The “vast majority” of truck drivers in the UK will have completed their 35 hours of Driver CPC periodic training by the September 10 deadline, according to the latest figures from the government.
As Trucking went to press, official estimates reckoned nearly 800,000 drivers were “engaged” in Driver CPC and just over 564,000 had completed the 35 hours of training required to obtain a Driver Qualification Card (DQC).
The government said in July alone, over 1.1 million hours of training were logged.
The latest figures also show 24,245,741 hours of periodic training have been taken by professional drivers since 2008.
Before the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) was brought in, industry stakeholders were asked how many professional truck, bus and coach drivers were in scope. Their estimate was between 500,000 and 750,000. This figure was then revised following the exemption covering 75,000 valets and fitters to between 425,000 and 675,000 drivers.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Office of the Traffic Commissioner once again warned drivers and their employers must stay on top of their DCPC training requirements or risk being fined and even losing their livelihood.
“We’re encouraged by the number of drivers participating in periodic training, but we urge all professional drivers and their employers to be aware of the deadline and make sure they comply,” said DVSA’s chief executive, Alastair Peoples.
“DVSA enforcement officers already routinely check the Driver CPC status of professional drivers. After the deadline, they’ll be able to
check whether ‘acquired rights’ lorry drivers have completed their training or are driving illegally.”
Peoples said not being aware of Driver CPC was not an excuse for drivers or operators, and there will be no amnesty period.
The message was echoed by Joan Aitken, lead traffic commissioner on Driver CPC.
