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A Trio of Checks – Driving Licence, DQC and Driver Cards

Online licence checking is about to change. The exciting prospect of being able to check the validity of a Driver Qualification Card and a Tachograph Driver Card will soon be available from Licence Link.

The professional LGV and PCV driver on the highways of today have requirements to conform to the modern day rules of the road. Not only must they have a valid licence, but must be aware of the hours that they work and attend continuous training courses to prove professional competence. Fleet and HR Managers, tasked with ensuring that the driver is properly qualified with current and valid cards, as part of their duty of care requirements, can hugely benefit from this new service.

The EU, in the form of directives, introduced requirements in the interests of road safety and fuel efficiency. This led to the introduction of tachographs into LGV and PCV cabs along with training courses and tests for the proof of professional competence. These directives also attempting to encourage more interest in a driving career, in order to help with the shortfall of drivers within the EU. Taking a closer look at the route to a career in professional driving can be insightful, leading to a better understanding of the administrative impact that the EU directives introduced.

The three requirements for an LGV and PCV Driver are first, to obtain the correct licence category, secondly a Certificate of Professional Competence CPC and thirdly the recording of driving hours using a tachograph. The trio of cards being the Driving Licence, the Driver Qualification Card and the Driver card.

These requirements, once achieved, are valid for periods of time and subject to scrutiny by the Operator and the DVLA. This ongoing observation is necessary in order to fulfil the driver’s obligation to drive legally and the operator’s obligations to ensure they are keeping a check on the validity of their driver’s legality to drive.

The LGV and PCV Diving Licence

The EU term for vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes is Large Goods Vehicle LGV. Previously the UK used the term Heavy Goods Vehicle HGV and had two classes of the type, Class 2 and Class 1. The licence categories being C and CE, where category C has to be qualified for first. Similarly, the same goes for the driver of a Passenger Carrying Vehicle PCV, licence categories D and DE.

A full car driving licence is required before applying for a provisional lorry or bus driving licence. With the provisional licence, the candidate is required to take a theory test followed by driver training and a practical test. The next stage in the process is to qualify for the Driver CPC.

The Certificate of Professional Competence

In order to improve road safety and fuel efficiency, the EU introduced compulsory training for drivers of LGVs and PCVs leading to the Certificate of Professional Competence. The EU stated that it would help to encourage a career in professional driving and lead to a reduction of driver shortages. Sometimes referred to as the DQC the driver qualification card, it is essential for vocational driving of LGVs and PCVs. Four tests have to be passed to get the full Driver CPC. In addition to this, 35 hours of training every 5 years are required to remain qualified.

The Digital Tachograph

The EU Working Time Directive introduced the control and regulation of drivers’ working hours. Drivers are accountable for ensuring that they record the number of hours worked and the rest periods taken. Operators are accountable for keeping the recorded hours and rest periods taken in order to fulfil the duties of the Working Time Directive. Since May 2006, all commercial vehicles must be fitted with a digital tachograph. Drivers use a Driver smart card inserted into the digital tachograph and records the driving time and rest periods. The Driver card is valid for 5 years.

Administering the Cards

Administering this trio of cards that the driver is required to carry, includes the regular checking of the validity of the cards. Each card has an expiry date. This can be a time consuming activity for the HR or Fleet Manager. However, all of these card details are held by the DVLA. The exciting news for operators is that DVLA is about to release data that can be checked using existing licence checking service providers.

This means that along with driving licence details, the DVLA will make available checks for driver CPC training DQC and tachograph Driver card details. An excellent step forward to help improve road safety. Pinewood Technologies the provider of Licence Link, online licence checking, will be ready to provide this additional service.

 

One comment

  1. Chris Forrest says:

    Can you send me details

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