Report challenges insurers to justify two-year HGV driver experience rule

A new report has challenged UK fleet insurers to provide the evidence behind the widely used two-year experience rule that can prevent newly qualified HGV drivers from accessing work.

The report, Show the Data, by Marc Fels of Fueler Consulting, questions whether there is sufficient published evidence to support the continued use of a fixed two-year threshold as a measure of driver risk. It argues that while significant investment was made in training new drivers following the 2021 HGV driver shortage, barriers to employment remain.

According to the report, an evaluation conducted by the Department for Transport and the University of the West of England found that none of the 33 measures introduced following the driver shortage directly addressed insurance restrictions. Fels argues that newly qualified drivers continue to face a gap between obtaining their licence and securing employment because operators are often unable or unwilling to insure them.

The report states that even where insurance policies technically allow newly qualified drivers, operators may still avoid employing them because a single claim could affect premiums across an entire fleet. It argues that this has created a structural barrier to employment for newly qualified drivers entering the sector.

Fels does not dispute that newly qualified drivers may represent a higher risk but questions whether the available evidence supports a blanket two-year rule. The report cites SambaSafety’s 2025 UK Driver Risk Report, which found that crash risk among commercial drivers peaked between 24 and 36 months in the role. According to the report, this raises questions about why restrictions are often lifted at the point wider commercial driver data suggests risk may be highest.

The report says questions have been submitted to Admiral Group, Aviva, Allianz UK, Direct Commercial Insurance and RHA Insurance Services seeking actuarial evidence supporting the two-year threshold, including claims frequency, severity and cost data comparing newly qualified and experienced commercial drivers.

Fels also warns that the issue could become more significant if labour shortages return, noting that Q3 2026 will be the first summer peak without a new pipeline of HGV Skills Bootcamp drivers entering the market. The report further suggests the challenge could affect the Government’s forthcoming NEET strategy if young people entering logistics find themselves unable to secure employment despite qualifying as drivers.