The Government has confirmed that driver CPC training will remain in place regardless of whether a deal is struck with the EU on Brexit.
The announcement came in guidance notes issued by the DfT (Department for Transport) entitled ‘Commercial road haulage in the EU if there’s no Brexit deal’.
The notes state that: “The UK will maintain a CPC scheme. This includes both transport manager CPCs and driver CPCs. Little will change in practice regarding how UK drivers can obtain their CPC certification. The Government is putting in place a CPC scheme to reflect the fact that we will have left the EU, but we have no immediate plans to change any of the standards that drivers have to meet.”
The announcement has been welcomed by Driver Hire Training, which said that the CPC – which is a legal requirement for any truck driver and requires 35 hours of periodic training every five years to maintain – is a positive for the industry, improving both safety and professionalism.
David Slack, commercial director at Driver Hire Training – a key provider of driver CPC training – said: “In our opinion Driver CPC training has been a positive for the industry Regular updates on Drivers Hours or Tachograph Law – two of our most popular courses – are never wasted and contribute to road safety and industry compliance. It’s worth noting that, according to the most recent Government figures, road deaths on UK roads have reduced by 39% when compared to pre-Driver CPC days.
“Drivers who choose to attend modules on other subjects, for instance First Aid or Customer Service do, we believe, find that it all adds to professionalism and pride in their job. The post Driver CPC course feedback we receive continues to be largely positive with drivers regularly commenting that “they’ve learned a lot”. All of which, in our view, whilst accepting that it adds a cost burden and further admin for operators, overall clearly shows that Driver CPC is a positive for the industry. And that’s why we welcome the Government announcement.”
