Sorry, I forgot that underneath all the DILLIGAF you’re actually a quite a sensitive little bunny; it was not actually directed at you, it was just a reply to your post. Only you know how you conduct yourself in a group situation, I wouldn’t necessarily assume your online persona to be identical to real life - and I believe that’s true for most people, including myself.
To paraphrase Public Enemy, “Don’t believe the gripe”. About 40% of people are paid to do the courses, about 5% of them even get paid overtime to do a Saturday course. Doesn’t stop them crying about it though
Only two nights? Our standard DG courses are three days in the classroom plus half a day of exams, four classroom days plus exams if doing the Tanks module
I also find the lack of an exam odd; downright wrong TBH. Of course no one is going to take things seriously if they’re just attendance-only.
But, an individual course provider can have their own in-course-assessments, just so long as they don’t use the E word, and don’t make recording the hours contingent upon a “pass”. There are various “incentives” that can be used to encourage participation in all but the most intransigent, but most of those characters wouldn’t be there by that part of the day
Yes, simple “market forces” at work: looming deadline, large percentage of people leaving things to the last minute = every single course by every single provider is full to the gunwhales. Often, around this time, people will turn up on spec to see if there’s a cancellation or a “did not attend”.
All right, all right ffs.
Having a bad morning or what? 
I was not coming at it from a ‘sensitive’ pov at all, nor an argumentative one for that matter, it was purely conversational …and as you said a reply to your post.
I did not think I had an actual ‘on line’ persona let alone a one that is not genuine, what you see is me, if you are really interested…I confidently and strongly suspect you aint btw…which I am sure you will confirm.
If you have a one that is up to you and not a problem to me…being that I aint a ‘sensitive little bunny’ after all.
As you rightly say DILLIGAF.
LOL: button - press - response. Box tick.
Relax… I am, I’ve got a week off work doing stuff with the kids, the only HGVs on my menu today are the bin wagons that will be around later.
Ok not a scooby what first bit is getting at…but hey.
Good I am relaxed also…and today is also my day off.
Enjoy yer time off.
I went on Driver hire 3 weeks ago to find they’ve hiked their prices by £15
Did some searching and got one for £46 on the 9th September my last one I need but got till 14th November for mine
Why do some people leave it until the last minute to finish their 35hrs? They’re just leaving themselves open to exploitation by DCPC scalpers
That accounts for some. No point in getting a DCPC if you might not pass a medical.
I expect others are trying to get of driving, but their plans might not work out.
And others are just failing to plan.
Because five years simply isn’t enough time for some people to get their act together.
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Certainly not for me! After years of being mollycoddled I’m out in the cold and having to source my last course myself, hence I shall be perched on a stool in my kitchen for however many bloody hours in front of a screen this coming
Saturday.
To make matters worse my original “brown envelope “ man no longer does it 
I got my new card in May, but the irony is that I haven’t driven a truck since February
I know of an outfit (no names obvs) who insist that the CPC is carried out in the drivers own time unpaid so that it doesn’t interfere with tacho regs.
Lot places if honest. Expect you to do it on your rest days.
Unpaid there pay for the course that’s it.
Wouldt be so bad if places did 1 course a year
But like everyone they always panic and then your doing all 5 on back to back weekends.
I’d be naming them.
If they had the courage of their convictions, and could see nowt wrong with it,.what’s the problem.
Name and shame the ■■■■ s.
The problem with naming them is that it leaves the owners of the forum open to legal action against them
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Yeah but if it is their official policy and true…how can they object?
Half of these crappy firms with cynical policies on their drivers should be named and shamed…if they are true.
Agreed, nothing unusual about that, as you say if it’s one day per year, what’s the big deal? That’s how it was done at several places I worked at.
Shamed? For what? Not paying a driver for something the driver needs to have?
As long as they’re paying for the course it’s fair enough IMO, they’re running a haulage company, not a child-care facility.
There are several very big name companies around the North-east that, because drivers were taking the mick by not taking turning up for paid-for, pre-booked courses, now tell drivers to sort their own act out at their own expense.
I’m fully aware it aint a child care facility but thanks for pointing that out .
On the other hand many treat their drivers like children.
I also once ran a haulage co in another life, I tended to look after my drivers, and it paid dividends.
Did the guy say the firm paid for it?
Maybe they don’t…
Do you not think the few good firms left, who actually value their drivers (enough to pay them and supply refreshments ) deserve some credit ?
They certainly throw some positive light on an otherwise crap industry, In respect to treatment of emloyees amongst firms.
They do not need to be a ‘child care’ outfit to show some sort of value towards drivers.
On a ‘reap what you sow’ context it can only do them good in the long run
Same at the other end of the scale, the others ‘reap what they sow’,but in the opposite way.
As for the knobs you mention, you always get those types in any walk of life, the inept and incompetent spoiling it for the good ones.