Logistics UK has been closely engaging with the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and has welcomed the revisions, which were delivered by secondary legislation, that ensure road safety is maintained while introducing flexibility into the training regime that will help retain drivers and ease the process for those returning to the industry.
Industry supports the Driver CPC regime and welcomes the reputation which attaining the current standards bestows on their businesses and their drivers.
The revised DCPC will still require 35 hours of training, but the minimum course length has been reduced from seven hours to three and a half hours. Other changes include reforming the role of e-learning, and the decision that qualified drivers, with a lapsed DCPC, will be able to access an accelerated pathway to return to driving.
Logistics UK supports the principle of ‘outcome-based learning’ and is ready to work with DfT and DVSA to help encourage training to include some form of summative assessment at the end of the training module.
However, members have always been adamant that a periodic ‘pass/fail’ test as an alternative to periodic training is a sure way to exacerbate driver shortages and could see another wave of departures from the sector, which would put the supply chain at risk.
Logistics UK will continue to work closely with government on these issues and keep members up to date with any further changes.
