Zurich Insurance to reduce insurance premiums and restrictions for drivers undergoing course
May 31, 2013
The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) Academy officially launched a driver cadetship program this week at its State Conference.
The launch was supported by Zurich Insurance, which affirmed that it would reduce insurance premiums and restrictions for drivers undergoing the cadetship.
“This is a major step forward for the industry as previously higher premiums and excess fees have made it unviable to train younger drivers,” the VTA states.
The VTA Academy Driver Cadetship has been established to tackle this driver shortage and the ongoing problem of introducing younger people to the role of professional truck drivers, it adds.
“One of the major constraints of employers looking for young drivers [21-24] is insurance coverage,” VTA Industry Services Manager John Gilbert states.
“As part of the development of the VTA Academy Driver Cadetship we spoke to all the major insurance providers to the transport Industry, all of these providers have shown support of our cadetship.”
“To date, Zurich Insurance is the only one that has come forward and offered total support of the program by waiving its normal $2,500 excess and removing all restrictions on drivers that complete the Cadetship.
“In essence, this means a 21-year-old driver who has completed the cadetship will be treated as a normal driver for insurance purposes.”
Under the scheme, cadet drivers will be brought into businesses and trained on location through a company mentor and with the approved training provider partner of the VTA Academy.
Through hands-on training supported by academic study, the training will take in: chain of responsibility; fatigue; heavy rigid licence, which will include driving at night in the city and on country roads; load restraint; measuring height of vehicles.
“Not only have we provided a solution to the insurance problem, we have developed an industry-leading course standard which will produce the best drivers of this generation,” Gilbert says.
“The VTA Academy was established to provide a fresh approach to training and labour solutions for the transport and logistics industry.
“This is not only good for the outlook of the industry, it also promises to help individual businesses reduce their costs, while attracting the best and brightest to an industry that is the backbone of the Victorian and Australian economy.”
