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International Driver CPC will be the new name for how Driver CPC currently works.

You will need to take 35 hours of International Driver CPC training every 5 years to be allowed to drive in the EU and the UK.

The will be no changes to how it works. This means that:

courses must be at least 7 hours long
if a course is split over a day, it has to be completed on 2 consecutive days
e-learning in a trainer-led course is limited to 2 hours
you’re allowed to do a total of 12 hours e-learning towards your overall 35 hours of training

National Driver CPC will be a more flexible version of the existing Driver CPC.

If you only want to drive in the UK, you’ll be able to take either:

35 hours of National Driver CPC training every 5 years
a combination of 35 hours of National Driver CPC and International Driver CPC training every 5 years

The new flexibility means that with National Driver CPC courses:

the courses must be at least 3 hours 30 minutes long - training providers will still be able to offer longer courses if they want to
split courses will not need to be completed on 2 consecutive days - course providers will be free to set their own time limits
you will be able to take e-learning only courses - for example, you could take an approved 3 hours 30 minutes long e-learning course at your workplace or home
you’ll be allowed to do a total of 12 hours e-learning towards your overall 35 hours of training

Drivers and hauliers are in even greater demand. There may also be changes to the operater licence requirements coming soon, so driver and manager training are more important than ever. If you already work in a transport operation, or are thinking about setting up as an operator in haulage or PSV, you will need to get plenty of help and advice. We are always happy to speak to people who need some information, so please contact us and we will do what we can to help. We do not charge for any services until we agree with the client. Advice is free!

Drivers must have a Driver Qualification Card, or DQC. If you are a professional large goods vehicle driver (C, C1, C+E or C1+E).

Each CPC card is valid for five years from the date of issue. This means that – unlike the 2014 deadline set when Driver CPC was introduced – each driver’s renewal date is unique to them.

All drivers must undertake 35 hours’ periodic training before the end of the five years following the issue date on their DQC. If the training is not undertaken during that time, they will not be permitted to drive professionally until they have completed their 35 hours.

The best way to ensure that a DQC doesn’t lapse is to carry out at least one day’s mandatory periodic training every year.

The consequences

If a driver is caught driving commercially without their Driver Qualification Card:

Both driver and operator face fines of up to £1000

Driver suspended from driving commercially until training is completed

Possible reduction in driving workforce, and operations adversely affected

If operations are affected, your reputation with customers could be damaged

If convicted, operator’s OCRS rating will drop to red

Likely increase in insurance premiums

From 1 October 2022 the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT) became part of DVSA.

JAUPT processed applications from training providers for centre and course approvals for Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) and drink-drive rehabilitation (DDR).

JAUPT offered these services exclusively to DVSA so it was decided to bring the functions JAUPT offered in-house to DVSA. The existing staff have joined DVSA so the service to DCPC training providers and drink-drive rehabilitation providers stays the same.

Services staying the same in the short term

So, the change does not affect the services to DCPC and DDR providers a lot of the services will remain the same to begin with, including:

the current process for approving training courses and centres

uploading new courses

auditing process for training courses and centres

keeping the existing find your nearest service

The phone number for enquiries will continue to be 01908 787 000 and the email for general enquiries is JAUPT-Enquiries@dvsa.gov.uk

Driver CPC consultation results published

On 11 December 2023, the Department for Transport (DfT) has published its response to the consultation on proposed changes to the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC).

The consultation ran earlier in the year to gather views on measures to make it simpler to become and remain a professional driver in the UK. The recommendations from the government include:

introducing a National DCPC (N-DCPC) that will cover driving a lorry, bus or coach in the UK
allowing training courses to be done in blocks of 3.5 hours rather than the current 7 hours to allow greater flexibility
Increasing the amount of e-learning that can be done to 12 hours.

These changes will only apply to the N-DCPC for driving a lorry, bus or coach solely within the UK.

The intention is to introduce these changes in summer 2024. The full response has been published on GOV.UK.

Those wanting to drive a lorry, bus or coach outside of the UK will need to complete the training within the existing rules which will not change from 35 hours of training every 5 years.

Making it easier to return to driving

The government is also looking to speed up the process for drivers whose DCPC has run out to return to driving a lorry, bus or coach in the UK.

