Driver CPC Courses Full As Deadline Looms

At this time last year, there was quite a bit of speculation about whether or not HGV drivers in the UK would meet obligations for driver CPC training prior to the September, 2014 deadline. Various news reports suggested that experienced drivers would wait to see if the regulations were enforced against their PCV counterparts before putting down the money to undergo their own training. Well, the latest reports are good news: CPC courses are full as this year’s deadline looms.

The latest numbers show approximately 800,000 drivers currently engaged in training courses. An additional 564,000 have already completed their training as required by law. Fleet News says that 1.1 million cumulative hours of training were been conducted in July alone, and that more than 24 million hours have been logged since 2008.

When the CPC regulations became official in 2009, HGV operators with current licences were granted a five-year exclusionary period based on the acquired rights their previous experience earned them. However, that five-year period is set to end on September 10 of this year, a deadline that is now less than a month away. All HGV drivers operating in the UK are required to be trained and certified from that date forward. Those who fail to comply could lose their jobs.

CPC is an acronym that stands for Certificate of Professional Competency. It was introduced more than a decade ago as a means of ensuring drivers all over Europe met minimum standards to operate commercial vehicles safely. The UK adopted its own CPC regulations in 2008, fully implementing them in 2009. Since then, all new students earning HGV licences automatically undergo CPC training as part of their normal studies.

Completing the training results in the CPC certificate being issued to the driver. That certificate must be carried with the driver whenever he or she is working; it must be produced at the request of police officers or other authorised officials. A certificate is good until the end of the fifth calendar year after it is earned. Drivers intending to continue working after expiration must undergo an additional 35 hours of training to be awarded a new certificate.

Train with Us

The HGV Training Centre has been reminding companies in the haulage sector about the CPC requirements since last year. We are proud to say that we have trained and certified our fair share of drivers over the last 12 months. If you still have not undergone your training, you are running out of time. We urge you to contact us to sign up for your 35 hours of training right away.

As a leading provider of commercial driver training in the UK, we are immensely proud of our track record for producing safe and competent drivers. We train for all commercial licence classes including HGVs, PCVs, heavy construction equipment, horseboxes, trailers, and forklift trucks. Our classes are conveniently located and conducted by professional trainers with the knowledge and experience necessary to make sure you are trained correctly.

Sources:

Fleet News – https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2014/8/12/driver-cpc-deadline-set-to-be-achieved/53228/