driver training – GB Tachopak Ltd: Blog

Driver CPC Dates

The CPC deadline for bus and coach drivers with acquired rights is upon us. Drivers have to complete their 35 hours training for their qualification.

Driver CPC requires all professional bus, coach and lorry drivers to complete a minimum of 35 hours periodic training every five years for as long as they wish to continue to drive professionally. If you are a bus or coach driver and held your vocational licence (D, D1, DE, D1E) prior to 10 September 2008 you have acquired rights until 9 September 2013.

If you are a lorry driver and held your vocational licence (C, C1, CE, C1E) prior to 10 September 2009 you have acquired rights until 9 September 2014. To keep your Driver CPC and continue driving professionally beyond this date, you will need to complete 35 hours of periodic training.

» Please REGISTER FOR DRIVER CPC TRAINING here. On completion, drivers will receive a Driver Qualification Card:

This card, along with the drivers digital tachograph card needs to be carried with the driver at all times. Make storage simpler with a double card holder and lanyard available to purchase online or by telephone.

CPC Training for Professional Drivers

To keep your Driver CPC and drive for a living, you need to complete at least 35 hours periodic training every five years. Driver CPC is a qualification for professional bus, coach and lorry drivers. It has been introduced across Europe with the aim of improving road safety. You can find out the full background in directive 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament.

The Driving Standards Agency have put together a video overview of Driver CPC .

Digital Tachograph Card Reader

202 digital tachograph smart card reader — Digital Tachograph Card Reader.

USB Smartcard Reader [Code 202] : Enables you to easily download recorded tacho’ data such as speed, distance and driver activities from any driver card. These driver cards are personal to the driver, and are issued by the local country’s licensing authority (DVLA)

Software [Code 206] is also needed. The reader simply connects to a PC via a USB lead. The data will be is in an un-analysed format. That means these files are not ‘human readable’ as they contain the activity data in a special, tamper-proof, electronic format. The extra SoloPlus software will read, format and report on the saved data.

Tacho Data Analysis

Driver Data Cards MUST be downloaded and saved at least every 28 Days before any data on the card is overwritten. A vehicle operator will want to view and analyse their drivers’ activity to ensure that they are complying with various driving laws such as the Working Time Directive and Driver Hours law.

» View a Digital Tacho Smartcard Reader

Digital Tacho Simulator

Demo: Digital Tachograph Simulator:

We recently stumbled on this simulator (click image) for various Digital Tacho systems. We cannot vouch for how good or up-to-date it is but it looks the best we have seen so far. However, it should give anyone new to digital tachos a reasonable idea of how they operate.

Audio Visual Interactive Guide

This audio/visual guide offers Lorry or Bus tuition in the various modes. And shows the Actia, Siemens and Stoneridge models. Have a look here… Digital Tacho Simulator

NEED MORE HELP with Digital Tachgraphs?

If you need more help with tachographs or need to purchase tacho’ charts / accessories such as a card reader or SmartAnalysis services please call us or visit our main website or call our GB Tachopak experts TEL: 01472 210102.

» Website: GB Tachopak for Digital Tachograph Accessories

Driver CPC – the Traffic Commission’s View

Driver CPC requires all professional bus, coach and lorry drivers to complete a minimum of 35 hours periodic training every five years for as long as they wish to continue to drive professionally.

In a recent article in the transport press, the senior Traffic Commissioner (TC) Beverly Bell stated that employers as well as employees, will find themselves before the TC , if drivers are not compliant with the CPC by Sept 2014 (2013 for passenger vehicle drivers). Bell went on to say “driver training is essentially about investing in your staff”.

Mailshot: The TC expects that operators should be able to show the steps they have taken relating to driver licencing and DCPC qualification. In conjunction with VOSA, there will be a mailshot to an estimated 80,000 operators reminding them of their responsibilities, with a second mailshot in 2014, and dependent upon your action or inaction, you may be called before the TC for an explanation.

Fines: Current levels of fines for failing to comply have been set at up to £1000, if a driver is driving professionally without a DQC (Post Sept 2014), this applies to both operator and driver alike.

Qualification: Some would argue that the DCPC is a driver qualification and is therefore the responsibility of the driver to ensure they hold the DQC qualification. But with the TC’s and VOSA out to ensure that all vocational drivers are qualified, can operators afford not to comply?

» Get the DCPC Guide
» Register for Driver CPC