This would be by allowing them to take 7 hours of training before returning to the sector and making the remaining 28 hours up within the first year.

This would only be for NDCPC and is not expected to be introduced until 2025.

Further consultation

The consultation also asked about the introduction of a periodic test to take the place of training. Further consultation is needed on this option which will be launched in the new year.

Understanding Driver CPC

The Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) was introduced in 2008 for PCV Drivers and 2009 for Lorry Drivers. It represents a pivotal step in enhancing road safety and compliance within the transport industry. But what exactly is Driver CPC, and how does it affect you?

Choosing the Right CPC Training Course

Driver CPC Training comes in two forms: Periodic and Initial Driver CPC Training. The choice depends on your specific circumstances. Periodic training is for those with acquired rights. This may include holding a 7.5-tonne, class 2, or class 1 license before September 9th, 2009. Or a PCV license, this would be before September 9th, 2008. For these individuals, a 35-hour (five-day) Periodic Training session is required every five years.

If you passed your car test before January 1997, you may be entitled to drive 7.5-tonne vehicles (Cat C1). Candidates with a C1 entitlement pre-September 9th, 2009, attend Periodic Training on acquired rights, even if they have never passed a vocational driving test. If you hold both bus and coach, as well as lorry vocational licenses, you need only complete one set of Periodic Training.

CPC Training for Lorry Drivers.

If you operate a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes for work purposes, you must hold a Driver Qualification Card. Drivers who had a lorry entitlement of C1 (7.5 Tonne) or higher on September 9th, 2009, needed to complete 35 hours of Periodic CPC Training. This needs to be done by September 9th, 2014, to obtain a Driver Qualification Card valid for five years. During this period, they completed another 35 hours of periodic training to drive beyond 2019.

Each new five-year period begins from the expiry date of the current Driver CPC qualification. If you did not have a lorry entitlement of C1 (7.5 Tonne) or higher on September 9th, 2009, you must obtain your first Driver Qualification Card by completing Initial CPC.

CPC Training for PCV Drivers

If you drive vehicles requiring D1 (minibus) or D (bus) licenses for work, a Driver Qualification Card is essential. Drivers with a lorry entitlement of D1 (minibus) or higher on September 9th, 2008, had to complete 35 hours of Periodic CPC Training by September 9th, 2013, to obtain a five-year valid Driver Qualification Card. During this period, they completed another 35 hours of periodic training to drive beyond 2018.

As with lorry drivers, each new five-year period begins from the expiry date of the current Driver CPC qualification. If you did not have an entitlement of D1 or higher on September 9th, 2008, you must obtain your first Driver Qualification Card by completing Initial CPC.

CPC Training for Dual Entitlement (Lorry & PCV) Drivers

If you held a PCV License on September 9th, 2008, and a lorry license on September 9th, 2009, your 35 hours of Periodic Training will cover both. However, if you held only one license at the cut-off dates and gained the other later, you require an Initial CPC for your new entitlement (and Periodic for your old entitlement). The benefit is that once you’ve completed your Initial CPC, any subsequent Periodic Training will count toward both categories.

If you have 'acquired rights' on your driving licence, it may be possible to drive another catoegory professionally, but you will have to make sure you have completed the right CPC courses. To be able to sit a standard Driver CPC course, you need to be able to answer yes to one of the following 3 statements:

A) I passed my car test before 1997

B) I passed a vocational driving qualification before 2008(PCV) or 2009(HGV)

C) I currently hold or have held a driver CPC card

If a driver held a Cat C or CE licence prior to the introduction of CPC on 10 September 2009, they were granted acquired rights for the first 5 years. These acquired rights expired on 9 September 2014.

If the driver holds these acquired rights, 35 hours of periodic training should renew the entitlement.

You can still drive professionally while waiting for your card if both of the following apply:

• you’ve done your periodic training

• your training provider has recorded the training (they must do this within 5 working days of the training ending)

For drivers who passed their test while in the Armed Forces, you will need to complete modules 2 and 4 of the current driving test.

How much does a CPC course cost?

