The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) is a new qualification for professional bus, coach and lorry drivers which has been introduced across the EU. Just holding a vocational driving licence is no longer sufficient if you want to drive for a living.
In the UK, the new requirement was introduced in September 2008 for bus and coach drivers and in September 2009 for lorry drivers.
The aims of Driver CPC are to improve road safety, recognise and accredit the knowledge and skills required for professional bus, lorry and coach driving and ensure the necessary skills and knowledge are continually updated.
In practice, the new Regulations will require all existing drivers of passenger carrying vehicles (PCV) and large goods vehicles (LGV) to complete a minimum of 35 hours of CPC-approved periodic training by 10 September 2013 for bus and coach drivers and by 10 September 2014 for lorry drivers. Further, there is an ongoing obligation to repeat the 35 hours training every five years thereafter.
Recognising the natural synergy between health and safety and Driver CPC training, Crown House Health & Safety Solutions, have joined forces with Transport and Logistics Training Ltd to offer approved Driver CPC periodic training.
What does this mean for new drivers?
New LGV and PCV drivers will need to pass the initial CPC qualification, along with their vocational licence, in order to be able to drive professionally. The requirement to undertake a minimum of 35 hours periodic training starts once they have passed the initial qualification.
I have heard that existing drivers have "grandfather" or acquired rights and they don't have to do the training. Is this correct?
No – they will not need to pass the initial qualification/test but they will need to do the training.
LGV drivers who held their LGV licence before 10 September 2009 and PCV drivers who held theirs before 10 September 2008 will need to complete 35 hours of periodic training within five years of these dates and carry evidence of their Driver CPC status.
As mentioned, existing LGV drivers have until 9 September 2014 and PCV drivers have until 9 September 2013 to complete their first set of 35 hours periodic training in order to be able to continue to drive professionally.
Does the 35 hours periodic training have to be completed in one block?
The driver can decide when the 35 hours periodic training will be attended, e.g. a driver could complete seven hours per year, 35 hours in one year, 14 hours in the first year and 21 hours in the fifth year, etc. With the very odd exception the periodic training is delivered in 7 hour blocks.
Drivers need to be mindful of the fact that when they are "under instruction" it cannot be counted as a "rest".
What courses will count towards CPC periodic training?
Only courses approved by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT) and delivered by JAUPT approved training centres will count towards Driver CPC periodic training. Our courses are JAUPT approved.
Courses currently running
We currently have the following health and safety training courses set to run at our Retford training centre, for detailed information about each course please click on the course title (Course overview will open in a new window)
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