training each year in various aspects of the craft including health and safety, tachograph and driver's hours rules, illegal immigration across borders, ergonomics to prevent physical accidents while driving or while handling baggage, physical and mental improvement and awareness, assessing emergency situations and preparing accident reports, enhancing and maintaining the image of the company, financial awareness including understanding the commercial environment of coaching and other means of transportation.  There will be theoretical and practical examinations.

This is of course a double edged sword.  On the one hand it will be a wonderful opportunity to ensure that all staff are able to maintain the highest degree of professionalism but on the other hand it will weed out many competent part timers who are required to act as second drivers on an ad hoc basis.  Enlightened companies like ours will obviously pay for a hardcore of casual staff to take these courses but as we might typically use a casual driver maybe only 15 days a year that will effectively double the cost to us of any second driver which will need to be passed on to the hirer.

We urge you therefore to point out this situation to your booking agents as we forsee such a shortage of qualified drivers in 2009 that many of the tour buses used for the Summer Festivals will not be able to run where double drivers are required therefore gigs will be lost.  More intelligent routing is required to keep mileage down to a single driver shift of perhaps a maximum of 400 miles.  You have been warned !