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Driver CPC & Periodic Training
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EU Directive 2003/59, introducing the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) was passed in 2003. The Directive came into effect on 10 September 2008 for PCV drivers and will come into effect on 10 September 2009 for all professional LGV drivers.
To achieve and maintain their Driver CPC, all professional drivers, new and existing, will have to undertake 35 hours of training every 5 years. This training is known as Periodic Training.
Existing PCV drivers will need to complete their Periodic Training by 10 September 2013 and LGV drivers by 10 September 2014. After this a further 35 hours of training will need to be completed in every subsequent 5-year period in order to retain the Driver CPC. (Exemptions to this can be found in the Guide to Periodic Training)
Holders of both LGV and PCV licences need only complete one set of Periodic Training every 5 years.
Periodic Training must be completed in the country of employment or residence. Training completed in another EU state will count towards Periodic Training in the UK.
A training course must be of at least 7 hours in duration, excluding breaks. However, a 7 hour course can be split into two 3.5 hour courses, provided that the second part commences within 24 hours of the first part ending.
There is no provision within the Directive for training to be assessed, though training centres are required to evaluate each course to ensure drivers are benefiting from the training they receive.
Only courses approved by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT) will count towards the Driver CPC. This training can only be delivered by training centres that have also been approved by JAUPT.
Transport companies and training organisations can however choose to work together by joining the RTITB Master Driver Consortium and delivering the Master Driver for CPC programme. This can result in significant cost savings, particularly in the area of training materials development.
For a detailed explanation of Driver CPC Periodic Training, including the criteria for approval and training syllabus download the Periodic Training Guide.
