All drivers, new and existing, will have to undertake 35 hours of training every five years to ensure that their Driver CPC is current. This is known as Periodic Training.
Periodic Training is designed to confirm and expand on existing knowledge and skills of each driver to ensure that they continue to be safe, courteous and fuel efficient drivers. This will enable drivers to keep up to date with ever changing regulations and to benefit from training throughout their whole career.
Only courses that have been approved and are being delivered by a training centre that has been approved by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT) on behalf of the Competent Authority will count towards the Periodic Training requirement.
All drivers must undertake 35 hours of training in every five year period. The minimum length of a training course that contributes to the Periodic Training requirement is seven hours.
Training is delivered by training centres that are approved by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT) http://www.skillsforlogistics.org/en/jaupt/jaupt/ The JAUPT also approve the content, title and method of delivery of each training course.
Approved training centres deliver courses which are a coherent programme of learning of at least seven hours. The seven hours excludes any breaks; only direct training and contact time (time with a trainer) count towards the periodic training requirement.
There are no tests or exams involved but training centres will be required to evaluate each course to ensure that those attending have benefited from the training they have received.
Training is delivered by training centres that are approved by the JAUPT on behalf of the competent authority. The JAUPT also approve the content, title and method of delivery of each training course.
Approved training centres deliver courses which are a coherent programme of learning of at least seven hours. The seven hours excludes any breaks; only direct training and contact time (time with a trainer) count towards the periodic training requirement.
There are no tests or exams involved but training centres will be required to evaluate each course to ensure that those attending have benefited from the training they have received.
There are exceptions from the Driver CPC qualification for drivers of vehicles:
used for non-commercial carriage of passengers or goods, for personal use;
undergoing road tests for technical development, repair or maintenance purposes, or of new or rebuilt vehicles which have not yet been put into service;
used in the course of driving lessons for the purpose of enabling that person to obtain a driving licence or a Driver CPC;
carrying material or equipment to be used by that person in the course of his or her work, provided that driving that vehicle does not constitute the driver’s principal activity*
with a maximum authorised speed not exceeding 45 km/h;
used by, or under the control of, the armed forces, civil defence, the fire service and forces responsible for maintaining public order;
used in states of emergency or assigned to rescue missions
*An example of a driver under exemption vii (also known as “incidental driver”) would be a brick layer who drives a load of bricks from the builder’s yard to the building site and then spends their working day laying bricks. In this case, driving a lorry is incidental to their main occupation.
Drivers can move in and out of an exemption, depending on the circumstances in which they are driving. For example, a bus mechanic would be exempt while driving a bus to check that it had been repaired, but would need to hold a Driver CPC if they also drove a bus on a passenger carrying service.
Retraining must take place once every five years. The driver has flexibility as to how he / she takes the 35 hours training over this time, providing it occurs in blocks of at least seven hours at one time. So, for example, a driver may complete two days in the first year and the final three days in the fifth year. Similarly they could leave all 35 hours until the fifth year. The retraining must be completed every five years until such times as the person no longer wishes to drive category C (LGV) or D (PCV) vehicles professionally.
Existing PCV drivers on 10th September 2008 will not have to complete any type of initial qualification. They will have to complete their first course of periodic training within 5 years i.e. by 10th September 2013.
Existing LGV drivers on 10th September 2009 will not have to complete any type of initial qualification. They will have to complete their first course of periodic training within 5 years i.e. by 10th September 2014.
In the UK (including Northern Ireland) a central record of periodic training undertaken by drivers will be held by the DSA using the Driver CPC Management System – DVA will also use this system. This database will be used to record the number of hours of periodic training completed by drivers and ensure a new Driver Qualification Card is issued automatically to Northern Ireland licence holders when they have completed their 35 hours of periodic training without the need for them to apply. Non Northern Ireland licence holders will be required to apply for the DQC.
Yes. Any transport or haulage company can apply to become an approved training centre. This will mean their in-house training school will be permitted to carry out training for the purposes of the Directive, both for initial qualification and periodic training. Please see section 4 for more information on how to gain approval.
Training providers will update the Driver CPC Management System that records details of all CPC related training that has been undertaken. Drivers will be issued with certificates upon completion of this training. Ultimately it will be the driver’s responsibility to ensure they have completed the required training prior to them needing their CPC updated.
The training organisation must ensure their training is to the minimum standard the Directive requires and that they are providing the training the way they said they would when submitting for approval. It will be up to them to ensure drivers have completed the necessary course and have been successful at any tests that the Directive requires them to take before the driver can be issued with a CPC.
Only a training centre or registered site approved by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT) http://www.skillsforlogistics.org/en/jaupt/jaupt/ on behalf of the Competent Authority can deliver Periodic Training.
An approved centre is responsible for all training and all registered sites that operate under its approval. If any training at an approved centre (including training delivered at registered sites/sub-centres) is deemed to be operating in an inappropriate manner, then approval will be revoked for all approved sites and courses registered to the centre.
Training providers who do not have their own training premises may still apply to be a training centre. Approved training centres that do not use their own premises are responsible for ensuring that all requirements for premises are met before any courses are delivered. Training centres should ensure that premises are checked prior to training taking place.
Training centre approval will last for a period of five years from the date of approval. During that period, the centre and its training courses will be subject to inspection from the JAUPT and/or the Competent Authority.
