No need to gather opinions on the CPC round here - but I have not seen an answer anywhere to the following very important questions.
What will it cost? Both for those starting from scratch and for drivers going through the 35 hrs over 5 years?
If you have a Class C1 (7.5T) licence that you got when passing your car test, do you have to do the whole thing if you want to upgrade to C or C+E, or will you just have to do the 35 hrs?
from the DSA site
Driver CPC applies to drivers of vehicles on roads open to the public and for which a driving licence in any of the following categories is required:
i. C1, C1 + E, C or C + E
ii. D1, D1 + E, D or D + EAll drivers of the above categories who are either
i. nationals of an EU member state or
ii. nationals of a non-EU member state but who are employed or used by an organisation based in an EU member statewill have to hold Driver CPC if they wish to drive professionally.
Why do truck driver/coach drivers get forced by those in power to do this. If we have to then its about time anyone with a licence to drive anything should sit somekind of test assesment periodically. A car/bike is a dangerous tool driven by a moron or ageing wrinkly.
Tell me im reading that wrong please! It say cost for training £1500.00!!!
surely not, surely my eyes are closing and im wrong.
I think it’s your eyes playing up. I read that to be the costs to the training provider to be approved. The training costs to the driver would be down to the individual companies to set. Let’s have a guess at say £20ph x 35 = £700 (or more)
Here’s a pdf link.
It says you have to do blocks of 7 hours. So you could either do it in a week (5x7) or five separate days anytime in the five year period).
I’d presume that if you had grandfather rights to a C1 with a car licence, you’d have to do Driver CPC unless exempt, by Sept 2014 if you wish to drive professionally. So I suppose if you’re shifting your own horses say, you’d be exempt.
Thats just daylight robbery. £700 to be able to carry on doing your day job. Absolutely crazy.
Hyperthetically.
Stobarts say they have 1500 drivers all need to do CPC in 2014, it £700.
(yeah I know they have own training etc might do it inhouse)
Well £700 x 1500= a cool£1,050,000
My small mob, our depot,
£770 x 15=£10,500. Thats just our depot whos going to pay?
Cant see the firm willing to pay and most of us wont pay that either.
Dont get me wrong in theory its a good idea but to charge that amout so a man/woman can carry on doing what theve been doing for years is crazy, id stop and go stack shelves.
I must stress, the figure I plucked out of the air was an educated guess.
I thought about it this way : I checked hourly rates for car lessons (BSM), they were between £22.75-£29.50 depending on area. On my search round LGV training providers you could go up to approximately £50ph. If you train 2 to 1 then it’s half that. Looked up a couple of the “extra” courses some at some training providers and see what they cost per hour. Had a mull over the DSAs estimate for new drivers taking their combined theory / CPC tests after Sept 2009 (£205). Even with 10 in a class, you can see the economies of scale being passed back to you (not). Bingo! there’s where my £700 came from.
That’s a guesstimate of the cost per head for individuals or small companies. Big companies can do it in-house if they have the accreditation, so I would guess it would cost them half that per head. (So maybe for your Stobarts estimate c. 100k per year)
It sounds less as £140 per year, but if a driver has medical issues (foreseen or not) it’s potentially a lot of money to have shelled out if you’re driving licence is suspended. So rather than spread it out, it’d be done in a block at the last minute, or not at all, unless someone else is picking up the bill. (Aye right! if it’s paid out for by a company, they’ll have it back off you over time)
Pure speculation on my part of course, it’s still about 2 years off and my figures are based on today’s prices. (I will check back nearer the time and see if my crystal ball was wonky!)
I’m prepare to accept I’m totally wrong and any new, hard evidence I’d be very interested to see.
A weeks ADR course costs up to £500, so I think you might be a bit high in your estimate macplaxton.
In a few years time, when the Drivers CPC comes in for all of us, I think £700 would be about right though.
Simon:
In a few years time, when the Drivers CPC comes in for all of us, I think £700 would be about right though.
Can I change my answer to 700 Euro? 
I’m interest to see much it’s going to cost me in total before the end of my first period.
Could end up with very few drivers by 2014, if all those ie most of us that dont need to do it till then dont do it can you imagine how many trucks would be stood standing!
What other industry charges you to do a course just so as you can carry on earning?
Good idea on paper but its just not right that drivers have to pay a large figure to do this course every five years.
do i get my cpc through the post on grandad rites is there another bit paper i have to carry around with me 
not really got into this subject 
My guess is you won’t, it’ll be accepted that you have grandfather rights based on the date you passed your test printed on the back of your licence.
I’d also guess you’d get a DQC when starting to do your D CPC.
I’m not going to worry about the details until next year when they start on the buses. As they’ll be a year ahead, it’ll give us something to go on.
macplaxton:
My guess is you won’t, it’ll be accepted that you have grandfather rights based on the date you passed your test printed on the back of your licence.I’d also guess you’d get a DQC when starting to do your D CPC.
I’m not going to worry about the details until next year when they start on the buses. As they’ll be a year ahead, it’ll give us something to go on.
dont supose the goverment could also allocate a pension to those truckers that have done 20+ years service to this great land off ours think its a vote winner myself make a nice change from the usual legislation they throw at us
I’ll ask Gord about that next time I see him. Can’t see him disagreeing in principle, but I think he might impose the condition that you can’t claim it until you’re 85, etc, etc. (Or you could ask Two Cheques Eck, who’ll promise you it, then he’ll release he ain’t got the money )
Is the CPC hard to pass? I am awaiting my home study pack and I am wondering how hard the exam is?
Matty 
MattyGB:
Is the CPC hard to pass? I am awaiting my home study pack and I am wondering how hard the exam is?Matty
Are you talking about the DRIVER CPC or the National/international CPC
I’m guessing that MattyGB is talking about the CPC Freight National.
If so Matty then, there are three exams to pass before being awarded the full certificate. The first two are multiple choice and the third is a case study whereby you will be given a scenario to read about a ficticious company. You will then be asked eight “short answer” questions about this company and what you would do in certain circumstances. This is a level three qualification and though there are no formal entry requirements you will need a reasonable level of numeracy and literacy. (Level three is roughly equivalant to A level).
Home study does not suit everyone but there is no need to study in isolation. If you are struggling or are unsure of anything just sing up on here. You will probably get flooded with help. If I see your questions I will certainly help (I teach CPC). Enjoy your course and good luck.
Welcome to TrucknetUK obi-wan
Thanks Rog.
Glad I found this site, I hope to be a regular contributor.
