Driver CPC is a qualification, required by law for drivers of vehicles operating commercially, which was introduced in 2008. The Certificate of Professional Competence is gained initially by sitting two additional tests while learning to drive busses, coaches or trucks.
The scheme is administered by the DVLA and by JAUPT (Joint Approval Unit for Periodic Training).
New drivers must sit a Module 2 (Case Studies) and Module 4 (CPC Practical) test either during or after their training for Module 1 (LGV or PCV Theory Test) and Module 3 (LGV or PCV Driving Test). Drivers who had operated these vehicles prior to the introduction of Driver CPC received five year of CPC by ‘Acquired Rights’.
Once a driver holds a valid DQC, (Driver Qualification Card) they are required to undertake five separate seven hour sessions of periodic training in a five year period to maintain their Driver CPC. Whilst it’s best practice to undertake these training courses once a year, drivers can opt to sit out their entire Driver CPC requirement en bloc. E.g. Take five successive 7 hour courses prior to the expiry of their existing DQC.
DRIVERS WHO HOLD C1 OR D1 BY ‘GRANDFATHER RIGHTS’ WILL NEED TO TAKE PERIODIC TRAINING EVEN IF THEY HAVE NEVER USED THEIR ENTITLEMENT TO 7.5T TRUCKS OR MINI BUSSES.
Driver CPC Periodic Training
In order for training to be counted towards Driver CPC it must be approved by JAUPT. It must also be delivered by a JAUPT approved training centre and a JAUPT approved trainer. Whilst many larger operators have opted to carry out the work required to register as a training centre and to register their driver trainers to delivery the content, lots of smaller and medium sized operators found this cost prohibitive.
For operators who are unable or unwilling to register to deliver their own training, there are two options.
- Join a Driver CPC training consortium, register their own trainers with the consortium and deliver consortium courses to their own drivers.
- Contract out the training to an established training provider who is either registered individually or is registered through a training consortium.
This means that lots of the training that operators deliver to their drivers is not JAUPT approved and is not valid for Driver CPC. Only courses that are approved and delivered by an approved trainer count.
All our Driver CPC modules have been approved via the Driver CPC 4U Consortium and count for either 3.5, 7 or 14 hours of CPC periodic training.
