New route to Driver CPC for unqualified 7.5-tonne drivers

By Categories: NewsPublished On: Thursday 12 March 2015

dcpcDrivers holding C1 (3.5 – 7.5-tonne) licences gained by obtaining a car driving licence prior to 1997 can now gain initial Driver CPC entitlement by passing Modules 2 and 4 of the Category C driving test, as an alternative to undergoing 35 hours of periodic training.

Drivers who have already commenced periodic training, but not completed the requisite 35 hours, can also opt to take the tests instead.

However, this is a ‘once only’ route to the qualification, which, once achieved, must be maintained by undertaking 35 hours of approved training in the next five years, and then every five years subsequently if the right to drive commercially is to be retained.

The cost of achieving the qualification is likely to be similar, whichever route is taken. Some drivers may prefer the no-stress route offered by 35 hours of non-examination training, while others may prefer to take the ‘fast-track’ route of two tests – although the time-saving involved will be constrained by the amount of training needed to reach test standard for the theory and non-driving practical tests, and the availability of test slots and a suitable vehicle for Module 4.

Some Driver CPC trainers in contact with Transport Operator report that quite a substantial volume of their current Driver CPC training work consists of drivers holding a 7.5-tonne licence on ‘grandfather rights’ who have only just realised that they do require a Driver CPC to drive commercially.