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Driver CPC - Your Questions AnsweredDriver Training Services are accredited training agents for the driver CPC qualification.What is the purpose of Driver CPC?
To improve the knowledge and skills of lorry and bus drivers – helping:
What does the Driver CPC involve?
As well as a driving licence, lorry
and bus & coach drivers who drive professionally will have to hold a
Certificate of Professional Competence which is renewable every 5
years. There will be an initial qualification for new drivers, and
periodic training for new and existing drivers. Driver CPC came
into force on 10 September 2008 for PCV drivers and 10 September
2009 for LGV drivers. These implementation dates apply to all EU
member states.
What will the initial qualification
involve?
It will involve 4 hours of theory testing and 2 hours of practical
testing. (The test for driving licence acquisition currently
comprises of a 1.5 hour theory test and 1.5 hour practical test. So
the extra testing would be 2.5 hours of theory testing and 30
minutes of practical testing.) The tests must be at the equivalent
of NVQ level 2.
DSA are introducing modular tests so that drivers can obtain their driving licence and CPC at the same time. The CPC syllabus covers the additional knowledge a professional driver needs to have; it is not just about practical driving skills. The Theory test will be in 3 parts:
The “Case studies” will be designed to suit the profile of the candidate and DSA is meeting both sectors to help develop the new tests. DSA envisages that the questions would be of the format where a situation or scenario was defined for the driver, and they are then asked questions relating to this situation. Case studies wherever possible will use diagrams, pictures and graphics. Test presentation will be screen-based, like the theory test for driving licence acquisition, and will be delivered from existing theory test centres.
The Practical test will be in 2 parts:
Who will Driver CPC affect?
All professional drivers of lorries over 3.5 tonnes, buses, coaches
and minibuses unless they qualify for an exemption.
Can I work as a driver without a Driver
CPC?
No, unless in exempted circumstances
Under CPC rules, can an 18 year old drive
a full sized bus?
Yes, but the driver is limited to routes that do not exceed 50km.
Under CPC rules, can an 18 year old drive
a full sized lorry?
Yes, under the new regulations a person of 18 can acquire a category
C (followed by a Category C+E) licence as long as they also acquire
the initial Driver CPC.
Do the regulations for Periodic Training
have any impact on those drivers who need to renew their vocational
licence every year because of age or health reasons?
No, these drivers will still need to renew their licence as any
other driver would.
Does the Driver CPC Directive alter the
medical requirements for LGV/PCV drivers or driving instructors?
No.
Will Driver CPC apply to foreign
nationals?
Yes, Driver CPC applies across all EU Member States therefore all of
those drivers will be required to qualify and hold a Driver CPC in
exactly the same way as UK drivers.
What vehicles may be used for Driver CPC
regulated training and testing?
For the Initial Driver CPC there are no EU rules on the vehicles
that drivers must use for the training prior to the test. For the
Driver CPC practical test, vehicles used must satisfy the minimum
test standards for the vocational driving test. There are no EU
rules concerning vehicles used for periodic training.
What is DSA’s involvement?
DSA is leading, on behalf of the Department for Transport, the
implementation of the project. As well as legislation, this involves
establishing and implementing arrangements for training and testing
for both the initial qualification and periodic training.
Are drivers of buses operated under s19
and s22 permits in scope?
Section 19 and 22 permits are designed to enable charitable groups
etc to operate minibuses and larger buses outside the current
regulations, which mean they are operating under these permits and
therefore the vehicle isn't deemed to be a PCV and therefore the
driver doesn't need a Class D/D1 licence and therefore are exempt
from the Driver CPC.
Do those driving vehicles under a
category B (car) licence need CPC?
Anyone driving under a category B licence is out of scope of the
Directive.
What is the syllabus?
The Directive lays out the syllabus
in Annex 1 Section 1 of the Directive. There are three main groups
of subjects:
If a driver uses both PCV and LGV
licences professionally, do they need to do two lots of 35 hrs
periodic training every 5 years?
No. The Directive states that the
holder of a vocational licence for PCV / LGV need only complete 35
hours course attendance in a 5 year period.
Within the definition of the Working Time
Directive, does course attendance for Periodic Training count as
work?
The Working Time Directive states
that if a driver is paid by their employer whilst attending
training, then the hours would count as working time. Therefore if
the driver is being paid whilst attending Periodic Training it would
be counted as work.
Are there any tests to take for Periodic
Training?
No there are no tests as Periodic
Training is not a pass or fail course. It is recorded as hours of
attendance.
Can the 35 hours training be carried out
flexibly – over several weeks/months/years?
The driver has flexibility as to how
he/she takes the 35 hours training over this time. So for example a
driver may complete a two day course in the first year, and a three
day course in the fifth year.
