Being a professional driver means that you need to have the appropriate skills and the required levels of safety in order to drive a truck, lorry, coach, or other large vehicle on the roads of the UK and throughout Europe. Driving an LGV can be a rewarding and lucrative career but you should ensure that you first have the appropriate qualifications; qualifications like a driver NVQ as well as required certificates like the newly required CPC.
The driver NVQ is a useful addition to your qualifications and if you are looking for new LGV driving jobs then you will find that potential recruiters will look favourably on those that have a driver NVQ. Whereas your LGV licence ensures that you have the minimum driving competence required to take to the roads in a 3,500kg vehicle, the driver NVQ includes other factors such as pre-driving checks and the monitoring of goods loading.
As well as a driver NVQ, as a professional driver, there are certain qualifications and certificates that you will need to keep updated as you progress through your career. Specifically, the European Union has introduced the Certificate of Professional Competence and all lorry and coach drivers must ensure that they have a CPC dated within the last five years in order to be allowed to drive legally on the roads.
CPC training requires that drivers take 35 hours of training every five years. This training is required in order to ensure that you comply with European legislation. The CPC was introduced in September 2008 for coach and bus drivers, and in September 2009 for lorry drivers. Drivers with a licence issued before this date are permitted to continue driving based on acquired rights but will need to complete the mandatory 35 hours training within five years of these dates and every five years thereafter.
There are many courses, qualifications, and certificates that can be acquired in a bid to help improve your driving skills and your competence as a driver. Such qualifications will not only make you a more confident and competent driver but are likely to make you a more employable prospect to potential employers.
Contact TotalTrainingSolutionsGB.com for more information on the driver NVQ or CPC training, and to find out about the variety of other driver training initiatives that we offer.
