As of September 2009, anyone who wishes to drive a lorry or van carrying 3.5T or more will need to complete a Driver’s Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC licence) before going solo behind the wheel. This will prepare you to drive much larger vehicles which operate differently to cars e.g. they often have several sets of gears.
To achieve your Driver CPC licence, you’ll need to undertake some large vehicle training sessions (usually 35 hours worth) and a four-part test, which will require you to demonstrate your practical and theoretical knowledge to an examiner. Some companies will take you on without this and help you work towards it, whilst others will prefer you to have it before you apply.
Regardless of whether you already have a Driver CPC licence or not, you will always need to have a full UK car driving licence before you can get started with your HGV training. The good news is, as long as you’re a confident car driver, you should be able to get your licence in a matter of days or weeks. And although the training and tests come at a cost, you’ll only need to renew your licence once every five years, and you can’t put a price on safety.
Want to train before you apply?
If you’d like to get started with your Driver CPC training, the first thing you’ll need to do is order your HGV provisional licence so you can start your training, which you can do by filling out the D2 and D4 DVLA forms. The D4 form is to be filled out by your doctor and/or optician to prove that you are medically fit to be driving a large vehicle.
Once you’ve received your provisional licence, you’ll be able to begin your Driver CPC training. As with car driving schools, there are plenty of training providers available all over the country – but it’s important to shop around and find the best quality at the most reasonable price. If you’re unsure about quality, always make sure you read the reviews first before making a final decision.