How does periodic training apply to
drivers who obtained a CPC via the initial qualification?
Over the 5 years following their
licence and initial driver CPC acquisition, they have to undertake
35 hours periodic training to maintain their Driver CPC.
How does periodic training apply to
existing PCV / LGV licence holders who are exempted from the initial
qualification?
PCV / LGV drivers holding full
licences on 10th September 2008/09 will have to complete their first
course of periodic training within 5 years – ie by 2013/14.
What processes will be in place to ensure
that Driver Training Skills (UK) Ltd offer good practice in the
training that they provide to drivers/employers.
The Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic
Training (JAUPT) will monitor good practice through the QA process
and approval process. Additionally, employers will be expecting to
see benefits from the training and will drive good practice by
choosing providers such as Transport Training Skills (UK) Ltd who
give good value training.
Who governs the Joint Approval Unit for
Periodic Training?
The JAUPT is governed by the Driving
Standards Agency and Driver Vehicles Testing Agency. It is managed
by two Sector Skills Councils (SSC’s) ‘Skills for Logistics’ and
‘GoSkills’.
Can drivers do the same courses each
year?
Theoretically, this is possible.
However, employers will be seeking value for money and repetition of
the same courses will not be beneficial.
Who will be responsible for creating
courses for periodic training?
It will be the responsibility of the
Transport Training Skills (UK) Ltd to deliver courses that comply
with the regulations and meet employers’ needs. Employers would be
encouraged to discuss the training needs with us to ensure that
courses are tailored to meet their specific requirements.
What licence categories will be affected
by Driver CPC?
C1, C, CE, D1, D &DE
If a driver already holds an initial CPC
for one LGV category (eg rigid lorry Category C), will that person
need another CPC to drive another LGV Category (eg articulated lorry
Category C+E)?
No. (This will not affect the
requirement to pass the relevant driving licence acquisition test
for the additional category.)
If a driver already holds an initial CPC
for one PCV category (eg minibus sub-Category D1), will that person
need another CPC to drive another PCV Category (eg full-sized coach
Category D)?
No. (This will not affect the
requirement to pass the relevant driving licence acquisition test
for the additional category.)
If a driver holds an initial Driver CPC
for LGV, will he / she need to obtain an initial Driver CPC to drive
a PCV?
Yes. The initial Driver CPC is
specific to LGV or PCV
Acquired rights
Acquired rights,
sometimes termed 'grandfather rights' will apply for existing
holders of full LGV and PCV licences at the time the Directive comes
into effect in the UK. This means that those drivers who obtain a
full PCV licence before 10 September 2008 or a full LGV licence
before 10 September 2009 will have 'acquired rights' and will not
have to undertake the 'Initial Driver CPC'. These
drivers will not be required by law to hold a Driver CPC until 10
September 2013/14, although drivers will be encouraged to do their
35 hours of Periodic Training well before this date.
Both exisiting licence holders with 'acquired rights' and drivers who have obtained their initial qualification will be required to undertake 35 hours (5 days) of periodic training every 5 years in periods of not less than 7 hours at a time.
Similarly if you hold a full PCV or a full LGV licence but you are not driving for a living at the present time, you will also have acquired or 'grandfather' rights until 2013/14. If you decide to start driving professionally again after this date, you will need to complete 35 hours Periodic Training to gain your Driver CPC before you can start working as a driver. How will Driver CPC status be evidenced?
Drivers will have a separate Driver
Qualification Card (DQC) which will have to be carried at all times
when driving professionally.
Will it be an offence for someone to
drive without a Driver CPC or DQC when they should have one?
Yes there will be penalties if
someone drives without the Driver CPC is not carrying their DQC.
There will also be penalties for Operators who cause or permit a
driver to drive without a Driver CPC or DQC. Allowances will be
made for lost or stolen DQC's similar to the rules that are
currently in force for lost or stolen digital tachograph cards.
How will Driver CPC-holding be enforced
on the road?
In the same way as holding an
appropriate driving licence, particularly by the police, VOSA, and
DVLA. Also, any EU enforcement body can ask a driver for proof that
his/her CPC status is current while they are driving in other Member
states, and issue a penalty if a driver is in breach of the
Directive.
How will the periodic training recording
process be applied to drivers who do not have a UK Driver’s Licence
but work and live in the UK?
These drivers will have to carry a
DQC in the same way that UK licence holders will.
How will Driver CPC affect foreign
nationals who drive lorries and buses in UK.
It will not affect them. However,
they will have to carry whatever their home country uses to evidence
Driver CPC.
When do PCV / LGV drivers get issued with
their Driver qualification card?
When they have completed Module 4 of
the Initial Driver CPC or their 35 hours of periodic training.
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Driver CPC
Frequently Asked Questions
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