Totallis Limited is a professional training company based in Worcester. They have worked within the Logistics industry with over 30 years’ experience. Their core business is designed to fit in with your existing operation, courses & training can be tailored to clients requirement where possible.

What is Driver CPC training?

The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) is a professional qualification used by lorry, bus and coach drivers throughout the UK and Europe. The CPC training aims to establish high standards of driving and improve road safety.

The Driver CPC is required by a European Union Directive, for all drivers of passenger carrying vehicles (PVC) with more than 9 seats and for lorries over 3.5 tonnes.

The Driver CVC Qualification

The Driver CVC qualification is required in addition to the vocational driving licence.

The training for a Driver CPC qualification is offered in a 35 hour period and needs to be maintained every 5 years. Throughout the training, the candidate will need to pass a series of theory and practical sections.

There are some exceptions to drivers that need to take the Driver CPC initial qualification tests. The following drivers are deemed to hold "acquired rights" and do not need to take the initial qualification but still, need to complete the training to maintain their Driver CPC:

- Drivers who hold a relevant vocational licence (D, D1, D+E and D1+E) gained before 10 September 2008.
- Drivers who hold a restricted vocational licence D(101) issued after 1991 and D1(101) issued before 1997.
- Lorry (LGV) drivers who obtained their licence (C, C1, C+E and C1+E) before 10 September 2009.

New drivers will need to pass the initial qualification tests to receive a "Driver Qualification Card" (DQC). Community code 95 could alternatively be added to their driving licence to show that they hold a Driver CPC.

Initial Driver CPC qualification

Candidates will take the Initial Driver CPC qualification in four parts. All four parts of the test must be completed to get the full Driver CPC qualification.

The test requires that drivers pass practical and theory tests before they are able to gain their full vocational driving licence.

If a driver wants to gain a vocational licence, but will not be driving for a living, they only need to pass parts one and three.

Additional qualifications are required if the candidate wishes to obtain the full Driver CPC which will enable them to drive lorries, buses or coaches professionally.

Part one - Theory test.

The theory test requires drivers to complete a hazard perception test and a multiple-choice test.

Both tests must be passed within 2 years of each other in order that the certificate is awarded.

Part two - Case studies

The candidate will be required to assess seven case studies in the second part of the CPC qualification.

These offer real-life scenarios that a driver is likely to experience on the road in their professional driving life.

Part three - Licence acquisition

The third part of the qualification requires the driver to complete a practical test which includes:

- Practical road driving
- Vehicle safety questions
- Off-road exercises

Part four - Driver CPC practical test

The fourth part of the Initial Driver CPC qualification tests the driver on vehicle safety. The candidate must give a vehicle safety demonstration and explain various operations related to using a lorry other than driving.

The demonstration includes the lorry driver showing ways to :

- Load safely and securely
- Provide preventative measures against trafficking illegal immigrants
- Make assesments of emergencies
- Complete a walk around the vehicle doing safety checks

Driver CPC Periodic Training

All professional lorry, bus and coach drivers need to complete 35 hours formal training every 5 years.

Driver CPC courses and periodic training are offered by Totallis Limited at their training centres.