This may have been brought up before, but if not then your views would be of interest. On a recent routine pull by VOSA, they asked if i had done my DCPC, i said not yet, but the firm were looking at doing it on a Saturday. VOSA said,“be careful doing that, it counts as your weekly working hours, and you still need the required weekly rest”.
Not heard that before.
Yes, they are right, training is “other work”.
but how many firms are actually aware of this, and/or sticking to it?
What happens if the company leaves it to their drivers to get their own DCPC sorted? Is that recorded as other work?
ibson:
What happens if the company leaves it to their drivers to get their own DCPC sorted? Is that recorded as other work?
yes
what part of “training is other work” did you not understand? 
Yes, because you aren’t free to dispose of your time as you wish. You can’t argue that it is your wish to take DCPC training, otherwise you could legally drive a truck seven days a week on the grounds that you wish to drive a truck on your days off. 
So learning to drive a scooter is other work also, as is learning Spanish, I have to pay for all these courses too, and do them in my spare time as my company won’t pay for them.
We get sent during our normal working week so its classed as other work, nice easy day, don’t learn anything useful, but then its only a box ticking exercise anyway.
Can you not argue you want to broaden your horizons and possibly move jobs and you think the DCPC will help. There for disposing of your time freely.
ibson:
So learning to drive a scooter is other work also, as is learning Spanish, I have to pay for all these courses too, and do them in my spare time as my company won’t pay for them.
They are not work-related activities.
I’m doing my DCPC along with the rest of our company on Saturdays, they don’t have to come along if they don’t want… I actually want to gain mine and I will not be booking it as other work. Vosa can read this very post to see that it’s my option to do it and that’s how I’m going to dispose of my time.
We are also required to learn Spanish and deliver pizza on scooters Harry 
Harry Monk:
ibson:
So learning to drive a scooter is other work also, as is learning Spanish, I have to pay for all these courses too, and do them in my spare time as my company won’t pay for them.They are not work-related activities.
Until 2014 neither is the DCPC it’s just an option, you can always change your job by then.
Can someone tell me if your company needs to provide you with time off for it? For example: if I worked for a company that planned every minute of my day/week ect and left me with the bare minimum rest periods how do they expect me to do it? This is if they are not putting me though it of course?
When 2014 comes can they just lay me off because I no longer hold a valid licence?
ibson:
Until 2014 neither is the DCPC it’s just an option, you can always change your job by then.
But it doesn’t matter what you intend to do in 2014. If you work Monday to Friday and then sit the CPC on Saturday, and you do that two weeks in a row then you have taken two reduced rests in a row and that’s illegal.
Harry Monk:
ibson:
Until 2014 neither is the DCPC it’s just an option, you can always change your job by then.But it doesn’t matter what you intend to do in 2014. If you work Monday to Friday and then sit the CPC on Saturday, and you do that two weeks in a row then you have taken two reduced rests in a row and that’s illegal.
I just mean, I don’t think it’s a work activity if you don’t need it yet. So you don’t have to book it as other work if you are doing it off your own back.
ibson:
Harry Monk:
ibson:
So learning to drive a scooter is other work also, as is learning Spanish, I have to pay for all these courses too, and do them in my spare time as my company won’t pay for them.They are not work-related activities.
Until 2014 neither is the DCPC it’s just an option, you can always change your job by then.
Its absurd that you would think DCPC training is not a work related activity when that is its very intention, to ensure work related training. Of course you could change your job, that still doesn’t change anything about it. Good luck with your scooter and Spanish lessons BTW.
Mike-C:
ibson:
Harry Monk:
ibson:
So learning to drive a scooter is other work also, as is learning Spanish, I have to pay for all these courses too, and do them in my spare time as my company won’t pay for them.They are not work-related activities.
Until 2014 neither is the DCPC it’s just an option, you can always change your job by then.
Its absurd that you would think DCPC training is not a work related activity when that is its very intention, to ensure work related training. Of course you could change your job, that still doesn’t change anything about it. Good luck with your scooter and Spanish lessons BTW.
Thank you mike lol
I’m not saying it doesn’t sound mad! But I just don’t see how they could actually argue it on the grounds I have stated.
I drive a lot of plant machinery for example, we do use telehandlers but I don’t have a licence, if I want to go and get one off my own back without even informing my employer (maybe I’m thinking about leaving for a job on one else where) I can’t see why I should book it as other work and ■■■■ my employer off on Monday when I can’t come in.
‘Working time’ shall mean:
- in the case of mobile workers: the time from the beginning
to the end of work, during which the mobile
worker is at his workstation, at the disposal of the
employer and exercising his functions or activities, that
is to say:
– the time devoted to all road transport activities.
These activities are, in particular, the following:
(i) driving;
(ii) loading and unloading;
(iii) assisting passengers boarding and disembarking
from the vehicle;
(iv) cleaning and technical maintenance;
(v) all other work intended to ensure the safety of
the vehicle, its cargo and passengers or to fulfil
the legal or regulatory obligations directly
linked to the specific transport operation under
way, including monitoring of loading and
unloading, administrative formalities with
police, customs, immigration officers etc.
Harry Monk:
‘Working time’ shall mean:
- in the case of mobile workers: the time from the beginning
to the end of work, during which the mobile
worker is at his workstation, at the disposal of the
employer and exercising his functions or activities, that
is to say:
– the time devoted to all road transport activities.
These activities are, in particular, the following:
(i) driving;
(ii) loading and unloading;
(iii) assisting passengers boarding and disembarking
from the vehicle;
(iv) cleaning and technical maintenance;
(v) all other work intended to ensure the safety of
the vehicle, its cargo and passengers or to fulfil
the legal or regulatory obligations directly
linked to the specific transport operation under
way, including monitoring of loading and
unloading, administrative formalities with
police, customs, immigration officers etc.
So legally as I don’t need the DCPC until 2014, I’m free to do it in my own time for now.
ibson:
So legally as I don’t need the DCPC until 2014, I’m free to do it in my own time for now.
You are as far as I’m concerned, but then I’m not VOSA.