Parliament / Government – Driver CPC Changes

As always, here at Isis Insurance we strive to keep our HGV drivers and owner / operators up to date with any changes in the Haulage and Logistics landscape, and the recent important changes to Driver CPC, approved by Parliament, is certainly worthy of an article.

So, what’s happened?

A major consultation on the future of Driver CPC has finished, with over a thousand industry stakeholders having an input. The UK government has now released its findings and conclusions, which include a raft of changes to Driver CPC training, examinations and more.

An executive summary is that there are some exciting and proactive changes to training from next year onwards – and even the removal of testing as a requirement (for returning HGV drivers) depending on the outcome of further discussions.

A reminder – What is Driver CPC?
The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC), commonly referred to as Driver CPC, is a qualification for professional drivers in the UK and EU. Introduced in 2007 in response to EU legislation, Driver CPC is a requirement for obtaining a professional licence to drive a range of heavy vehicles, including HGVs, LGVs, buses and coaches.

Driver CPC is obtained by completing four tests:

1) Theory test (multiple choice and hazard perception)

2) Case studies test

3) Practical driving test

4) Vehicle safety demonstration test

Non-professional drivers may take only the theory and practical tests, then take the case studies and safety tests at a later date if they decide to turn professional.

Driver CPC lasts for five years. It can currently be renewed by taking 35 hours of periodic training within that five year period.

The qualification was designed to standardise professional driving across the continent, improving safety standards for both drivers and other road users. In turn, it was hoped that this would attract more professional drivers, which has been important in recent years as the HGV driver shortage in the UK alone was over 100,000 during and after the Covid pandemic. 

The HGV driver shortage has decreased down to some Government initiatives, including better pay and working conditions and reduced queues for Operators Licences, but there is still a reported shortage of 35,000–40,000 drivers in current estimates.

What was the Driver CPC consultation?
The Driver CPC consultation was a focused campaign by the UK government to poll professional drivers, trainers, and other interested parties on the effectiveness of Driver CPC. This focused on two main areas: improving choice for drivers; and attracting more drivers to the industry.

Proposed Driver CPC changes
The consultation process gave some strong feedback that the Driver CPC required reform and change. As a result, the government has laid out a series of changes to Driver CPC training, as well as further consultation which we will cover below.

Changes to the Driver CPC will include:

1. Reducing the minimum training course length
   The government has decided that the minimum length of a training course will be reduced from 7 hours to 3.5 hours. This gives more flexibility and companies can release their drivers for a half day of training rather than a full day, so the impact on the business of drivers being “off the road” is significantly reduced. It also aids concentration levels, as 7 hours can impact attention levels. Under this new rule, trainers may still offer longer training courses, but courses will be allowed to be as short as 3.5 hours.
2. Consulting on a new periodic Driver CPC test
   Further consultation is planned on the introduction of a pass/fail test for renewing or regaining your Driver CPC. This would be introduced as an alternative to the 35 hour training requirement, both for current Driver CPC holders and former professional drivers. This would form part of an ‘accelerated pathway’ to get professional drivers back into the industry without a mandatory 35 hour training requirement, which is essentially a week’s worth of unpaid work (if self employed). The test would provide another option for drivers who feel (know) their knowledge and skills of driving is sufficient that the 35 hours of training is unnecessary. However this is in consultation and yet to be decided.

3. Decoupling e-Learning from trainer-led courses
   Training courses with an e-Learning component will also no longer need to be completed on consecutive days. Instead, the e-Learning component will now be allowed to be completed at a later date to the trainer-led part of the course.
4. Developing more course content and assessments
   More core course content will be developed in conjunction with the DVSA to ensure that training courses are relevant and practical. This is welcome news as the HGV industry changes, to ensure modern day Driver CPC training is relevant and on-point.
5. DQCs will be digitised
   Driver qualification cards (DQCs) for Driver CPC will no longer have to be carried on your person, with plans to create a digital version of the cards. This is designed to increase convenience and prevent fraud. This is pending further consultation.

When are the Driver CPC changes taking place?
As the changes to Driver CPC will be changes to inherited EU law, they will be brought into force through the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act. This is not expected to take place until summer 2024.

The other changes are pending further consultation. The introduction of a new periodic test as an alternative to the 35 hours of training will be prioritised, but will not be introduced until a later date.

The changes to Driver CPC will create new options in terms of training courses, and potentially the option to take a test instead of periodic Driver CPC training. However, the changes to course lengths and content will not happen until late next year at the time of writing, and the introduction of periodic testing as an alternative is unlikely until at least 2025.

The official 15,000 word report can be found and read here