Book Online Driver CPC Training

Yes. Since social distancing measures were introduced to help combat Coronavirus, the Government has permitted Driver CPC training to be delivered in a ‘virtual classroom’ via webinar or video conference platforms.

Driver Hire was a pioneer of this approach and our delegates love it! It’s an easy, enjoyable and convenient way to get the training you need. Find out more by watching this short video.

Prices are shown next to each course listing. Our online Driver CPC training costs just £49, including VAT and JAUPT upload, for a weekday course. Prices for classroom-based courses, when available, may vary.

A single day’s Driver CPC training must last 7 hours to count towards the mandatory 35 hours that you must take to gain your Driver Qualification Card.

Almost all Driver Hire training days are made up of two separate 3½ hour modules. This gives you a wider range of learning and will keep you interested right through the day. Find out more about all of our Driver CPC modules here.

You will receive your DQC automatically once you have completed the required 35 hours’ training and this has been uploaded to the DVSA database. Find out more on the Government website at www.gov.uk/driver-cpc-training/

There is no mandatory end-of-course test for Driver CPC training so you cannot fail a course. However some courses may have an assessment at the end to check what you have learned and to help to reinforce the most important aspects of the course.

Many of our Driver CPC courses are well suited to PCV drivers, but some are specifically targeted towards LGV drivers. if you’re a bus or coach driver, we’d recommend one of the following courses:

• Highway Code & Spotting Hazards
• Vulnerable Road Users
• Emergency First Aid
• Road Traffic Laws
• Introduction to Health & Safety

If you are driving a van with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of 3,500kg or above, for commercial purposes, you must have a full Driver CPC (and carry your Driver Qualification Card – DQC).

The relevant vehicle categories for commercial vehicles are C, C1, C+E, C1+E. Drivers of passenger vehicles with 9 or more seats must also have their Driver CPC. Professional drivers of larger vehicles must obtain an initial Driver CPC and then keep this valid with 35 hours’ “periodic training” every 5 years.

There are exemptions for certain vehicles, which you can find listed online. If you do not use the vehicle for commercial purposes (for example, driving your own horsebox) then you do not need the full Driver CPC but will still need to pass any relevant driving tests for these vehicles.

Under the terms of the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations, working hours are any time that an employee is “at the employer’s disposal”. Therefore if a driver is sent on a training course such as Driver CPC by their employer, then this does count as working time.

Driver CPC is a legal requirement for all professional drivers of vehicles falling in scope of the regulations, driving for commercial purposes. If you do not complete the required training, or fail to produce your Driver Qualification Card (DQC) when required to do so, you could face a maximum fine of £1,000 for both the driver and the operator licence holder.

Failing to carry your DQC can attract a fixed penalty of £50. Offences under Driver CPC can be referred to the Traffic Commissioner, who could also suspend the driver or operator’s licence.

Currently Driver Hire Training offers 7-hour periodic training courses for £49 (weekdays, including VAT and mandatory JAUPT upload fees – weekends £59). This price applies to all of our core Driver CPC training modules, where delivered online. Prices for classroom-based training, where available, will vary.

Some courses, such as our OLAT course, which may also count towards your Driver CPC are subject to a different pricing model.

(Note – these prices are correct as of July 2024 and are subject to change without notice at any time).

‘Grandfather rights’ (or sometimes ‘acquired rights’) is a legal term that is applied in various industries when a new law or standard is introduced, so that people who were qualified before that rule was introduced are allowed to continue working as they were, rather than having to undertake fresh training.

In logistics, the term is most commonly applied in two areas – Category C1 (7.5T) driving entitlement and Driver CPC.

Driver CPC

Drivers who gained their professional LGV licence (Cat C, C1, C+E and C1+E) prior to 10th September 2009 have grandfather rights in relation to Driver CPC and so were not required to undertake a full Driver CPC to be qualified. All drivers gaining their licence after that date, on the other hand, and who wish to drive professionally, have to do the full four-module Initial CPC.

But remember – all professional drivers are obliged to meet the ongoing ‘periodic training’ requirement of 35 hours’ Driver CPC training every five years, to keep their DQC valid.

Category C1

Drivers who hold a car driving licence (Category B) issued before January 1997 automatically have ‘grandfather rights’ to drive vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes. If you gained your car licence after that date, you cannot automatically drive Category C1 vehicles,  so you will require the training to upgrade your licence.

ADR training qualifies you to drive vehicles containing dangerous goods, either in tanks, packages or contained in other ways. ADR courses include theory and practical elements, including basic fire and first aid training, and information about load types.

ADR training costs  can vary depending on where in the country you do your training and what category of licence you already hold. Driver Hire can provide all the information you need, just fill out an enquiry form, request a quote, or get us to ring you to discuss your ADR training requirements.

HGV Category C licences, or Class 2 licences as they are also called, allow drivers to drive rigid body trucks over 3,5000kg. This includes the weight of an added trailer of up to 750kg.

Category C licences cover:

• Most haulage trucks
• Fire engines
• Bin collection vehicles
• Large removal trucks

The HGV Category C, Class 2, or Rigid training courses are the most popular route for new commercial vehicle drivers, as the Category C licence will automatically qualify you to drive any vehicles covered by the Category C1 licence also.

A driver with a Category C1 licence is qualified to drive a vehicle over 3,5000Kg (C), but below 7,500Kg. This might include vehicles like:

• Home/Supermarket Delivery Vehicles
• Removal Trucks
• Ambulances
• Small horseboxes

These types of vehicles are also referred to as Class 3 or 7.5 tonne trucks. If you opt for a C1+E licence, the +E means that you can add a trailer over 750kg to the weight of any vehicle you are driving.

If you obtained your car licence (Category B), before January 1997, then you automatically have ‘grandfather rights’, which means you are qualified to drive C1 category vehicles, without upgrading your licence. Anyone who obtained their car licence after that date, and is medically fit to drive, can upgrade their licence to a C1 licence.

A class 1 licence, or Cat C+E licence, qualifies drivers to operate trucks over 3,500KG ©, with a trailer over 750kg.  Class 1 training costs vary , depending on where you do your training and the current licence category you hold. Driver Hire can provide all the information you need, just fill out an enquiry form, request a quote, or get us to ring you to discuss Class 1, or C + E training.