The Driving Standards Agency in GB and the Driver and Vehicle Agency in NI, as the appropriate government agencies, have set up an approvals body, the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training, that will approve and quality assure training centres and courses for both PC and LGV. The two Sector Skills Councils, Skills for Logistics and GoSkills manage the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training.
The Joint Approvals Unit ensures that a consistent approach to training centres and courses is maintained across the LGV and PCV industries. Training Centres that are approved in NI will also be approved to deliver periodic training in GB, and Training Centres approved to deliver periodic training in GB will also be approved to deliver periodic training in NI.
The Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training is responsible for:
Approving training centres;
Approving course content;
Issuing a unique number for each training centre and each course;
Managing the quality assurance process for training centres and courses to ensure that standard and approval criteria are upheld.
Adequate Insurance Cover:
Applicants will need to provide proof that they have adequate insurance cover in respect of any risks that might occur from each and every course they intend to undertake. All applicants are strongly advised to discuss this issue with their Insurer and/or Broker.
I.T. Systems:
Applicants will need to have computer systems that are capable of recording and securing records of training and, through a secure website, transmitting details of driver training onto a central database. They must be able to transfer this information onto the central recording database within five working days of the training course.
Adequate Infrastructure:
Applicants will need to have the use of suitable premises, administration, equipment and resources to be able to deliver their approved course.
Identity Checking:
Training centres must carry out identity checks in order to verify the identity of each participant on a course. This requires a visual check of an official form of identification such as a passport and 'old style' paper driving licence or photo card and counterpart driving licence.
Driver evidence of Attendance:
Training centres will be required to issue a receipt to each participant. This must confirm the date of attendance and the number and title of the course. This is to provide the driver with independent evidence of participation. Approved centres will be issued with an electronic template for this receipt following centre approval; centres may use either the JAUPT format or their own version as long as it shows the required information.
Evaluation:
It is important that the quality and relevance of training is continually monitored. As a result, all approved training centres will be required to build into each approved course a method of evaluation that will demonstrate the effectiveness of the course and the centre’s commitment to maintaining and improving quality. These evaluation records will need to be kept for inspection by the Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training.
Driver Feedback Form:
Each driver should complete a feedback form at the end of each course. The approved training centre should retain this feedback for inspection.
Employer Feedback:
This will be primarily monitored through feedback forms collected by the approved training centre.
Recording and Inspection:
Approved training centres will be required to maintain a full record of all training delivered so that the JAUPT can verify:
The names and driving licence numbers of drivers who have attended training courses;
The date, title and number of the course delivered together with the name(s) of the trainer(s);
The evaluation of the courses delivered;
The driver feedback forms
Training centres must provide access and information to the JAUPT or the Competent Authority as and when required.
The Trainers:
Approved training centres are responsible for ensuring that the trainers they use have appropriate knowledge of the subject they intend to deliver and have an appropriate experience of delivering training.
The registered name and address of the organisation – this should include the name of the person responsible for the application;
The type of organisation e.g. an operator with in house training, training provider, Further Education College;
A list of approvals / accreditations (e.g. from awarding bodies) already held and courses already being delivered.
The Infrastructure:
Details of the premises and training areas to be used. It is acceptable for approved centres to deliver training at customer sites or other premises. It is the responsibility of the approved centre to ensure that any premises they use for training meet the criteria set down in the centre application from. A mobile classroom would also be acceptable as long as it meets the criteria;
Administrative details – Staff procedures and I.T. systems;
Resources – teaching aids, materials, equipment;
Policies for – Quality Assurance, Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety, Staff Development, Data Protection where appropriate.
Procedures for dealing with complaints and refunds.
The Courses to be delivered:
With the initial application form, an indication of the courses to be delivered will be required. This will be separate from the individual course submissions and will need to satisfy the approval body that the courses the centre proposes to deliver and the trainers they intend to use are appropriate. This is not a definitive list and additional courses (and trainers) can be added at any time.
A list of commercial approved courses for each training centre will be posted on the JAUPT website www.drivercpc-periodictraining.org and will enable prospective customers to seek and find providers delivering courses in their required subjects.
Appropriate Trainers
A list of the trainers to be used in course delivery must be provided. Approved
training centres will be required to keep evidence that demonstrates that the
trainers they use to deliver approved training courses meet the requirements
of the directive. They must also make records available which show which
trainer/instructor has been used to deliver a specific course when requested
by the JAUPT.
Approved training centres are responsible for developing and submitting courses. Courses should be developed in partnership with the LGV and PCV industries based on the needs of the business and the drivers.
Content must be linked to the EU Directive syllabus. Individual courses do not have to cover the full content of the Directive syllabus but can focus on aspects of the syllabus as relevant e.g. working with customers. In some instances, it may also be appropriate for centres to include some content that goes beyond the content specified in the Directive as long as it can be clearly linked to the syllabus and viewed as an expansion on a Directive topic.
The content of each course must be pitched at least to a Level 2 Vocational Qualification. The UK qualifications regulators define Level 2 as follows: “Competence which involves the application of knowledge and skills in a significant range of varied work activities, performed in a variety of contexts. Some of the activities are complex or non-routine, and there is some individual responsibility and autonomy. Collaboration with others, perhaps through membership of a work group or team, may often be a requirement.”
Driver CPC Periodic Training FAQs
