DCPC....What Needs to be Done?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
101

yourhavingalarf:

Sidevalve:
I’m also somewhat sceptical about the number of drivers “tending allotments”.

That’s a…

Fair comment. I have no idea of the actual numbers of drivers who stopped when the Dcpc first appeared. I do know of two drivers who quit becasue of it’s implementation and haven’t returned since. They might come back and drive if it was scrapped, who knows?

To alleviate the immediate shortage and all the crap that’s coming with it, termination or suspension (or extending it’s current validity to 10 years) would definately help the current situation.

My guess is, that those two drivers were of the mind that a considerable number of years of doing the job had taught them all they ever needed to know. My own experience, and the mindset I carry with me, is that every day is a school day in this business, and you never stop learning. Back in the old analogue days, I was constantly surprised when working as a TM and in recruitment, by the number of seasoned “professionals” who didn’t even know how to fill a chart in properly let alone how to manage both their hours and those charts. Some got quite shirty when I tried to correct them; I even had to refer some of them to the copy of Croner’s book which I kept in my desk!

102

Sidevalve:

yourhavingalarf:
Scrapped, because it’s not fit for purpose and it’s a major factor in a great many drivers reasons for tending allotments instead of carrying on driving.

I think the general consensus is that experienced drivers gain least benefit from it; although I still maintain that nobody can truthfully say that they learned absolutely nothing from all the courses they’ve attended, even if it’s only correcting something we thought we were doing right for many years. Scrapping it altogether would be a completely retrograde step, and would not do us any favours. It does however need a complete overhaul, and I believe the powers that be are talking about this; to make it more fit for purpose and not solely dependent on getting bums on seats for a fixed number of hours. The training industry won’t like it but they’ve done well out of it for a fair few years.

I’m also somewhat sceptical about the number of drivers “tending allotments”. I know quite a few men down here, well past official retirement age, who still carry on working either full or part time because their employer is happy to pay both their DCPC costs and also the annual medical fees which are compulsory after 65; it is high time the latter was extended to 70 and that might make even more difference than the DCPC. I took that particular matter up with my local MP a few years ago, mindful that I myself would be working till 67; the reply was that the DoT wouldn’t play ball.

This.

And this re second bit too. I think the driver shortage is massively over exaggerated but so has the amount of drivers who’ve left the industry. In my opinion. Key word- opinion. This is a industry where no retirement has been more common than early retirement over the years and I know of many over retirement age still working, including my Dad who isn’t planning to retire, and none who’ve actually retired.

103

This now…

Makes it, I have to endure the Dcpc because others are unable to do things correctly and make mistakes.

That’s not fair, why do I have to lose time and money because other people can’t cope? I can cope and do this job 100% which I’ve been doing almost trouble free for decades. Has it stopped all the idiots out there since we all had to do it? No, of course it hasn’t. So what if a seasoned driver can’t fill a tacho in correctly, the baked beans still got to their destination safely which is the whole point of what we do. If a driver is that bad, he’ll get a bollocking/fine sooner or later.

The thread title is ‘DCPC…What needs to be done?’. Getting rid or suspending this ‘one size fits all’ (which it doesn’t) insult to mine and others intelligence will help the current situation.

No, I don’t know it all but I do know enough to be infringement free for years, clean licensed, accident free and able to do my job without being nursed at every T junction. In conversation with other old ■■■■■, I’m not alone.

The Danish transport organisation ITD saying they want it ditched say’s it all for me.

104

yourhavingalarf:
This now…

Makes it, I have to endure the Dcpc because others are unable to do things correctly and make mistakes.

That’s not fair, why do I have to lose time and money because other people can’t cope? I can cope and do this job 100% which I’ve been doing almost trouble free for decades. Has it stopped all the idiots out there since we all had to do it? No, of course it hasn’t. So what if a seasoned driver can’t fill a tacho in correctly, the baked beans still got to their destination safely which is the whole point of what we do. If a driver is that bad, he’ll get a bollocking/fine sooner or later.

