Following a meeting with the Rt. Hon. Patricia Hewitt Member of Parliament for Leicester West concerning the driver CPC, a further meeting is being arranged with Sadiq Khan MP, Minister of State at the Department of Transport. The meeting will again be in reference to the driver CPC.
After talking with some very good friends of mine, all of the same age group (50 yrs old) i discovered that most of them who are coming up to renewing their LGV licence and require the LGV medical, are not going to bother to renew thier licence. This i find very disturbing.
I am seeking opinions from experienced professional LGV drivers;… are you coming up to your medical to renew your licence?; are you going to bother renewing your licence when the time comes?; what do you think to the driver CPC; are you an owner driver, if so how is it effecting you and what do you think; do you think periodic training is a good thing; the initial CPC for new drivers, is this a good thing? should Gaffers be made to pay for the drivers CPC, if so why.
I have been in the road haulage industry since the age of 14, serving an apprenticeship with my father on G.G.transport out of Ipswich on General Haulage and i have seen many changes in our great industry, but the driver CPC is one of the worst legislations to be introduced. The only people who gain out of this is the Government and training companys. We already have a large influx of European drivers driving British registered trucks, i have to ask myself and put the question to you, what do you think is going to happen in 2014 when so many of our experienced professional drivers surrender their licence?
Please answer the Poll and post your opinions of which with your permission i shall print off and take to Mr. Khan and bring to his attention and the governments attention the damage they are doing to our great industry.
Is it possible for us to unite over this matter and protect our jobs, our companys and our great industry?
I think it’s a crying shame that the industry is possibly going to loose experienced drivers because of this legislation - - - if you really think that will happen. I don’t. There’s a lot of talk talk talk at the moment and blah about getting out of the industry. That’s great until the mortgage needs paying and the wife demands food money! Exactly what is a 50+ year old lorry driver going to do to earn his living apart from drive lorries? There’s only so many Transits about!
Much of the brave talk comes from drivers who have been ill-advised as to the content,style and cost of the driver cpc. There is also an air of arrogance from some who seem to think they are absolutely up to date with legislation that affects their everyday work and that somehow they are exempt from ending up in court with a very light wallet if they get it wrong.
Personally, I believe many drivers will leave it until 2013 and then get the idea it’s time to get it sorted. It’s a pity because the options for training will be fewer, the cost will be higher and the pressure to get it done unbelievable.
Having been in the passenger/goods industry all my working life (which is a hell of a long time!)I have great respect for drivers as individuals. But in groups - there’s another story! Privately, drivers will tell you that they don’t understand what it’s all about and then, once it’s been explained properly, come round to realising it’s actually a very good idea. They then come on the course, enjoy it and learn from it and spread the good word!
It’s time to get the negativity out of this subject and let’s treat our profession the same way as any other - with regular updating training. There really isn’t a problem with this - so why create one?
i answered NO to the poll,having read some paperwork on the subject, there are possible somethings that we as profesional should brush up on every so often. but i dont agree to the 35hrs of training.
may be 1 day every 5 years and if any new rules come into force in between we could be notified by post. dvla have all our addresses its not rocket sience
I find myself in agreement with everything that Peter has said, but I do have something to add…
IMHO, the whole concept of driver CPC (from Europe) is good, but the implementation of it in the UK has been very poorly thought through by government.
Let’s start with the title; it’s no wonder there’s been so much confusion with the operator CPC, because government couldn’t even come up with a separate name for their stillborn little monster.
Then there’s the awarding body, JAUPT.
If I could be bothered with it, I’d be asking for info under FOI.
Maybe we already have enough awarding bodies, so why did we need a new one?
Was there a competitive tendering process, and if so, what other awarding bodies took part and how/why weren’t they successful?
Why do some course providers have to pay two fees for the same course to the DfT, whilst others only have to pay one fee?
I wish you every success in your meeting(s) intructorone, but let’s not forget that you’ll be dealing with politicians who are highly skilled at giving you political answers that aren’t actually answers to the questions that you’ll ask.
I give you my wholehearted support, because questions really do need to be asked. However, my reservations as to the usefulness of your project stem, not from reservations about your good self, but from the political nature of the answers that you’ll be likely to receive. In other words, you’ll turn up and be treated politely, but anything you leave for consideration may well be in the bin before you’ve closed the door behind you on your way out of the meeting.
As for my permission to use my comments; YES, for all the good it’ll do, please do so.
Hi fuse, so who do you reckon is doing the earning??
fuse:
wast of time and money,
Is that an honest opinion after you’ve carefully researched the facts, or do you simply listen to and instantly believe those who go gobbing off without knowing WTF they’re on about??
fuse:
when you start a new job employer should train you up so you can do his job as required
Now here’s where I completely understand what you’ve said, and I agree with you. But is that enough on its own??
Have you noticed that the calibre of some applicants for jobs leaves something to be desired??
You only have to read some of the posts that appear on these forums to see the widespread ignorance of drivers’ hours and safe loading of vehicles. IMHO, a driver should know these things before applying for any particular job. The problem is that folk aren’t born with knowledge, so wouldn’t you say that general ongoing training is needed and the training needs to be broad-based in order to raise standards??
