When I started my Cat C training in November, I was told I didn’t need to do DCPC as I had passed my (car) test before '97 & therefore had acquired (grandfathered) rights. (I understand that I need to complete 35 hrs of cpc training by Sept 2014 though)
Existing drivers who held a vocational licence prior to the 10th September 2008 (PCV) or the 10th September 2009 (LGV) are exempt from the Initial Qualification. This is known as “acquired rights”.
But I can’t find any mention of the pre '97 date.
I’d just like to confirm that I haven’t been miss-informed & that holding a Cat B licence since before '97 means I’m legal until Sept 2014 (wrt CPC anyway!)
Hi Nez. Understand the confusion and you’re not alone by a long way!
Both statements are correct. You need to complete the 35 hrs by Sept 2014 as you held the vocational qualification - cat C1 - before 2009. The C1 (7.5 tonne) licence was automatically granted along with Cat B - car - when the test was passed before 1997.
So all is well! Go, enjoy the weekend and make sure you book good cpc training when you get around to it. Be warned that prices will increase from next year due to the fact that many drivers haven’t bothered with it yet. Ignore the rumours that it will go away - it wont. Its an EU directive.
At the moment it perfectly possible to get all 35 hours with plenty of change out of £400 all incl. Not bad for 5 years.
Whilst I’m at it, another silly rumour is that the 5 years qualification starts from when you complete the 35 hours. Not so. If you complete it anytime between now and Sept 2014 your card will be dated Sept 2019. I have a card in my pocket dated 2019 and I did mine in 2008. So it is a definite fact and one that causes loads of confusion.
Hope this helps and happy to help further if requested. Pete
Of course…I forgot about the C1 (and I bet I’m not the only one lol)
I’ve already got 14 hrs done towards my cpc through my employer as they’re a registered/accredited/approved/whatever the term is employer with in house training.
Can you recommend any good trainiers out there for the DCPC … I have looked at your site and would of used you but being in london it is to far to travel etc
Hi. I know EP Training in Surrey do a good job. Failing which, why not come and make a holiday out of it the same as lots of other people do. V cheap and good b+b in a local village pub.
Be carefull when choosing as the bar for approval is currently set very low so any Tom ■■■■ or Harry seems to be able to get in on the act. I believe they’re being slowly weeded out but it’s bound to take time.
franklin:
on that subject, would you have to do separate training for lgv and pcv? or if you qualify for one does it cover you for both?
1 set of 35 hours covers you for both
You can do all LGV related, all PCV related or a combination of both
If you miss the PCV deadline of 09/09/2013 but make the LGV deadline of 09/09/2014 then you cannot drive PCVs commercially from 10/09/2013 until the 35 hours are completed
If you miss the LGV deadline of 09/09/2014 then ALL the 35 hours need doing again
Anyone holding both PSV and HGV prior to Sept 2008 will need to complete ONE lot of 35 hours training before Sept 2013 to retain their entitilement to drive professionally. This can be all HGV, all PSV or a combination of both. So there’s a bit of flexibility in there.
So far as cost goes, I worked it out as 18p a day ages ago. Don’t ask me how I arrived at that now cos it’s too early - but the figure has stuck in my mind.
Compare that to the cost of maintaining professional competence in other fields and it’s for nothing.
Good luck to everyone training and testing this week, Pete
I got my psv in 03 but my lgv about a week before the cpc came in 09. An agency i used (driver hire) are doing it so might enquire about it. Il just do it in stages before the date in 2013.
Haven’t really looked into it much because Im a train driver but want to get back into it part time so might go back to national express part time and see if they will put me through it lol. I left there just before they started it.
Sounds like a plan. The only problem with relying on the employer is that you will sometimes find yourself tied to them - which is fair enough. But to maintain freedom you’re better off doing it yourself.
You may also find that a truck employer wont complete it all until 2014 in which case you would be illegal to drive coaches professionally for the year Sept 2013 - 2014.
I don’t understand why everyone is so slow taking this up when, at the moment, it is comparitively inexpensive. Yes, there are some charging £150 a day but there is good training to be had for under half that - - at the moment. Watch the prices climb from 2012! Our prices are already set and are substantially more than the current rate. At some point we need to show a modest profit having lost money hand over fist with driver cpc for the last 3 years! So common sense says that everyone should get on with it whilst there’s plenty of availability and the prices are low.
Well nx might not take me back on now without a cpc but then if i have got till next year or whenever then there’s plenty of time to out me through it. If you Dont do it do you lose the entitlements on your licence or just can’t drive commercially until you do? Someone said something about Dvla taking your entitlements off but can’t do that surely?? If like me your main job is now something different Im not going to be concentrating on my cpc so i aassume thats rubbish.
ROG:
If you miss the LGV deadline of 09/09/2014 then ALL the 35 hours need doing again
wouldn’t you just need to finish your 35 hours before you drove commercially ?
It seems that “Each five-year period starts from when your current Driver CPC qualification runs out - not from the date you completed your 35 hours training”
Class2ldn:
Well nx might not take me back on now without a cpc but then if i have got till next year or whenever then there’s plenty of time to out me through it. If you Dont do it do you lose the entitlements on your licence or just can’t drive commercially until you do?
Failure to do the 35 hours DCPC training would for most people mean not being able to drive commercially, they can’t take away your LGV entitlement because there are exemptions which I’ve listed bellow.
Vehicles with a maximum speed not exceeding 45 Kph
Vehicles used by or under control of the armed forces, civil defence the fire service and forces responsible for maintaining public order
Vehicles undergoing road tests for technical development, repair or maintenance purposes, or of new or rebuilt vehicles which have not yet been put into service
Vehicles used in states of emergency or assigned to rescue missions
Vehicles used in the course of driving lessons for any person wishing to obtain a driving licence or Driver CPC
Vehicles used for non-commercial carriage of passenger or goods — for personal use
Vehicles used for carrying material or equipment to be used by the driver in the course of his or her work, providing that driving the vehicle is not the drivers’ principle activity
ROG:
If you miss the LGV deadline of 09/09/2014 then ALL the 35 hours need doing again
wouldn’t you just need to finish your 35 hours before you drove commercially ?
When I called the DSA DCPC hotline on 0191 201 8112 I was informed that missing the expiry date would result in having to do all the 35 hours again
HOWEVER, I have found this on the JAUPT site - drivercpc-periodictraining.o … -training/
What if the 35 hours of Periodic Training is not completed within 5 years?
Periodic Training can be carried out at anytime over the five year period but drivers are encouraged to spread the sessions over the required 5 years e.g. 7 hours per year. Failure to complete the Periodic Training by the fifth year would mean the driver could continue into the next year, but the training completed in the first year would be disregarded. For example:
1st year = 14hrs
2nd year = 7hrs
3rd year = 0
4th year = 7hrs
5th year = 0
= 28hrs completed with 7hrs remaining
If a driver continued into the 6th year to complete the required 35 hours they would have to disregard the 14hrs they gained in their first year. The driver would now have to complete 21hrs (7 hours already required to complete 35 hours plus 14 hours disregarded from their first year).
Either the DSA or their JAUPT quango have got it wrong!!
It’s a rolling 5 year period so if you don;t complete in time and move into a sixth year training done in year 1 no longer counts. Move into a seventh year without doing 35 hours from year 2 to 6 and training done in year 2 will be dropped and so on.
