Calling any Wagon Drivers.

[Trevor_P]

I'm from the SE and have worked for an agency for the past 12 years, holding my CE licence for 30 years. Luckily the Agency has a decent instructor that really knows his stuff. I still have to pay for the CPC though. TBH the courses I've done so far have been interesting, and I've picked up one or two snippets that will stop the DVSA from ripping me off in the future with FPN's. That's with me already getting fewer infringements than any other driver on the agency. Stuff like proper interpretation of the WTD, which VOSA are now issuing FPN's for.

I'm sure there are cowboy trainers out there, but as I say I've been very lucky.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I've finished my CPC 'training' and my Saturday's are now my own once again

Have I learnt anything? Can't say I have, has it changed my perception about anything? Only to confirm that the whole driver CPC concept is yet another tax on an already ridiculously taxed industry, at least it is the way it's currently implemented.

I don't have any issues with the training company I used, and am not suggesting they are cowboys in any way what so ever. They are simply delivering what has been forced upon the industry, and are doing so in the only way they can. They are also doing it at the best price too, whereas some places are really taking the pi$$ and charging drivers way over the odds at the moment.

As for HGC/cyclist harmony, I'm afraid to say that I saw no evidence that this will be improving any time soon.

The trainer asked on several of the courses I did what peoples pet hate was, and the most popular overriding answer was...........................................cyclists

As ever I fought the good fight for our cause, explaining to the uneducated about cycle lanes and 'road tax' etc, but TBH I might as well have faced the wind and took a pi$$ for all the good it did.

So good luck to any other drivers who still have to get this done before the 9th September, but that's me done now until my next 7 hours in 12 months time

 

[Brandane]

I am still wondering whether I should bother doing my CPC or not. Having not driven an HGV for nearly 2 years now, I can't see me bothering any time soon. There are no jobs within reasonable traveling distance for me.
We'll see what happens after September. There might be a surge in job vacancies when CPC kicks in, and the rip off price of courses might drop after September.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I am still wondering whether I should bother doing my CPC or not. Having not driven an HGV for nearly 2 years now, I can't see me bothering any time soon. There are no jobs within reasonable traveling distance for me.
We'll see what happens after September. There might be a surge in job vacancies when CPC kicks in, and the rip off price of courses might drop after September.

Call me cynical but I suspect that with VOSA, sorry the DVSA being self funding these days that the amount of tugs will soar exponentially after September

I can see a lot of drivers getting chuffed off with being fined for petty infringements over and over again, and if your company is in amber with the DVSA, (for something like MOT fails which is obviously out of your control), then they'll be tugging you even more regularly as well!

If you really don't think you'll use it then I'd probably say keep your £200 - £400 in your pocket. You can always do a week block if you discovered you will need it, and in the meantime you can still drive, just not for hire or reward, but I can't imagine you'll want to work for free any time soon either

IIRC the official price for courses is about £57 each, I can't see this coming down, but the companies that are ripping people off will probably fall into line after September. What I can see happening is the entire CPC thing evolving, and ultimately becoming a pass or fail type set up, and if/when that happens I can see the prices climbing then.

In the meantime horse box drivers, caravan pullers, (and probably many others), still don't even need to do the CPC, (or use tachos), where's the justice in that?

 

[BrianEvesham]

What did we all pay then? I payed £65 a module which was much less then some are charging around here.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I paid £245 lump sum for all 5.

That was the cheapest I could find but the same place are now doing the full 35 hours for £200 if you can do Monday - Friday.

 

[PeteXXX]

And the joy is that if you don't account for the hours of the CPC training via manual entries on your digi-card, you are committing a driver's hours offence. What other industry, eh :-S

 

[smokeysmoo]

There's an argument that with what we do at work that we should be tacho exempt like the scaffold and concrete guys, however, although we never get close to drivers hours limits we do venture further than 50km from base so they get us that way.

So we do use tachos, (currently still analogue on all wagons), and I obviously keep my records with me, but I do need to get into the habit of showing x hammers for my walk round check, otherwise I've no doubt VOSA will be shafting me £50 for incorrect use of mode switch when the inevitable tug comes my way!

My opinion is that CPC is aimed squarely at coach drivers and class 1 trunkers, or in other words anyone who gets up to their 9, (or 10 when possible), hours daily driving, we get nowhere it TBH.

I'm not against refresher training, but I am against only the LGV and PCV industries being forced to do it, and I'm dead against it the way it's currently implemented.

Why should 7.5 tonne horse boxes get away with it when 7.5 tonne wagon drivers have to do it, and why should caravan drivers not be subject to additional training for towing when C+E licence applicants are tested on it?

Rant over

 

[bigjim]

I've not bothered going for mine. Over the last twenty years I've only done agency work in between other contract work, nothing to do with truck driving. My medical is also due, so for the bit I do I don't see the point. I've held my license for 35 years and seen massive changes. I like driving trucks but the legislation, low pay, early starts [middle of the night] and the way you are treated have, IMO, ruined the job.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I've held my license for 35 years and seen massive changes. I like driving trucks but the legislation, low pay, early starts [middle of the night] and the way you are treated have, IMO, ruined the job.

The guy doing our courses was from a bus/coach background, and he remembers after passing his psv in 2000 he'd see trucks with signs on the back saying drive this truck for £9 an hour, and at the time he was only getting £4 odd!
Now though bus companies will start you sans licenece on £8 odd an hour, with some guys on £13+, but in the meantime wagon wages seem to have remained static, or even reduced in some cases!

 

[Brandane]

A question to you guys about licences.....

I recently had to renew my photocard drivers licence as it expired this month (10 years since issue). My C+E was due for renewal this coming December (5 years since last medical, I'm now over 50).
New licence came back from DVLA and the expiry date for C+E is now July 2019, same time as the whole licence is due for renewal!
Have they moved the goalposts again? I don't do HGV work any more so have lost touch a bit. My reading is that I don't need to bother with a medical until July 2019, and not this December.
I also note that licences are now valid for 5 years, not 10. Another way to squeeze more money out of us.

 

[smokeysmoo]

@Brandane I have heard they are bringing out a one 4 all licence in about 5 years.

There will be no paper counterpart and the card will be your driving licence, dqc and digi tacho card all in one, so whether that's got anything to do with it I'm not sure.

 

[Trevor_P]

And the joy is that if you don't account for the hours of the CPC training via manual entries on your digi-card, you are committing a driver's hours offence. What other industry, eh :-S

If you pay for the course yourself, and are not being paid to do it, then it doesn't count towards drivers hours. Which is silly, because either way it affects your tiredness exactly the same.