HGV driver CPC training online...

[DRM]

Doing this today. What a complete waste of time and money... I don't even drive HGV's any longer, but want to keep my licence live, as you never know what the future brings especially with CV19 being around...

So I have to do 35 hours in front of a laptop listening to somebody reading stuff out of a book... Stuff that any driver should already know, and much of which is irrelevant, e.g. bus drivers sitting listening to instructions on how to load a lorry....

£45 for each 7 hour module. Jobs for the boys, and pretty much worthless in terms of professional development or road safety. Zzzzzz.....

Can’t help thinking that someone like my dad that spent a working lifetime driving HGV’s and has been retired now for 15 years has more acquired knowledge than any CPC could teach with regard to driving them, perhaps a catch up on latest law changes would do, I would like to see the people who teach these things rope and sheet a load properly wrestling with a tarpaulin and tie everything down so it doesn’t fall off on the first corner, never mind changing gear with an actual gear stick.

 

[PeteXXX]

@DRM With all due respect to your retired father, he wouldn't have had to learn, and comply with all the present regs! I know I didn't have to, when I started driving!

For those that wish to see the driving regulations for HGV's, spend a few minutes perusing the following links. These EU rules/laws still apply after our departure from the EU (though there are a few differences, mainly tachograph mode use)
The new digital tachographs can be scanned remotely as you drive past a monitoring vehicle, or station, and enforcement will follow to the driver and company.
My digital tacho card is downloaded at the end of every shift to check my driving hours, compliance etc

Diving regulations
EU regulations changes Aug 2020

These rules have to be observed, alongside the Working Time Directive laws, some of which run concurrently, some of which do not.

Wtd regs

 

[DRM]

@DRM With all due respect to your retired father, he wouldn't have had to learn, and comply with all the present regs! I know I didn't have to, when I started driving!

For those that wish to see the driving regulations for HGV's, spend a few minutes perusing the following links. These EU rules/laws still apply after our departure from the EU (though there are a few differences, mainly tachograph mode use)
The new digital tachographs can be scanned remotely as you drive past a monitoring vehicle, or station, and enforcement will follow to the driver and company.
My digital tacho card is downloaded at the end of every shift to check my driving hours, compliance etc

Diving regulations
EU regulations changes Aug 2020

These rules have to be observed, alongside the Working Time Directive laws, some of which run concurrently, some of which do not.

Wtd regs

That’s what I said, a catch up on the changes in Regulations, other than that it’s teaching grandma to suck eggs, I suspect there’s not that much difference to what was in force 15 years ago regarding hours etc, the vehicles however have changed beyond all recognition from when I was a young lad, to what he was driving even 15 years back.

 

[albal]

I sat a ADR (including class 1), that gave me x4 day of cpc. Had a week off in August. So able to go to the training centre. 7 mile ride for me.
I will sit a one day course when it goes quite - January usually. That will get my x5 days, making my card expire in 2029. Can't see me needing it beyond that.

 

[Brandane]

I sat a ADR (including class 1), that gave me x4 day of cpc. Had a week off in August. So able to go to the training centre. 7 mile ride for me.
I will sit a one day course when it goes quite - January usually. That will get my x5 days, making my card expire in 2029. Can't see me needing it beyond that.

CPC card is only valid for 5 years though. Are you talking about your ADR? In which case I have no idea as I've never done my dangerous goods - just need to trust the loaders when they tell me "It's ok driver, it's limited quantities and therefore out of scope of ADR".. Yeh, right, I believe that!
I'm back at school today for day 3. Only another 2 to do.

 

[Brandane]

The main subject matter for this afternoon's bore-fest was "vulnerable road users". Naturally that includes cyclists, and we got a bit of flack for the usual reasons - not using cycle paths, jumping red lights, not keeping far enough to the left of the road, should be forced to do training before being allowed on public roads, etc. etc. .
They were a bit surprised when someone (me) actually admitted to being a cyclist (as well as a pedestrian, motor biker, and ex trucker with a view to taking it on again). It was good to get at least a small bit of my point across re cycle paths being mostly unfit for purpose, and that cyclists not being whiter than white with regards to obeying the rules of the road is only likely to cause injury to themselves and not multiple deaths. Every little helps, as they say....

 

[Drago]

Do they still have lessons advising you on dress etiquette (lumberjack short, baseball cap), advice on choosing one of those wallets on a chain, and the different flavours of Yorkie?

 

[Brandane]

Do they still have lessons advising you on dress etiquette (lumberjack short, baseball cap), advice on choosing one of those wallets on a chain, and the different flavours of Yorkie?

1. You've been watching too much "Ice Road Truckers" from Trumpland.
2. See above.
3. Yorkie bars, like all similar products, have shrunk in size so much that they now resemble a chocolate biscuit from the 1970's. No self respecting lorry driver these days would be seen with one of those rattling across his dashboard on every corner. The original manly version would not have moved, anchored to the spot like the row of chocolate bricks it was supposed to be...

 

[MontyVeda]

To comply with the rules, you only need to do 35 hours theory training. You can, technically, do the same module 5 times over. Only 1 module deals with vulnerable road users, so it is up to the individual if they choose to do that particular module. Sadly, car drivers, being the worst offenders, are exempt from any type of training after passing their very basic driving test.....

I think I've suggested that an equivalent of the CPC should be rolled out to all drivers before on CC. It wasn't a very popular suggestion.

More training, refresher courses, retests should be a good thing. You should get value for money. You should, after 35 hours, think... that's money well spent. I'm glad I did that. But unfortunately, compulsory training is often a scam. The course providers know they can get away with providing very little for top whack, and that's exactly what they appear to do.

 

[ren531]

Yeah CPC training is a total travesty, l let mine lapse after the first 5 years block of training after 35 years, 23 years full time driving and 12 doing drivers holiday cover in my present job, which was only 6 weeks a year.
Never went to any CPC training that made you think it was worthwhile, the trainer's talked more about their holidays ect than anything else.

 

[MontyVeda]

Yeah CPC training is a total travesty, l let mine lapse after the first 5 years block of training after 35 years, 23 years full time driving and 12 doing drivers holiday cover in my present job, which was only 6 weeks a year.
Never went to any CPC training that made you think it was worthwhile, the trainer's talked more about their holidays ect than anything else.

different thing but an example of how the 'trainers' take the p!ss out of the 'training' industry... during my last bout of unemployment i was sent on a CV writing course. The 'trainer' spent three hours talking about himself and how he used to be a street fighter (an example of entrepreneurism!), before asking us to sign a form saying I agree to write a CV... then sent us all home early. The course was 12 weeks. Feck knows how much they were fleecing the DWP for this but it's an absolute con.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

To me it's a load of cobblers,

Along with a load of other ones, the electrical Part P for instance is just an insurance scam

 

[classic33]

different thing but an example of how the 'trainers' take the p!ss out of the 'training' industry... during my last bout of unemployment i was sent on a CV writing course. The 'trainer' spent three hours talking about himself and how he used to be a street fighter (an example of entrepreneurism!), before asking us to sign a form saying I agree to write a CV... then sent us all home early. The course was 12 weeks. Feck knows how much they were fleecing the DWP for this but it's an absolute con.

Often those "courses" are "run & managed" by people already working in the DWP. Often on their time off.

 

[Brandane]

Last part of the CPC course completed today - so be warned I am now allowed back on the road in one of these..... (but I probably won't bother looking for work until either a) Spring time, or, more likely, b) I fall out with my current boss again!).

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I used to enjoy driving when I did it, not sure that I would now, I just used to hate the way you were treated by agencies