There are numerous threads on here about the dissatisfaction with how the dcpc was set out (yeh, I know yawn yawn 
but bear with me) There are also numerous comments from a lot of the more experienced among us, about how driver standards, driver calibre and how do some bellends manage to obtain their HGV licences,… when you see how badly incompetently and aggressively they attempt to drive a truck.
A golden opportunity was missed here, when every body could be actually seen and proved to be 
literally …Professionally Competent (that’s the PC bit in dcpc for the hard of thinking on here 
)
On the M62 yesterday it must have been the day out or some sort of convention for the dicks with licenses club, ie. the usual daily crap we all see like keeping me in the middle lane in the roadworks at 50 after I had flashed him out and pulled over to allow him to join, and the winker that made me brake hard when he cut in after NEARLY overtaking me, a couple of tipper drivers one tailgating the car in front that was legally doing 50 in the roadworks and his ■■■■■■■■■of a mate tailgating him, the numerous ones that I flashed in that continued to hog the middle lane because they never use their mirrors, the ones that throw their trucks around like they are driving a racing car or as if they have nicked it. In fact if I had a video camera for that particular hour or so attached, it would have looked like a training film to illustrate bad driving practice, maybe it was just mad Friday, I don’t know.
Anyway to get back to the dcpc/missed opportunity thing. Instead of us all knowing now how to get out of our cab without falling, or how to lift a heavy box without knocking off a disc, or all the other ‘how to wipe your own arse’ h&s type crap that was covered in this bs/dcpc, if it had been concentrated on raising driving standards and covering all the things I have mentioned (and more) and teaching courteous driving and how to rise above potential road rage, a bit like a HGV advanced driving course.
This could have been done by every driver having a camera fixed to the front for a week, and being assessed as to how good or bad he is. Followed by an intense refresher course on drivers hours rules and regs.
Hey presto every HGV driver is professionally competent, and not just seen to have done ‘training’ to be Professionally Competent on paper. It could take things back to the days when a HGV driver actually did stand out from car drivers, I know some on here have never known this as they haven’t done the job long enough, and I don’t mean the ‘Knights of the road’ ■■■■■■■■, I mean competent courteous driving.
Sorry if this has bored the arses of you all and I know it will never happen, but I just thought it was a good idea, does anybody agree? either the real drivers on here or the dicks among us, they are on here as I have read some of the comments on the ‘It’s a matter of courtesy’ thread
> robroy:
> There are numerous threads on here about the dissatisfaction with how the dcpc was set out (yeh, I know yawn yawn but bear with me) There are also numerous comments from a lot of the more experienced among us, about how driver standards, driver calibre and how do some bellends manage to obtain their HGV licences,… when you see how badly incompetently and aggressively they attempt to drive a truck.
>
> A golden opportunity was missed here, when every body could be actually seen and proved to be literally …Professionally Competent (that’s the PC bit in dcpc for the hard of thinking on here )
>
> On the M62 yesterday it must have been the day out or some sort of convention for the dicks with licenses club, ie. the usual daily crap we all see like keeping me in the middle lane in the roadworks at 50 after I had flashed him out and pulled over to allow him to join, and the winker that made me brake hard when he cut in after NEARLY overtaking me, a couple of tipper drivers one tailgating the car in front that was legally doing 50 in the roadworks and his [zb] of a mate tailgating him, the numerous ones that I flashed in that continued to hog the middle lane because they never use their mirrors, the ones that throw their trucks around like they are driving a racing car or as if they have nicked it. In fact if I had a video camera for that particular hour or so attached, it would have looked like a training film to illustrate bad driving practice, maybe it was just mad Friday, I don’t know.
>
> Anyway to get back to the dcpc/missed opportunity thing. Instead of us all knowing now how to get out of our cab without falling, or how to lift a heavy box without knocking off a disc, or all the other ‘how to wipe your own arse’ h&s type crap that was covered in this bs/dcpc, if it had been concentrated on raising driving standards and covering all the things I have mentioned (and more) and teaching courteous driving and how to rise above potential road rage, a bit like a HGV advanced driving course.
>
> This could have been done by every driver having a camera fixed to the front for a week, and being assessed as to how good or bad he is. Followed by an intense refresher course on drivers hours rules and regs.
>
> Hey presto every HGV driver is professionally competent, and not just seen to have done ‘training’ to be Professionally Competent on paper. It could take things back to the days when a HGV driver actually did stand out from car drivers, I know some on here have never known this as they haven’t done the job long enough, and I don’t mean the ‘Knights of the road’ ■■■■■■■■, I mean competent courteous driving.
