10 September 2014 is the deadline to finish your first round of Driver CPC periodic training if you’re a lorry driver with ‘acquired rights’. Acquired rights are where you have obtained a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) through existing experience as a professional lorry, bus or coach driver prior to the introduction of the CPC in September 2009.
However, you still need to do 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years to keep your CPC. You risk being fined and even losing your livelihood if you don’t finish your training in time.
You will have acquired rights if you are a lorry driver and got your vocational licence (C, C1, C+E and C1+E) before 10 September 2009, or you are a bus or coach driver and got your vocational licence (D, D1, D+E and D1+E) before 10 September 2008.
The Office of the Traffic Commissioner is reminding operators to be aware of their drivers’ training hours and the 10 September 2014 deadline to avoid penalties.
Check your training record here.
You can find Driver CPC periodic training courses online.
If you don’t have acquired rights you will need to pass all four parts of the Driver CPC initial qualification to be able to drive professionally.
The first part is the theory test for LGVs, which you can practice here for free.
The second part is a Driver CPC case studies test which is a computer-based exercise with seven studies based on real-life situations
The third part is a driving ability test
The fourth part is a Drive CPC practical demonstration test which takes around 30 minutes and is to ensure you can keep your vehicle safe and secure, including loading your vehicle.
Darren has owned several companies in the automotive, advertising and education industries. He has run driving theory educational websites since 2010.