The thread title is ‘DCPC…What needs to be done?’. Getting rid or suspending this ‘one size fits all’ (which it doesn’t) insult to mine and others intelligence will help the current situation.

No, I don’t know it all but I do know enough to be infringement free for years, clean licensed, accident free and able to do my job without being nursed at every T junction. In conversation with other old ■■■■■, I’m not alone.

The Danish transport organisation ITD saying they want it ditched say’s it all for me.

You’re obviously very “old school”; and in many ways there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, times have changed since you and I could just jump into a lorry, or onto a piece of machinery like a FLT, and just drive it “because we already know how to”. I’ve been there too; I’ve grumbled about the sheer pointlessness of the particular course I was enduring, the instructor who was more interested in telling us all his old war stories, that I’d rather be out on me motorbike, etc. And you’re quite right, you’re far from a lone voice.

But getting rid of it simply because you and I have got the t-shirt and done the miles is not the answer. The ITD is the Danish equivalent of the RHA, which probably tells you all you need to know. Employers have fallen out of love with DCPC because they realise that it’s a barrier to them employing low wage grunts; nothing like shrinking profit margins and rising costs to make a company lower its standards.

I concede that in its present form, DCPC is ■■■■■■■■■■■ inflexible and even perhaps to an extent, self-defeating. But it needs re-writing and improving, not scrapping. We owe that to the new blood who will take over in this industry, working to far higher standards than we ever did.

105

yourhavingalarf:
This now…

Makes it, I have to endure the Dcpc because others are unable to do things correctly and make mistakes.

That’s not fair, why do I have to lose time and money because other people can’t cope? I can cope and do this job 100% which I’ve been doing almost trouble free for decades. Has it stopped all the idiots out there since we all had to do it? No, of course it hasn’t. So what if a seasoned driver can’t fill a tacho in correctly, the baked beans still got to their destination safely which is the whole point of what we do. If a driver is that bad, he’ll get a bollocking/fine sooner or later.

The thread title is ‘DCPC…What needs to be done?’. Getting rid or suspending this ‘one size fits all’ (which it doesn’t) insult to mine and others intelligence will help the current situation.

No, I don’t know it all but I do know enough to be infringement free for years, clean licensed, accident free and able to do my job without being nursed at every T junction. In conversation with other old ■■■■■, I’m not alone.

The Danish transport organisation ITD saying they want it ditched say’s it all for me.

You’re taking it way too personally.

106

switchlogic:
You’re taking it way too personally.

Switchy…

I do take it personally when, being agency, it costs me two weeks wages.

Sidevalve:
I concede that in its present form, DCPC is ■■■■■■■■■■■ inflexible and even perhaps to an extent, self-defeating. But it needs re-writing and improving, not scrapping. We owe that to the new blood who will take over in this industry, working to far higher standards than we ever did.

Yeh, I’ll work with you on that. For new passes include 35 hours of classroom for full qualification.

To reiterate, ‘DCPC…What needs to be done’, for the short term benefit of everyone, drivers and Joe public who want to buy things but can’t because there aren’t enough drivers to keep the JIT system running, suspend it.

How on earth does sitting in a classroom bored out of your mind for 35 hours for a quaification that my budgerigar could pass if I took it with me, make this industry attractive to people wanting to get into it? Attendance only WTF!!

We’re all moving in the same direction on this, we just disagree on the best way to achieve it.

107

yourhavingalarf:
We’re all moving in the same direction on this, we just disagree on the best way to achieve it.

Yep. As I said in another post elsewhere, higher minds than ours are working on it as we speak. All I can say is that this discussion has been noted, and some of the comments and suggestions taken on board for future reference.

I don’t think you’ll ever get what you desire; but hopefully things will get better for all of us.

I’d also like to add, as the initial author of this discussion, that I appreciate the sensible well mannered and largely constructive way in which it has has been held.