Driver CPC began its third year on 9 September, 2011.

Don’t miss the deadline!   Driver CPC began its third year on 9 September, 2011. Most of you already know about it, some have completed it, others have recently started. But with five days of training to complete within these last three years - 35 hours of training every five years must be attended by all professional drivers - the deadline should be taken even more seriously now.

Dr Mick Jackson, Chief Executive of the Sector Skills Council was recently reported as saying that at current rates of uptake the haulage industry faces a 30% shortfall in qualified drivers once the cut off is reached.  “My message to industry is that there is already a shortfall we need to make up, and when demand exceeds supply only one thing happens, the price goes up,” he said.

Although official figures vary, Skills for Logistics estimates that the minimum amount of HGV drivers that will need to have completed their 35 hours of CPC training by the deadline is around 400,000. The worry is that if the speed of CPC training does not increase Britain will be facing a labour gap when the first five year cycle completes in September 2014.  This, combined with an aging driving population and alarmingly few younger people choosing the transport sector for their career path, industry may be facing a transportation crisis.  

Despite some drivers speculating the Driver CPC requirement may be retracted, this is far from the government’s plans. Louise Ellman MP, Chair of the Commons Transport Select Committee, said that the Driver CPC regulations are here to stay. “The regulation for training drivers is not going to go away, and will only be regarded as increasingly important for the success of the British economy and the professionalism of the industry. The driver CPC is seen as key to driver professionalism, crucial to continuous learning and development and will improve Britain’s competitiveness and safety standards in the European market and beyond. The UK government has a duty to promote driver training and it is a duty that the government takes very seriously.” She concluded that “this regulation cannot and will not be ignored”.  

Louise Ellman, MP.