Driver CPC was introduced in 2008 for bus and coach drivers and in 2009 for the haulage industry. Despite the rumors, Driver CPC is not going away. All professional bus, coach and lorry drivers must complete 35 hours’ training every five years to get qualified and stay qualified. The deadline for the bus and coach drivers to complete their first 35 hours of training is September 2014.

Waiting until the deadline is nearer brings no advantage – drivers will be covered by their training for 5 years from the deadline date, not the training date. by waiting until the deadline is nearer, drivers are in fact putting their qualification at risk a bottleneck of thousands of drivers needing training in the space of a year will result if the demand for training outstrips the supply.

Operators should focus on the benefits of what Driver CPC can do for their business and set up a training plan now to avoid having to remove drivers from the road if the deadline isn’t met.

Extracted from ‘Moving on’ magazine

Mark Hull - The Managing Director of Sigma Studies

Transport training specialist Sigma Studies is the latest provider to speak out about the controversy concerning unaccredited training courses. Anecdotes have abounded recently of trainees being led by some providers to believe that courses on which they have enrolled will contribute towards their Driver CPC – when the reality is they do not. Sigma Reports instances of drivers and operators who have come to them for advice, having completed courses with other providers, without realising that these courses are not JAUPT-accredited, and so do not count towards the Driver CPC.

Sigma managing director Mark Hull told us: “Overall, the feedback we are getting from all training carried out is very positive…

Sigma Studies has more than 25 years’ experience supporting the transport industry including with training, tachograph analysis and operator licensing. The company also offers consultancy services, including DGSAs (Dangerous Goods Advisor). As well as Driver CPC, Sigma’s training programmes include ADR courses (including for explosives), the transport managers’ CPC courses and exams, tachograph training, driver assessments including assessor training, and defensive driving and fuel saving tips (SAFED).

Extracted from Transport Operator