Thousands of truck drivers who passed their LGV licence since September 2009 are driving illegally because they have not completed their Initial Driver CPC, according to Sean Pargeter, owner of www.hgvlgvtraining.co.uk.
Although VOSA has admitted it is yet to prosecute a single driver for not having a Driver Qualification Card (DQC) showing they have completed their Initial Driver CPC.
Both drivers and their employers are acting illegally if they fail to comply with the regulations. Employers can be fined up to £1,000 and drivers up to £240 per offence.
While there are Driver CPC exemptions – such as carrying material or equipment used by driver in their course of their work – Pargeter says the vast majority drivers who have acquired an LGV licence between September 2009 and December 2011 should also have acquired the Initial Driver CPC.
But figures provided to CM by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) reveal that 33,214 drivers passed their C or C1 LGV test (Module 3) but only 9,966 went on to obtain a DQC (by taking the Module 4 test). A further 5,712 were deemed to have grandfather rights and so have until September 2014 to acquire their DQC.
“That means over 17,000 LGV drivers who passed their test since September 2009 could be driving illegally,” says Pargeter. “The vast majority of LGV drivers driving vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are covered by Driver CPC.
We remind drivers taking an LGV test with us that they should also have a DQC but it isn’t the driving schools’ responsibility to make sure they comply with the law. Employers must check that drivers they hire with an LGV licence acquired since September 2009 are either exempt or have a DQC.”
The DSA does not gather data on how many drivers are exempt from Driver CPC but says it checks drivers are aware of the regulations when they complete Module 3.
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