The Deadline Is Getting Closer – Is Your Driver CPC Ready?

As a professional driver, you probably know all about the Driver CPC qualification. If you drive an HGV, then you’ll have taken it as part of your initial training. You’ll also know that it isn’t a permanent qualification – it has an expiration date, and that’s 5 years after you first take it. And around 5 years ago, there was a huge surge of drivers all taking their Driver CPC qualifications, rushing to get them done before the 5-year deadline. And now that deadline is nearly upon us again – on the 19^th of September hundreds of thousands of Driver CPC’s will expire, and only those who have renewed will be able to keep driving. So the question is, why have 220,000 fewer hours been logged against renewed CPCC’s than in previous years? We wanted to find out why, and provide some information to help you make your renewal decision.

Why Aren’t Drivers Renewing Their Training?

There are a lot of reasons that HGV drivers are failing to act as the renewal date draws closer. A few key experts have spent some time chatting to haulage firms and drivers, and they’ve spotted a pattern. 4 reasons why this time around, 220,000 fewer hours have been logged towards Driver CPC programmes.

• A belief that the Driver CPC won’t be needed after Brexit, so there is no need to renew it.
• Operational pressures mean that drivers are so overworked that they can’t take time out to complete the required training.
• Budgets have been cut, so there is limited money available to complete the necessary training.
• There are simply other priorities within the role, no retraining is not a high priority.

Of course, things happen, priorities change and the pressures on the haulage industry aren’t getting any smaller. But none of these are a good enough reason to potentially jeopardise your career by missing the deadline.

Let’s Talk About the Brexit Issue

Let’s start with that first one – because it’s a biggie. It’s also the only reason given that has some logic behind it. Except that it doesn’t. You see, regardless of how Brexit happens – deal, no deal, or something in the middle – the Driver CPC requirements aren’t going to change before the deadline. The government has already announced that changes to the Driver CPC is low on the priority list, and no changes would be made for at least 1-2 years. So really, Brexit has no impact on your decision to renew your Driver CPC qualification. If you want to keep driving commercially, you need the qualification.

Why The Training Is Important For You

So now, let’s look at why the Driver CPC is important. For a start, it’s confirmation that you meet the basic standard for driver safety in the UK and Europe. If you want to drive professionally, this is the qualification you need to hold as a bare minimum. And because human beings are prone to forget things, pick up bad habits and generally deteriorate, you are required to re-take it every 5 years to prove you are still safe behind the wheel. If you don’t, your licence will expire and you won’t be able to drive professionally. So if you want to continue your career as a HGV driver past the 19^th of September 2019, then you need to out the training in.

As for why you should do it sooner rather than later – that’s easy. The longer you leave it, the more difficult it will be to get the qualification renewed in time. You need to put in 35+ hours of time behind the wheel plus training time in order to pass, so if you leave it until just a few weeks before the deadline you’re going to struggle to fit it all in. you’re also going to struggle to find a space with a good trainer, and if you do, it will likely cost you a small fortune for your place. And if you don’t manage to get everything done in time, you risk losing your license and your livelihood. So don’t delay – get started now so that you can easily fit it all into your schedule.

At Surrey and Hampshire HGV, we’re helping HGV drivers and haulage business owners get ready for the CPC deadline with dedicated training and support. We can help you get all of your training hours in and logged well before the deadline, helping keep you in work and your employers happy. For more information on how to get your CPC up to date (before the deadline), just get in touch with our team today. Furthermore for HGV licence renewal please feel free to get in touch!