Driver CPC Training statistics published online.
Driver CPC has been with us for over 3 years (bus and coach industry) and nearly 2 and ½ years (for LGV industry.) It’s the relatively new qualification for all professional drivers who operate within the commercial transport industry.
Driver CPC has 3 main objects.
improve overall road safety
underpin and expand on existing knowledge and skills
ensure all new entrants have the acquired skills and knowledge to carry out their duties as professional drivers
Driver CPC is an EU directive. (EU Directive 2003/59) and therefore applies to all EU member states. Each member state has its own take up on Driver CPC. In the UK there are 2 types of Driver CPC qualification (DCPCQ)
1, Initial Driver CPC:
all new entrants must pass Modules 2 and 4 examinations of initial Driver CPC qualification. This consists of a theory and practical test.
2, Periodic Driver CPC
(for existing drivers) 35 hours formal training must be carried out every 5 years (and every 5 thereafter.) No exam must be passed as attendance only is required.
No one knows exactly how many drivers will need to acquire the Driver CPC qualification. Best guessed estimates put it between 650,000 and 800,000 drivers.
The government has made a concerted effort to get Driver CPC training statistics published and made available online. It is important that industry knows what’s been done and what is left to do. Monthly statistics are available for all to view on the Department for Transport (DfT) website.
www.hgvlgvtraining.co.uk has given some analysis to the published figures.
Total number of active drivers since 2008
For PCV and LGV a total of 444,106 drivers have completed at least completed 7 hours of Driver CPC training. It is hard to put an exact number on what hours each of the 444,106 drivers have completed individually. The number is relatively encouraging as it demonstrates the take up is fast approaching half a million drivers. However if going by worst estimates (800, 000 drivers must complete) that still leaves 350,000 who have not even started any training whatsoever.
Going by best estimates (650,000 drivers) need to complete 35 hours. That still leaves a shortfall of 200,000 drivers who have still not started any Driver CPC training. The larger transport companies appear to have taken Driver CPC onboard and are well under way in getting their drivers compliant before 2013 and 2014. However when you consider over 80% of transport companies employ 10 or less employees it would seem the smaller operator is either ignoring Driver CPC or is leaving it till the last minute.
Periodic Driver CPC hours completed
Since April 2011 to October 2011 (7 months) a total of 1,859,501 Periodic Driver CPC hours have been recorded. This brings the total number of periodic driver CPC hours completed since 2008 to just over 6 million.
Estimates suggest:
650,000 drivers completing 35 hours training (by 2013 / 2014) will mean 22,750,000 hours to be logged
800,000 drivers completing 35 hours training (by 2013 and 2014) will mean 28,000,000 hours to be logged.
6 million hours completed to date means (going by 650,000 drivers) nearly 27% of all hours have been uploaded.
6 million hours completed to date means (going by 800,000 drivers) nearly 22% of all hours have been uploaded.
Overall the figure is still relatively low and demonstrates industry needs to knuckle down and get on with driver CPC training and not (as some suspect) leave it to the last minute.
Number of approved centres
On 1st October a total of 1,161 companies were approved by JAUPT to deliver Periodic Driver CPC Training. Please note this figure does not include consortium members, which is estimated at approximately 500. Going by these figures the supply is certainly in place to deliver periodic training.
Auditing approved centres
Every JAUPT approved centre will be subject to at least one centre visit audit every 5 years. This is to ensure centres are meeting the standards required to deliver Driver CPC training. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is now getting much more involved in training centres audits. By March 2012 it is anticipated 1,000 centre visit audits will have been carried out.
To date only one JAUPT approved centre has lost approval. United Road Transport Union (URTU) lost centre approval as a result of a DSA investigation. It is unsure as the whether URTU will be appealing against the decision.
Driver CPC approved courses
At last count, according the government statistics a total of 2,718 courses we live and approved. That’s a lot of courses! Courses are wide and varied so finding a course that meets your requirements and expectations should be relatively easy.
Drive CPC is an opportunity to professional an industry which has never had a requirement for formal ongoing training. If Driver CPC is going to work and benefit the commercial transport industry then it needs to be taken seriously. Just ticking the boxes at the cheapest price will not give the full return on your investment. Speak to your local training provider and get Driver CPC working for you.
