Archive

1. Am I exempt from the training?

   15th September 2020 9:49 am Comments Off on Am I exempt from the training?

   Any drivers of lorries over 3.5 tonnes and minibuses with nine seats or more must obtain the Driver CPC qualification. There are a few exempt groups, however:

   • Drivers under the control of the armed forces, civil defence, the fire service and forces responsible for maintaining public order
   • Drivers of vehicles used for non-commercial carriage of passengers or goods for personal use
   • Incidental drivers – those whose who carrying material or equipment to be used in the course of his/her work, provided that driving the vehicle is not the main activity, e.g. a bricklayer carrying bricks to a site

   You can contact us for some free advice if you feel an exemption may apply to you.

2. CPC Initial Qualification – What Is It?

   9:45 am Comments Off on CPC Initial Qualification – What Is It?

   The CPC initial qualification must be completed by new drivers since the introduction of the CPC legislation in 2008/09. This consists of four modules:

   • Theory test – a multiple-choice test followed by hazard perception clips
   • Driver CPC case study – 50 multiple-choice questions
   • Practical driving test
   • Driver CPC practical test – a demonstration covering 5 sections relating to vehicle safety

   We have heard from many drivers who were never advised by their training company that they required the initial qualification. Failure to complete this means that you do not have a valid licence and could be prosecuted for driving a vehicle without the appropriate entitlement.

   Once you have completed your initial qualification, you will have five years from the date of completion to attain 35 hours of periodic training in order to retain your Driver CPC.

   As of March 2015, drivers who have not yet acquired their Driver Qualification Card can bypass periodic training by sitting module 2 and 4. More information can be found here.

3. What were ‘acquired rights’?

   9:42 am Comments Off on What were ‘acquired rights’?

   “Acquired rights” ended for PSV and LGV drivers on 10th September 2013 and 10th September 2014 respectively. Previously, you could have the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) through ‘acquired rights’ if you were already a professional lorry, bus or coach driver – provided that you held your licence prior to 10th September 2008 and 10th September 2009 respectively. This meant that because you had already been working as a lorry or bus driver, your experience counted as the same as taking the Driver CPC initial qualification. However, you were still expected to complete 35 hours of periodic training to retain your driving entitlement.

4. What is Driver CPC?

   9:41 am Comments Off on What is Driver CPC?

   Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) is a qualification introduced for all professional bus, coach and lorry drivers. It has been introduced to help maintain and increase driving standards and road safety.

5. Banking CPC hours – is this allowed?

   14th September 2020 4:21 pm Comments Off on Banking CPC hours – is this allowed?

   It is not possible to bank CPC hours beyond your current 5-year period. For example, if you have a card that expires in September 2019 but have completed 35 hours by September 2017, you won’t be able to start your next cycle of training until after the expiry date.

   On each driver’s online training account, there are validity dates listed at the top of the page. To register for access, you can enter a driver’s licence number and postcode here. A pass code is then posted out by DVSA and once this is entered along with the driving licence number, the training account should come up.