The Driver CPC – A Brief History
Driver CPC became law on the 10th September 2008, when all bus and coach drivers driving for a living had to have a Driver CPC Qualification to continue working. Drivers who held their licence before this date were given their first five years of Driver CPC by acquired rights. This meant that they didn’t have to sit the required courses before the CPC became law.
Truck drivers went through the same process a year later.
From the 10th September 2008 for bus drivers and 2009 for truck drivers, any newly qualified drivers have to complete the initial qualification. This is comprised of two tests, one done at the theory test centre and one done at the driving test centre.
Drivers who received their first CPC by acquired rights, or drivers who passed the initial qualification, then have five years to complete 35 hours of Continuous Professional Development (CPD). The courses have to be approved by an organisation called JAUPT, the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training, which is a department of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
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The Initial Driver CPC
The initial Driver CPC qualification is part of the training programme for learning to drive a large vehicle. The programme is now a four stage affair, with theory and practical driving tests along with theory and practical CPC test.
The four stages are:
- Part One: Theory Test
- Part Two: Case Studies Test
- Part Three: Driving Test
- Part Four: Driver CPC Practical Test
The part one theory is comprised of two parts, the 100 question multiple choice test where the pass mark is 85% and the hazard perception test, which contains 19 CGI clips and has a pass mark of 67%.
The part 2 case studies test consists of seven case studies which look at situations which can be expected to be found in a life on the road. The questions are multiple choice, with between 6 and 8 questions per case study. The pass mark is 80%
Part 3 is the practical driving test which lasts approximately 90 minutes. This includes vehicle safety questions and practical on road driving. The reversing manoeuvre is administered separately by the training provider.
The part 4 test is a test of the following areas:
- Load safety and security
- Preventing illegal migration
- Assessing emergencies
- The daily walk around check
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Periodic Training
Drivers who have already held a Driver CPC should renew their Driver Qualification Card by completing approved periodic training courses.
A periodic training course is a 7 hour block of training, delivered as a block or as two 3.5 hour blocks within 24 hours. Longer courses can also count for Driver CPC periodic training, our Transport Manager Refresher courses each count for 14 hours, credited as 2 7 hour days.
Drivers cannot take the same course multiple times in a five year period unless there is a good reason to do so. A reason could be:
- A qualification like a Hiab Course which needs renewing more regularly than every five years.
- There is demonstrated need to repeat the training. For example, if you’ve done Drivers Hours but are getting a lot of infringements or if you’ve already done load security but have had a few loads move in transit.
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Top | The History of the Driver CPC | The Intial Driver CPC | Periodic Training | Our Course Dates
Top | The History of the Driver CPC | The Intial Driver CPC | Periodic Training | Our Course Dates
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