Industry Warning: Don’t Ignore CPC Qualification Requirements

It has been a year since the deadline passed for HGV drivers to be CPC trained. Statistics indicate that the vast majority of UK drivers are now in compliance. Yet some industry representatives are saying now is not the time to put the issue on the back burner and ignore it. The best way to avoid being caught in a future rush reminiscent of last summer is to plan ahead to make sure your drivers meet CPC qualification requirements on time.

According to the Freight Transport Association (FTA), there was a last-minute rush in August of last year as individual drivers and companies sought to get signed up for classes on the eve of the deadline. Most of the veteran drivers who did not have previous CPC certification received their 35 hours of instruction in the few months just prior to the deadline. The FTA wants to make sure this is not repeated when that same group of drivers needs to be recertified in 2019.

The law currently requires HGV and PCVs drivers to undergo CPC training once every five years. The important thing to remember is that training does not have to be completed on or near the anniversary of the driver’s previous training. CPC qualification requirements allow for training any time during the fifth year of certification. That means a driver initially trained in August 2014 could receive his or her renewal training anytime within the last 12 months covered by the current certificate.

Training Company Drivers and Individuals

Many in the industry deem CPC qualification requirements as burdensome. Nevertheless, the government has made some attempts to make fulfilling the requirements easier. For example, they allow companies to offer a broad range of training modules that count toward completion of the requirements. Companies can even create bespoke training classes unique to whatever they do. Furthermore, companies such as ours are actively developing new training classes that provide additional benefits above and beyond just meeting CPC qualifications.

The HGV Training Centre is proud to offer CPC training for both company drivers and individuals. If you are a transport manager or company owner, we invite you to contact us to learn more about our CPC classes. We can custom design a training course that is relevant to your line of business while at the same time helping to make your drivers better at what they do. We can train your entire fleet all at once or on a varied schedule according to each driver’s needs.

If you are an independent contractor, you still need to receive your CPC training every five years. The HGV Training Centre can facilitate that training by enrolling you in one of our regularly scheduled classes. Our training is convenient, easy to complete and, thanks to our financing partner, very affordable.

Do not wait until a few weeks before your deadline to sign up. Get the training done to complete your CPC qualification requirements as soon as possible.