With the CPC driver training deadline passing earlier this month, the DVSA has moved to remind drivers that they are no longer allowed to drive 7.5 tonne trucks professionally – regardless of whether their license includes the C1 entitlement.
Driving licenses issued prior to 1996 include this entitlement, but with the new CPC rules coming into force all drivers must have completed the first block of 35 hours CPC training to drive 7.5 tonne, and other HGVs, on a professional basis. The only exemptions to this apply where a driver is taking a vehicle for a test, driving for the emergency services, or driving for the army.
The passing of the deadline also means that drivers must carry their Driver Qualification Cards with them at all times.
While it is not clear how many drivers have completed the required training and how many have not, the Department for Transport released figures in July that showed over 800,000 drivers were involved in the Driver CPC training process, with over 564,000 actually completing the 35 hours.
The CPC Driver training issue is a big one for industry operators, with drivers who have failed to complete the training currently unable to work. The demand for training around the deadline was said to have surpassed supply, with training courses running in short supply leading up to the deadline, and in the period afterwards.
Training course information can be found on the government website.
