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Who will be affected?

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An individual's circumstances will determine how they acquire the Driver CPC.

 

  • New drivers acquiring a PCV vocational entitlement (D1, D1+E, D, D+E licence) after the 10th September 2008 and/or an LGV vocational entitlement (C1, C1+E,C or C+E licence) after the 10th September 2009 will have to obtain the initial Driver CPC in addition to their licence to drive professionally.
  • Existing drivers who already hold a vocational licence on the 10th September 2008 (PCV) or the 10th September 2009 (LGV) are exempt from the initial Driver CPC. This is known as "acquired rights".

 

 

Both new and existing drivers must complete a total of 35 hours Periodic Training within the 5 years following their ‘acquired rights’ or initial Driver CPC to keep their Driver CPC valid. This is only required if the driver is using their licence professionally. PCV drivers exempt from the Driver CPC via acquired rights will have to complete their periodic training by September 2013 and LGV Drivers exempt from the Driver CPC via acquired rights will have to complete their periodic Driver CPC by September 2014.

 

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New drivers who undertake a National Vocational Training programme are able to split their licence acquisition and initial Driver CPC acquisition by up to one year whilst still being able to drive professionally. If the initial Driver CPC acquisition is delayed, the driver would have to return to the DSA test centre within one year in order to complete it and carry on driving professionally. An example of a National Vocational Training programme would be an Apprenticeship in Driving Goods Vehicles. Drivers intending to use this concession will have to register with the relevent Sector Skills Council for whichever industry they belong to. 

 

There are a number of Driver CPC exemptions associated with the Directive. These are listed below:

  • Vehicles with a maximum speed not exceeding 45 Kph
  • Vehicles used by the armed forces, civil defence, and emergency services
  • Vehicles undergoing road tests for technical development, repair or maintenance
  • Vehicles used in states of emergency
  • Vehicles used in the course of driving lessons or examinations
  • Vehicles used for non-commercial carriage of passenger or goods – for personal use
  • Vehicles used for carrying material of equipment to be used by the driver in the course of his or her work, providing that driving the vehicles is not the drivers’ principle activity

  

Ultimately, it is up the driver and their employer to decide if they are covered by these exemptions, and if necessary, justify it to the competent authority.