An introduction to Driver CPC

What is Driver CPC?

The Driver CPC is a scheme for LGV and PSV drivers who drive professionally in the UK. It has been developed to meet the requirements of the EU Directive 2003/59, which is designed to improve the knowledge and skills of professional LGV and PSV drivers throughout their working life.

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 training has to be completed by September 2014, the penalties for not complying are a £1000 fine for BOTH driver and company.

There are a number of Driver CPC exemptions associated with the Directive. These are listed below:

• Vehicles with a maximum speed not exceeding 45 Kph
• Vehicles used by or under control of the armed forces, civil defence,  the fire service, and forces responsible for maintaining public order
• Vehicles undergoing road tests for technical development, repair or maintenance purposes, or of new or rebuilt vehicles which have not yet been put into service
• Vehicles used in states of emergency or assigned to rescue missions
• Vehicles used in the course of driving lessons for any person wishing to obtain a driving licence or Driver CPC
• Vehicles used for non-commercial carriage of passenger or goods – for personal use
• Vehicles used for carrying material or equipment to be used by the driver in the course of his or her work, providing that driving the vehicle is not the drivers’ principle activity

Ultimately, it is up to the driver and their employer to decide if they are covered by these exemptions, and if necessary, justify it to the competent authority.  Therefore the JAUPT would strongly advise that if a driver believes they are exempt from the Driver CPC that they should seek independent legal advice.

The problem, as usual, lies with the cost – however, at this current time Driver CPC on average falls around the £75 per head mark.  This cost is set to rise as the demand escalates and it’s anticipated that the price could reach up to £150 per day or more per candidate!  It should also be noted that a Driver found without a Driver CPC card post-September 2014 cannot complete another days driving until the 35 hours of tuition has been completed, as well as the £1000 fine.

Get trained before the mad rush

At Lighthouse Safety we have seen a big increase in demand for Driver CPC and our training suite is regularly booked out.   We are still taking future bookings though so it may be an advantage to book your training early to avoid large rises in cost when demand starts to outstrip availability of trainers.