The cost of a CPC course can vary, depending on where and how you do it. It is usually cheaper per person if a company runs a course because they often pay a group fee, instead of for each person, but generally a CPC course is between £50 and £70 per day's course.

For drivers of companies in Swindon, Royal Wootton Bassett, Marlborough, Chippenham, Corsham, Newbury, Hungerford, Cirencester, Stroud, Wantage, Didcot, Witney, Abingdon, Oxford and Reading, we offer classroom CPC courses at exceptionally reasonable rates that suit the client's needs.

For companies we have a sliding scale of pricing, so you pay as little as necessary to get your drivers CPC trained.

Driver CPC courses in the workplace for as little as £35 per driver - 10 to 15 drivers.

For 5 still only £55 per driver, and for fewer than 5, it is 175+18 per driver.

For 15 to 20 drivers it is just 30 per driver!

Email: contact@swindontraining.com or use the contact form and we will get back to you right away.

The CPC Scheme Explained

The CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) scheme was developed in order to standardise professional levels of competency across Europe in the transport sector, which is subject to detailed and comprehensive legislation. The scheme applies to drivers and transport managers.

The idea is that a professional driver will undertake 35 hours of periodic training within a 5-year period. This may be taken all at once – 5 modules of 7 hours each during a week of training, or it may be spread over the 5-year period, for instance, the individual undertaking a CPC module once or twice a year until he or she has ‘banked’ the requisite number of CPC training hours.

A transport manager will complete an initial Transport Manager CPC course and will then undertake periodic refresher courses in order to stay abreast of current legislation.

Staying up to date with changes in legislation, keeping key information fresh and to the forefront of our thinking and ensuring that we all understand the importance of the role we play in compliancy and customer care are some of the mainstays of the CPC scheme, each clearly laid out in the CPC syllabus (see JAUPT).

A solid CPC course will look at specific factors that affect the transport industry, legislation and driver behaviours. It will provide ample learning opportunities for the attendees and, like any vocational training course, a driver CPC module will involve the recycling and refreshing of knowledge that the participants already have, with opportunities to build on that knowledge and apply it to their own specific context.

Another extremely important part of the CPC training scheme is to increase the learner’s confidence in their own ability to carry out their daily tasks effectively and address any issues or concerns they may have. This is why it is essential for the trainer to create an environment that permits and encourages the participants to be open and frank about their own experiences and (professional) opinions. As a trainer, I have found that I learn something new every time I deliver a course, so I too gain from the process and always aim to use the experience to develop professionally.

Operating Light Goods Vehicles in Europe? – Apply for your International Operators’ Licence TODAY

From 21 May 2022, new EU rules mean that if you are intending to use a Light Goods Vehicle weighing more than 2.5 tonnes to transport goods for hire or reward into or through the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you will need an International Operators’ Licence.

With less than a month until these rules come into effect, if you want to continue to operate in the EU without interruption, you need to apply for an operators’ licence and select the interim option.

To avoid delays in processing your application, please visit GOV.UK for a full list of the information required.

When completing your application, remember:

You’ll need to have a qualified transport manager. If you do not have the qualification, you might be able to be temporarily recognised as a transport manager if you have enough experience. You can make the process easier by using the service on GOV.UK.
You’ll need to show documents such as bank statements, to prove that you have access to a set amount of finance to run your business. See which documents you can use.

Do you already hold an International Operators’ Licence?

If you already hold an International Operators' Licence for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) you can add extra LGVs to your existing licence.

You may also need to make posting declarations for journeys to the EU

Don’t forget that if you’re transporting goods between two points in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway for commercial purposes, (known as cabotage or cross trade), you must now make a “posting declaration”, which means registering the operator, driver, driver employment details, dates of travel, and the vehicle used.

This could be using HGVs, vans or other light goods vehicles of any size, or cars, whether or not you’re towing a trailer. It’ll apply if you’re moving the goods for hire or reward, or for your own business’ use.

contact@swindontraining.com

Call or message: 07482 133160

Changes to CPC

What you need to know about the current Driver CPC Scheme

Key Changes in Driver CPC

Introducing the National Driver CPC

Blending National and International Driver CPC Training

Modular Training with 3.5-Hour Blocks

E-Learning for National Driver CPC

International Driver CPC: No Changes