The main problem as I see it is that it ASSUMES all drivers need the same things at the same level.
If a driver was ASSESSED and found to be lacking in knowledge of one sort or another then that driver is likely to be enthusiastic about gaining that knowledge and is also more likely to be willing to pay for it.
A system that says - you lot are all the same - is unlikely to be beneficial to the majority
ROG:
The main problem as I see it is that it ASSUMES all drivers need the same things at the same level.
Hmmm, Not quite sure how you get to that viewpoint.
The whole idea of the periodic CPC is that folks get to choose the courses that they think are most relevant to their jobs.
The available menu of choices is actually quite diverse, so I reckon there’s something beneficial for everybody.
ROG:
If a driver was ASSESSED and found to be lacking in knowledge of one sort or another then that driver is likely to be enthusiastic about gaining that knowledge and is also more likely to be willing to pay for it.
Surely that would just be adding unneeded cost and bureaucracy??
Then I wonder just who would be qualified to make those assessments objectively??
ROG:
A system that says - you lot are all the same - is unlikely to be beneficial to the majority
Whilst that’s possibly true, the reverse is also true.
A system that discriminates one driver from another would be… err… discriminatory and therefore unfair.
dieseldave:
The whole idea of the periodic CPC is that folks get to choose the courses that they think are most relevant to their jobs.
Be interesting to see if there is 35 hours that are relevant to most.
My guess is that most courses will not be specifically tailored to one job as it would be nigh on impossible to do.
dieseldave:
Then I wonder just who would be qualified to make those assessments objectively??
its only one day a year
but its £2 a week maybe out of your own pocket
no hardship on big firms with inhouse traing
agree with Rog daft titlte
but cant think of better one
just need to get used to it being Dcpc and not Mcpc or Ocpc
matters not to me i have proper cpc anyway
bloodoodle:
I have been a lorry driver for almost 30 years and found that I still didn’t know everything and could always learn something.
None of us know everything but would you like a course that was tailored to what you need & want to know ?
Most courses are likely to be ‘standard’ as there will be many drivers with different levels of knowledge on each course.
If it’s a tacho/drivers hours course for example and you know 75% of it then you will only gain the other 25% - so that’s 75% of 7 hours where you are going - I know that, I know that … and possibly getting bored or have I missed something ■■?
i passed the operators cpc about 15 years ago,and as you can imagine things have moved on a bit since then…there is no requirement for me to retake the exam every 5 years though…but im expected (as i do )to update my knowledge to keep up with current legislation.
ive been driving for agencies for the last few years(by choice)but decided to try working for a fulltime employer again.(DHL)
i attended a days induction course this monday along with 4 other new starters(all 5 of us have been driving for some time) and when the subjects of working time directive and tacho regs and how to use a tacho properly came up none of us knew all the rules…some Knew few of the rules and on at least 1 subject the trainer learnt something he didnt know!!
so ive been sort of converted to the idea that none of us know it ALL…some who think they know it all know very little.
BUT im certain that employers should be legally required to pay for any training required,and agencies being employers should be required to pay too.
I cannot see where it says anything about having to do 35 hours but I’m no good at reading this sort of thing
Oh !! - found it - page 11
Section 4: Compulsory periodic training provided for in Article 3(1)(b)
Compulsory periodic training courses must be organised by an approved training centre.
Their duration must be of 35 hours every five years, given in periods of at least seven hours.
Such periodic training may be provided, in part, on top of-the-range simulators.
If a driver is having to pay for his own DCPC ( which I agree he shouldn’t) then he should shop around for a course that will be useful to his particular situation.
If his Boss is paying then it’s up to him which module he thinks his drivers need.
I’m writing my own courses specific to certain operations and feel it’s only fair to offer that option to anyone paying for training.
if they only need/benefit from less than 100% of it and that is the only choice they have !!
Rog, read my lips
They DO have a choice to take a course that will specifically benefit them to 100% if they shop around.
It’s a myth that what you ‘have’ to learn is restricted as much as we’re led to believe it is.
There’s a lot of choice out there and there will be much more as time goes on.
And let’s face it Rog, if you choose to go to Uni, college, do an apprenticeship or even a night school course there will always be parts of it you already know.
There’s a lot of rubbish spouted about the DCPC, mainly by those who think they already know it all, but with the introduction of the VOSA instant fines, they are the ones who will very soon find (to their cost) that they don’t.
bloodoodle:
And let’s face it Rog, if you choose to go to Uni, college, do an apprenticeship or even a night school course there will always be parts of it you already know.
What good is it there is no test…pass or fail how do you know the person is any wiser thanwhen he started, now when you say who is the earner well think about it 10 or twelve men on course £3,400 EACH FOR FULL COURSE, . To be honest I am justv waiting for the next nice little earner to come out of Brussels
Let’s start with the title; it’s no wonder there’s been so much confusion with the operator CPC, because government couldn’t even come up with a separate name for their stillborn little monster. 
