The sad fact is that there were some superb D-CPC courses drawn up…particularly the Merc ones, that were heavily promoted with ads etc…but far too expensive in a market where the main goal for most was (understandably) compliance at the lowest possible cost.
I would defy even the most experienced driver to go on the Merc tanker course and say they didn’t learn lots in both the classroom and cab segments.
One way might be simulator training, which is widely used in aviation. I’ve ‘driven’ a Volvo truck simulator in which you are confronted by various scenarios…car broken down in ‘your’ lane, someone cutting in front of you on a roundabout etc. The instructor can programme in these obstacles and incidents. You soon learn not to necessarily trust your instincts…ie if you swerve the truck tips over, while if you brake you may just suffer a mild shunt or even get away without a crash altogether. The simulator uses data gathered from real trucks so will behave in a very life-like manner.