Hi, I’m new to the forum and have a couple of questions about the transport managers cpc.
I currently work as a hgv fitter and have done for the last 8 years since leaving school.
Along the way I have gained my class 1 and PSV licenses.
I have always wanted to work for myself eventually and although I don’t have any plans to immediately go into business. I would like to take a few steps to make it quicker and easier should an opportunity to run my own truck come up over the next few years.
What I am planning on doing over the next few months is to take my transport managers cpc, that way I won’t have to stress about getting through it at short notice.
When I get my transport managers cpc will I loose it if I don’t use it for a few years?
If I don’t go it alone I figered it would be good to have and might open up other doors for me in the future.
I would look out for a bargain for the cpc you may need to wait til after xmas for a bargain though. The more study you do before hand the easier the course will be and the more understanding you’ll get.
I think it will open doors for you but also you could maybe offer your services for a local start up both as TM (£300 a month) plus mechanic.
Thanks for that muckspreader I will have a look round to see if I can find a deal on it.
I’m going to get some books to read, have heard mentioned that one called lowes is supposed to be good.
I have been a self employed TM for over 25 years, and I buy a copy a copy of David Lowe’s Transport Managers Handbook every year.
I did both the National and International exams through home study packs, and the took the exams at a local examination centre.
The modules are different now, compared to when I took mine, with case study etc, bot it could still be done on a good home study pack. Go for it James, best of luck.
Cheers Dave.
James–:
… When I get my transport managers cpc will I loose it if I don’t use it for a few years? …
Hi James,
No mate, you don’t lose your operator CPC if you don’t use it for any length of time.
Once you’ve passed the exams and got the certificate, nobody can take it away… but you can lose your ‘repute’ quite easily.
Once you decide to have a go at being a nominated TM for somebody, my best tip is that you do some very careful checking BEFORE agreeing to anything, because there are some (only a few) unscrupulous operators who just want a TM in name only.
I done the CPC early this year on a short 2 week course with the FTA and passed both exams first time.
I was working in a transport Supervisor/Co-ordinator roll for a few years previous to this.
So I knew the basic vehicle regs and drivers hours inside out before going on this course.
So all I had to learn was the money/business side of things.
You get a multi choice paper.
You get a big book from the FTA with mock questions in it to prepare you for the exam.
If you read and read them it’s a piece of pi1s like any other multi choice exam you do. Like hgv or driving tests.
The written paper.
This is were a bit experience will help.
You won’t pass this exam if you are going in blind hoping to learn it all on a two week course the week before the exam unless you have got a brain that soaks up a lot of info.
I seen it on the course I went on. Some guys had experience in drivers hours and regs. Whil others had experience in the business side of things.
The guys that struggled were the ones that everything was new and were trying to learn it all.
I have just completed the management CPC course and sat the exams in June. It was a tough but incredibly interesting course done two days a week over a month then the exam in the last week. I also purchased the student notes a few months early from the centre where I was planning to do the course so i could study at home prior to the classroom training.This helped greatly and enabled me to pass both exams first time. I also bought the David Lowes book but couldn’t get on as well with it as the student notes. They were excellent and easy to read and study from.
I also looked on the OCR website as there is loads of useful info on there and past papers so you can get a feel for what the exam papers are like. Also the student and tutor guide and examiners reports were good to read.
Even though there is alot of work and input needed you will learn loads and it is do-able and very useful so all the best!
I am also looking in to doing this in march an would like to start reading up on it all. Apart from past papers is there any other good books to read to learn for it ?
Hi
I really do recommend speaking to a training centre that teaches the course near to where you are and ordering the student notes early. Or if you know someone that has done it recently borrow them! They are excellent and cover most of what you will need to answer both papers. They are the notes that OCR endorse and set the papers on and what the centres use to teach from. It was money well spent as far as I was concerned. They are around £65 but well worth having.
I cannot recommend enough being as prepared as you can be as there is one heck of a lot covered and taught in a short space of time if you book on a course. And I recommend that too unless you know alot already. The pass rate for this exam is not high so I think that speaks volumes.
Hi, I’m in a similar situation and am taking the test in September. I booked with a local training provider. I opted for a 7 day course but they sent the study notes straight away. I think this is the best of both worlds because by the time the course starts I will have had a month reading through all the material, then get 7days being talked through it whilst being able to ask questions.
The notes they sent are from a company called Eos.
A big folder 3" thick and printed both sides.
Loose leaf presumably as stuff is constantly changing so modules are always being updated, eg. new versions mentioning DVSA rather than VOSA etc.
Very clearly set out with a summary of info at the end of each module as well as a few pages of example questions on the module.
Deffinately worth getting the notes asap. They are basically a “How To” run a haulage co. and answer most of the questions you see asked on here.
Looooo:
Hi, I’m in a similar situation and am taking the test in September. I booked with a local training provider. I opted for a 7 day course but they sent the study notes straight away. I think this is the best of both worlds because by the time the course starts I will have had a month reading through all the material, then get 7days being talked through it whilst being able to ask questions.
The notes they sent are from a company called Eos.
A big folder 3" thick and printed both sides.
Loose leaf presumably as stuff is constantly changing so modules are always being updated, eg. new versions mentioning DVSA rather than VOSA etc.
Very clearly set out with a summary of info at the end of each module as well as a few pages of example questions on the module.
Deffinately worth getting the notes asap. They are basically a “How To” run a haulage co. and answer most of the questions you see asked on here.
See the big book mate.
Read the first 8 chapters and learn it inside out.
Driver hours and WTD, o licence, licensing, vehicle costings pricing, business and few other bits.
That’s the bulk of the writing test with few random questions.
If you know the above inside out you will pass the writing tests.
You get a practice book for the theory.
Read the questions for an hour a day and you will pass it no problem.
Same as any other theory test.