>
> Sorry if this has bored the arses of you all and I know it will never happen, but I just thought it was a good idea, does anybody agree? either the real drivers on here or the dicks among us, they are on here as I have read some of the comments on the ‘It’s a matter of courtesy’ thread
Until graduated licencing is brought in for all that pass a DVSA test along with compulsory safe driving assessments every so many years then nothing will change
Making the basic test harder will have no effect
Module 2 for the initial dcpc could easily be changed to a test on the regs
Think I know what you mean by graduated licensing Rog, but just confirm it anyway 
robroy:
Think I know what you mean by graduated licensing Rog, but just confirm it anyway
Pass a basic test but only get a licence with restrictions until a further test is passed - not quite sure how that would work for LGVs but it certainly could for cars as it is done in other countries
I thought that was the idea of doing your car licence, then HGV 3 followed by hgv 2 & finally hgv 1. Go back to that as well as having to spend some time gaining experience, before being allowed to try for the next level. Currently you can go from car to class 1 in a matter of weeks.
In the old days you could go from nothing to the old (pre 1991) HGV class 1 in one test!
robroy:
…it would have looked like a training film to illustrate bad driving practice, maybe it was just mad Friday, I don’t know.
But it’s not just ‘mad Friday’ is it? Every day you see this kind of thing, the angry idiots who should be nowhere near a truck to those who are vastly over-confident in their own paltry abilities. Then there’s the ‘I’m a lorry driver, I always know better’ brigade.
Regard them all as accidents waiting to happen. That’s what I do now.
I agree entirely that it could have been better. Half the problem was that anyone could design and deliver a module, so we ended up with people jumping on the band wagon and had muppets delivering simple nonsense just to make a fast buck.
The amount of questions on here from people wanting advice about driving hours alone seems to suggest a need for refresher training. Legislation, guidelines and working practices change all the time, so taking one day per year to brush up on your knowledge seems like a good idea to me - but this will only work if the modules are delivered by people that know what they’re talking about and can correctly answer questions.
Maybe now that the mad rush is over, things will settle down and we’ll see if it’s all worthwhile…or will we all ignore it for five years, then have another mad rush?
Talking of roadworks, is it just me or is the S/B M1 section by Watford Gap a little on the tight side. Now don’t get me wrong I like to think I can handle me girth but blimey there where points I thought this is just asking for trouble and should have a 7.5t weight limit on lane 2 & 3. Although I think that in all roadworks as those that can’t go 45-48 mph for any duration get on me ■■■■.
On my last part of the dcpc we discussed part of this to an extent I agree with the dcpc but it should have been much more practical based rather than classroom based & from what I have heard there are going to be changes to it ( which there should be )
Some of the people that deliver the course are not that good they give out the wrong info ie myself & a mate of mine also a member on here done the same course yep drivers hours but in different parts of the country he was told by his trainer that he couldnt do 10 hour drives on consecutive days when he asked why was told something to do with breaks now if you cant fit a 10 hour drive into a 15 hour day ( yep I have done 10 drives in 13 hour days ) but much easier in a 15
When you pass your test you should be given a copy of the Drivers hours ( gov.uk/government/publicati … cles-in-gb ) like you used to that may help then if you still dont understand ask
As I have said scrap the HPT for all new drivers have a simulator for bike car & a large vehicle you have to do all pass this before you are allowed out on the road yep we do have the technology in this country but it is all down to money
Dipper_Dave:
Talking of roadworks, is it just me or is the S/B M1 section by Watford Gap a little on the tight side. Now don’t get me wrong I like to think I can handle me girth but blimey there where points I thought this is just asking for trouble and should have a 7.5t weight limit on lane 2 & 3. Although I think that in all roadworks as those that can’t go 45-48 mph for any duration get on me ■■■■.
dipper dave-You are spot on there!!South and north lane one is tight.com…Then even tigher when the Heros are out!!!
buses:
Dipper_Dave:
Talking of roadworks, is it just me or is the S/B M1 section by Watford Gap a little on the tight side. Now don’t get me wrong I like to think I can handle me girth but blimey there where points I thought this is just asking for trouble and should have a 7.5t weight limit on lane 2 & 3. Although I think that in all roadworks as those that can’t go 45-48 mph for any duration get on me ■■■■.dipper dave-You are spot on there!!South and north lane one is tight.com…Then even tigher when the Heros are out!!!
