Not sure I would call it a qualification to be honest but I was talking to a driver yesterday who has a MPQC card (formerly the EPIC card) and he reckons that gaining this qualification counts as 7 hours towards your driver cpc. Anyone know if this is correct?
I don’t do a lot of quarry work but I do think having the card may just come in useful if im struggling to back load from anywhere. I wouldn’t go for this card in normal circumstances but if it does count towards cpc I can kill two birds with one stone so to speak! Cheers.
Next question - where can I go to do the training?! Never seen it advertised anywhere. I’m East Yorkshire based if that helps.
Contact one of the quarry companies you haul for; They often usd the same trainer for lorry drivers as for their plant operators. I’ve done the dcpc and got the lorry skills card, and I’m hoping to get another 7 hours when I do the plant op assessment.
yes epic card counts towards dcpc as i did it last year. I did it at Tarmac depot at Birtley and what a rivetting day that was! 
Yes it does count towards your CPC.
I did mine last year at a course organised by Paul Kettlewell (of Kettlewell’s bulk haulage fame) at Melmerby village hall. Cost £125+VAT. I don’t think it’s a regular thing but the card is definitely worth having as a few places are asking for it these days. You could always give him a ring and see if he has any plans to do any more courses.
Paul
It’s probably an obvious point but … make sure the course is definitly approved for DCPC. Some aren’t and it doesn’t just happen automatically because it’s an EPIC (or whatever) course. The provider needs to register it as DCPC and also be an approved centre (or work under one).
Some places will say it is DCPC then it isn’t
Muckaway:
Contact one of the quarry companies you haul for; They often usd the same trainer for lorry drivers as for their plant operators.
I don’t actually work direct for any quarries I sub contract to someone else but like I say I very rarely go in quarries, probably only half a dozen times a year but the salt mine at Winsford required it now I believe which may just come in handy in winter.
repton:
Yes it does count towards your CPC.
I did mine last year at a course organised by Paul Kettlewell (of Kettlewell’s bulk haulage fame) at Melmerby village hall. Cost £125+VAT. I don’t think it’s a regular thing but the card is definitely worth having as a few places are asking for it these days. You could always give him a ring and see if he has any plans to do any more courses.
Paul
Thanks for that Paul ill bear him in mind, I have met him on a couple of occasions and we do work with Kettlewells a fair bit! £125+vat doesn’t sound too steep considering you are getting 2 qualifications for the price of 1 in a way!
xfmatt:
I don’t actually work direct for any quarries I sub contract to someone else but like I say I very rarely go in quarries, probably only half a dozen times a year but the salt mine at Winsford required it now I believe which may just come in handy in winter.
Winsford is the only place I’ve ever had to show my card, so far. Even though most of the quarries technically require it these days I’ve yet to be actually asked for it. You find with the quarries that if you turn up with all the right PPE on (trousers, vest, hat, glasses, etc.) then they will generally not ask for your card but if you don’t, they start asking. I found this out to my cost at one Tarmac site when I went to the office without my hi-vis trousers on and got told to “tip that load but don’t come back until you’ve got your epic card”. Went back 2 months later (after I had got my card) with all my PPE on and not a word was said about the card.
Paul
xfmatt:
Next question - where can I go to do the training?! Never seen it advertised anywhere. I’m East Yorkshire based if that helps.
MPQC, Try calling them on 01727 869008 or check their web site www.mp-qc.org they may be running course in your area sometime!they are JAUPT regestered so it counts as 7hours DCPC
repton:
xfmatt:
I don’t actually work direct for any quarries I sub contract to someone else but like I say I very rarely go in quarries, probably only half a dozen times a year but the salt mine at Winsford required it now I believe which may just come in handy in winter.
Winsford is the only place I’ve ever had to show my card, so far. Even though most of the quarries technically require it these days I’ve yet to be actually asked for it. You find with the quarries that if you turn up with all the right PPE on (trousers, vest, hat, glasses, etc.) then they will generally not ask for your card but if you don’t, they start asking. I found this out to my cost at one Tarmac site when I went to the office without my hi-vis trousers on and got told to “tip that load but don’t come back until you’ve got your epic card”. Went back 2 months later (after I had got my card) with all my PPE on and not a word was said about the card.
Paul
In my previous employment I was refused a load at Bardon quarry as I had no EPIC card but then I’ve also done Dry Rigg, Ingleton and Doveholes all without a card so they all seem a bit inconsistent!