What is Driver CPC for Clients?
If you drive a bus, coach or commercial vehicle for a living then
the Driver CPC qualification will apply to you.
Periodic
Training Requirement
Periodic
driver training is designed to confirm and expand existing knowledge
and skills of each driver to ensure that they continue to be safe,
courteous and fuel efficient drivers.
The EU passed
the Driver CPC EU Directive in 2003. This affects all professional
PCV and LGV drivers. For new drivers it introduces a new initial
qualification - the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence
(Driver CPC) which increases the amount of knowledge that drivers
will need before they can drive.
For new drivers
the initial qualification includes a four hour theory test and a two
hour driving and practical test when combined with the licence
acquisition tests.
All drivers,
new and existing will then have to undertake 35 hours of training
every five years to ensure that their driver CPC is current. This is
known as Periodic Training
Only courses
that have been approved and are being delivered by a training
organisation that has been approved by the Joint Approvals Unit for
Periodic Training (JAUPT) on behalf of the Competent Authority will
count towards the Periodic Training requirement of 35 hours.
When does it
start?
The Directive
will become effective from 10th September 2008 for the PCV sector
and from 10th September 2009 for the LGV sector
What licence
categories does it affect?
Category C, C+E,
C1, C1+E, D, D+E, D1, D1+E.
If you
currently drive a 7.5 tonne vehicle or a minibus with more than 9
passenger seats on a Cat B car licence under grandfather rights, you
will need to take a driver CPC as this will be classed as LGV Class
C1 or PCV Class D1.
Owner Drivers
The Certificate
of Professional Competence for an owner driver will not cover you
under the new regulations. The new Driver's CPC follows a different
curriculum and covers operational topics such as safe and fuel
efficient driving.
If you already
have a full LGV or PCV licence
You will not
have to take any kind of exam. But you will have to ensure that you
undertake 35 hours of relevant training in the five years from the
start of the CPC training cycle - September 10th 2008 for PCV and
2009 for LGV. If you hold both C and D licences currently you will
not have to undergo two separate Driver CPC's, one will cover both.
The Training
Syllabus
The CPC driver
training will cover regulations on Health, Road and Environmental
Safety and Customer Service and Logistics. See http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?t=434 for
further details. The training for PCV and LGV will differ but both
disciplines will cover the basics of economical driving (use of the
characteristics of the engine and transmission), safety features (
braking and retardation systems). Other topics include drivers'
hours regulations, tachograph regulations, the social environment of
road transport, and responsibilities regarding initial qualification
and periodic training.
Training
Sessions
The Driver CPC
training will only be available for training bodies who have been
approved by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). Each separate
training session must last at least seven hours in 24 hour period,
but those sessions can be spread over several years or delivered in
one week. The total requirement is for 35 hours training in a five
year period.
Penalties
The Police and
VOSA officials will ask to see your Driver CPC card at roadside
checks or if you have been involved in an accident. The cards are
issued when acquiring your Category C, C1, D or D1 licence for new
drivers, and after completing 35 hours training for existing
drivers.
Exemptions -
the following are exempt
Driving a
vehicle with a maximum authorised speed which does not exceed
45KM/H.
Driving a
vehicle under the control of or used by the Armed Forces, Civil
Defence, Fire Service or Forces responsible for maintaining law and
order.
Road testing
vehicles for technical development, repair or maintenance purposes,
or for driver training.
Driving a
vehicle carrying materials or equipment for use in the course of
work, providing that driving that vehicle is not their principle
activity. For further details -
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