Fleet Risk Consultants

From the 10th September 2009 all drivers of vehicles above 3,500kg in weight will have to undertake continuous training over a period of 5 years. The rules means that each driver will need to complete 35 hours of training by the 9th September 2014.

That may sound like it is a long way in the future, but if you leave it too late to commence your training, you may either not get on a course in time or you will have to take a whole week in one go to maintain your driving licence.

There will be no extensions as the period of grace starts on the 10th September 2009. Any new HGV drivers will have to undertake 280 hours of training to actually qualify for a licence in the first place.

The effect that we see developing in 2014 is that companies who have not planned ahead may find that they have vehicle available to do deliveries, but no-one to drive the vehicle.

It is also the companies responsibility to ensure that the driver is both qualified and safe to drive. If you employ the driver full time then it could be argued that under PUWER you will have to pay for that training too.

IF you want to understand how the rules will effect you as either a driver or as an employer then give our team a call on 01623 675833 or drop us an email to info@fleetriskconsultants.co.uk and we can call you.

Nigel Grainger
Senior Consultant

Fleet Risk Consultants

The Vehicle Drivers (Certificates of Professional Competence) Regulations 2007 are the legislation that enacts a directive laid down by the European Union which requires member states to set out in law the need for drivers of Goods Vehicles and Passenger Carrying Vehicles to have more training and qualifications than just a valid driving licence to carry out their role. This will enable all drivers throughout the EU to be of a similar standard in knowledge and skill.

The Directive applies to drivers who drive vehicles in the categories C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D, D+E. The Directive affects drivers of D1, D1+E, D and D+E from the 10^th September 2008. The effect for trucks is delayed until 10^th September 2009.

There are at present seven exemptions from the directive, which are:

(a) Vehicles with a maximum authorised speed not exceeding 45 km/h;

(b) vehicles used by, or under the control of, the armed forces, civil defence, the fire service and forces responsible for maintaining public order;

(c) Vehicles undergoing road tests for technical development, repair or maintenance purposes, or of new or rebuilt vehicles which have not yet been put into service;

(d) Vehicles used in states of emergency or assigned to rescue missions;

(e) Vehicles used in the course of driving lessons for any person wishing to obtain a driving licence or a CPC, as provided for in Article 6 and Article 8(1);

(f) Vehicles used for non-commercial carriage of passengers or goods, for personal use;

(g) Vehicles carrying material or equipment to be used by the driver in the course of his or her work, provided that driving the vehicle is not the driver’s principal activity.

The directive requires that the training is provided to a set and that training shall be delivered by approved training bodies. The approval of training bodies is being managed by the Driving Standards Agency.

The minimum training requirements for new drivers is 280 hours of training, which must include at least 20 hours driving in the vehicle category they are intending to drive. At the end of the training the driver is required to undertake either a written or oral test. The theory test must last a minimum of four hours.

The minimum training requirement for existing drivers is 35 hours over a five year period, commencing 10^th September 2008 for classes D1, D1+E, D, D+E and commencing 10^th September 2009 for classes C1, C1+E, C, C+E. It is recommended that drivers undergo 7 hours of training every year; this will allow the training periods to be managed more effectively. This annual course must be of no less than 7 hours in length.

Trainers must conduct identity checks of the drivers attending the course. They must also issue each driver with a receipt confirming their attendance on the course.

There is also a requirement for trainers to obtain feedback from both the drivers and employers.

So if you use minibuses or buses you will need to amend your recruitment policies and contact a training provider to allow you to legally operate your vehicles. You will also need to check whether your employees are qualified to drive your vehicles, which will involve more than just a driving licence check.

If you would like any assistance with this we are always happy to offer our advice or training. In fact we are happy to announce that European Driver Training Limited will be delivering the training to our clients.

N Grainger

Senior Consultant

Fleet Risk Consultants