BS 
hero in inside not tucked on the LEFT 
where actually we drive in this country ON THE LEFT! 
it’s a bit tight BS! smile as you past them and point them over to the LEFT 
buses:
Dipper_Dave:
Talking of roadworks, is it just me or is the S/B M1 section by Watford Gap a little on the tight side. Now don’t get me wrong I like to think I can handle me girth but blimey there where points I thought this is just asking for trouble and should have a 7.5t weight limit on lane 2 & 3. Although I think that in all roadworks as those that can’t go 45-48 mph for any duration get on me ■■■■.dipper dave-You are spot on there!!South and north lane one is tight.com…Then even tigher when the Heros are out!!!
Glad its not just me I pulled out of the Gap and thought this looks like its going to be fun, que a few middle lane hogging heroes (well laness 2 & 3 to be precise), wobbling about all over the shop.
I’ve just e-mailed HA requesting lane 2 to be made 7.5t as a concerned road user…
Also I spilt me tea which usually points to poor road conditions or me cups too full.
Another point on crap driving…At least 3 or 4 times these last couple of weeks when reversing into tight spots on customer’s premises, why has the guy standing watching me in amazed when I have got in first time, with a ‘‘you,ve done this before’’ type comment, as if they are used to bad reversing and actually EXPECTING you to make a balls up, when really they should be expecting the opposite off a full time pro driver. (especially with a dcpc )
(By the way not blowing me own trumpet here, if I don’t know now how to reverse I never will so nowt to boast about )
robroy:
Another point on crap driving…At least 3 or 4 times these last couple of weeks when reversing into tight spots on customer’s premises, why has the guy standing watching me in amazed when I have got in first time, with a ‘‘you,ve done this before’’ type comment, as if they are used to bad reversing and actually EXPECTING you to make a balls up, when really they should be expecting the opposite off a full time pro driver. (especially with a dcpc
(By the way not blowing me own trumpet here, if I don’t know now how to reverse I never will so nowt to boast about
Good point but could just be a freindly opening gambit with a complimentary touch…
I tend to get in the tighter spots easier than the easy ones (if that makes sense), perhaps its coz I’m on the phone at the time, overestimating my own abilities or just having an off day… Guaranteed the moment I have to have a shunt theres loads watching and when i ■■■■it theres no one about.
Although there was one time when I was informed by another driver the last bloke had took 10 shunts to blindside it in and I did it in 1 go… Gotta love leccy mirrors but I did ask if he wanted to touch me after my expert manouvre.
Edit: Oh after a 14.45 hour day and one tricky space left at the truck park normally gets the old adrenaline pumping and is great for reversing practice.
While i think there area few cases of lacking experience the main issue with drivers LGV and Car is there attitude to driving and other road users and unfortunately there’s very little you can do about that , no amount of tests or licensing will change it
Dave’s comment about getting into tight spots rang a bell. Driving for Blake’s, with barn doors to make the trailer even wider, certainly honed the reversing skills.
There was one place we went regularly up on Deeside somewhere, with five or six bays fronted by an acre of unmarked concrete - not even a skip to get in the way. There was never anyone else there when I went, and I never managed to get straight on a bay - Sure I would reverse neatly back to the buffers, but when I got out, the truck would be slewed at 45 degrees across the park. I learned to stop and get out well in advance to check the angle, before opening the doors and backing on.
bjd:
While i think there area few cases of lacking experience the main issue with drivers LGV and Car is there attitude to driving and other road users and unfortunately there’s very little you can do about that , no amount of tests or licensing will change it
Yeh but the fact that an LGV driver is a professional driver, and now perceived to be a professionally competent driver, the standards and attitudes of said LGV drivers should reflect this on the road, we both know it no longer does so the system of tests, licenses and assessments should be looked at …That is entirely the point of my o/p
ROG:
In the old days you could go from nothing to the old (pre 1991) HGV class 1 in one test!
Yep this is how I passed mine at 17 in the army.
of courses could easily be provided under the current DCPC scheme - in fact they are already out there but unfortunately the cost is the issue.
A cab could hold a maximum of 2 plus trainer (unless specially converted) and a course must be 7 hours. So if you had 3.5 in the classroom, then 3.5 in the vehicle that’d work well but what would it cost?
The fact is - a good decent DCPC course as above would cost about £250 per person for a single 7 hours - if not more. As long as there are £50 classroom courses they will be the popular ones.
I have tried selling in cab DCPC … not a chance, too expensive.