Just waiting for provisional to come back from DVLA then hopefully start my Class C training. In the mean time I need to find a training school (of course). Got a mate who’s been driving 20 years saying that it would be a good idea to not just do 35 hours CPC (passed car test before 1997) but to do ADR as well for a few reasons:
Doing an ADR course would give me quite a chunk of CPC hours, therefore should save me a few quid in the long run as I do intend to do the ADR course anyway.
Being a new driver, showing some commitment of doing (and paying for) the qualification(s) should look good to prospective employers and may even open doors. I understand that having zero experience it won’t be that easy to find work.
Doing it all while I have the money and free time, not sure I’ll want to take time off to do it at a later date while (hopefully) working.
Any thoughts on the above would be very much appreciated.
Hi. All the above makes sense to me.I would add that it’s possible to get cpc hours from your CAT C training as well if the trainer is approved to deliver it.
Normal advice: stay away from brokers (they promise the earth and deliver very little), visit the trainer you think you may choose and have an assessment drive - often free. Then do it again somewhere else for comparison. Be very aware that training offerings vary massively. The only alternative is to book on rock solid recommendation.
Just waiting for provisional to come back from DVLA then hopefully start my Class C training. In the mean time I need to find a training school (of course). Got a mate who’s been driving 20 years saying that it would be a good idea to not just do 35 hours CPC (passed car test before 1997) but to do ADR as well for a few reasons:
Doing an ADR course would give me quite a chunk of CPC hours, therefore should save me a few quid in the long run as I do intend to do the ADR course anyway.
Being a new driver, showing some commitment of doing (and paying for) the qualification(s) should look good to prospective employers and may even open doors. I understand that having zero experience it won’t be that easy to find work.
Doing it all while I have the money and free time, not sure I’ll want to take time off to do it at a later date while (hopefully) working.
Any thoughts on the above would be very much appreciated.
Dave
Hi Dave,
Yes mate, IMHO the above is very good logic and for exactly the reasons you gave.
Not all LGV driving schools can offer ADR, so you might need to look elsewhere for that.
If you give me a rough idea of whereabouts in the country you are and your preferred daily travelling distance to a training school, I can offer you the names and contact details of some properly accredited ADR training schools within your preferred radius.
I don’t offer ADR but I believe it can count for 21 hours of driver cpc (subject to trainer approval). No reason why you cant do it before you have CAT C. You could then use your CAT C training for the remaining hours and avoid sitting in a classroom which is most peoples’ dread!
Theshrew:
Im also waiting to get my licence back, I like the sound of that idea.
How many hours would doing it would count towards your CPC ?
Do you have to pass your class C before you can do the ADR ? I can already have 7.5 toy town truck entitlement
Hi TheShrew,
An ADR course can count as 7, 14, 21 or 28 DCPC hours depending on which ADR modules you choose to take and which ADR modules the provider has got approvals for.
The usual ADR course that most people take is called Core, Packages and seven UN Classes, which can get up to 21 DCPC hours.
If a person takes an ADR course and only needs (say) 7 DCPC hours to complete their 35hrs, then they can just get the seven hours they need and then save a few bob on the other DCPC fees, but the provider MUST have registered each seven hour ‘chunk’ separately for that idea to work.
An ADR licence is not dependent on a person holding any particular category of driving licence because all a person needs is a Swansea issued driver number, so even a person with a provisional moped licence can do an ADR course.
To have DCPC hours uploaded, then the JAUPT rules for driving licences must also be complied with.
If the person then does any kind of driving licence upgrade at a future date, then they need take no further action as regards their ADR licence because that follows them automatically and covers for whatever category of vehicle that the driver subsequently drives.
It pays to ask the right questions at the time of making the booking.
I’ve cotton’d on to the broker thing and yes will be careful whom I book with. Done some local research and pretty sure I will struggle to get a trainer to get me through the LGV training and do both CPC and ADR in one hit. Although have only actually contacted one trainer so far who can offer all 35 hours of CPC but no ADR.
So would I be better off by not taking any CPC or just 7 / 14 hours with my C training then do an external ADR course to top up the other 21 hours? Is that how it works?? Would the CPC hours taken with an ADR course match up with CPC done through driver training? Bit confused by it all as you can gather
Dave I’m in Harlow (Essex) would prefer not to have to travel more than 20 miles if possible but would rather travel if I can get what I want (if that makes sense). So fire away with some ADR schools, that would be great.
You could do 35 hours with your initial training for CAT C as you said that was possible. You would then have 5 years in which to complete the next 35 hours. Your ADR training could count towards the second 5 year block. The amount will depend on the details given by Diesel Dave.
Cheers Pete, What you say makes sense but I don’t really want to pay for anything that isn’t necessary. I understand that it wont be wasted as it’ll accumulate onto the next 5 years but being jobless at the mo I do want to only acquire what I need
Will wait for Diesel Dave’s response on the Local-ish ADR course(s) then go from there.
I have been looking to see whats available ROG, there does seem to be a demand for various types of work, but as I said it wont do any harm and may open a few doors…
Also there is a possibility that there will be a job available (at some point) where a mate works. Went out with him a couple of weeks ago to get a feel for it, and met his boss. Nothing concrete of course but there is a possibility in the future.
But you are right, not going to spend silly money just to have the qualification, but if it works out viable to do ADR with a chuck of CPC covered too I think it would be worth it.
From my very limited knowledge of ADR prices … I think many are between £400 and £600 for the full 5 day course with about £25 x 3 added on for the DCPC hours
3 x 7 hour DCPC courses can be got for a total of about £150
It pays to ask the right questions at the time of making the booking. 
