press release
Businesses urged to make new lorry driver certificate checks
10th September 2009
From 10 September 2009 businesses need to make sure that all their
professional lorry drivers carrying loads of 3.5 tons or more hold
the new Driver Certificate of Professional Competence.
The Driver CPC has been introduced to increase safety, security
and drivers’ awareness of legal requirements, in addition to
encouraging fuel efficient driving.
All professional lorry drivers must now hold a Driver CPC in
addition to their vocational driving licence. This requirement has
been in place for bus and coach drivers since 10 September
2008.
Caroline Green, Head of Transport and Logistics at law firm
Browne Jacobson, said :
“Businesses will need to ensure that their drivers comply with
the requirements to obtain and maintain a Driver CPC. Any business
that allows a driver onto the road without checking compliance
could be guilty of an offence. The Driver CPC should not be
confused with the higher level Certificate of Professional
Competence, which will already be familiar to transport managers.
Although there will be a centralised record of training completed
by drivers at the Driving Standards Agency it will be good practice
to ensure that businesses also keep their own records to confirm
drivers are meeting their obligations. Consideration will also need
to be given to the costs, including time costs, of undertaking the
periodic training and whether this is to be entirely the driver’s
responsibility.”
There are two types of training as part of the legislation. For
drivers who do not have any professional driving qualifications as
of 10 September, there is Initial CPC training, which will be
assessed by way of a test. All professional drivers, including
existing qualified professional drivers, will have to undertake
Periodic CPC training every five years. There is no test, but each
driver must attend 35 hours of accredited training in every five
year period. Passenger vehicle drivers are required to have
completed the initial periodic training by 10 September 2013, and
goods vehicle drivers by 10 September 2014
A person who drives without a CPC or a person who causes or
permits a driver to drive without a CPC is guilty of an offence,
which is punishable by a fine. Offences will also be recorded by
VOSA, and could result in an unwelcome summons to public inquiry to
review an operator’s licence before the Traffic Commissioner.
Driver CPC is being introduced through the EU member states and
so will also be enforced abroad.