OK most think DCPC is bad for lots of reasons. Not usefull, money making racket etc.
It looks like it is here to stay but if it was up to you, what would you like to see covered and how would you improve things.
From my point of view if you are an employee, the course cost should be born by your employer who can claim it against tax no doubt. I would like it to include information on all types of equipment, reefers and tippers etc.
What about you guys?
One day should be spent in a workshop so drivers can understand the knock on effects that poor driving and a lax attitude to vehicle defects have.
i would prefer a set list of things to be covered, not the random tripe that i have had to sit through again,
m1cks:
One day should be spent in a workshop so drivers can understand the knock on effects that poor driving and a lax attitude to vehicle defects have.
+1 and how to do a walk around check properly.
A walk around check is one of my 7 hour courses in August. Don’t know what they’re going to talk about for 7 hours though 
Quackers:
A walk around check is one of my 7 hour courses in August. Don’t know what they’re going to talk about for 7 hours though
well by repeating it for 7 hours there’s NO way you should get it wrong
is there
holliefabbabe:
i would prefer a set list of things to be covered, not the random tripe that i have had to sit through again,
Here in Ireland there is are five set modules that are standard so that whoever trains you its all the same. Printed manuals are supplied from RSA (Irish DVSA if you like) and inspectors make random visits. Lots of repetition and some pointless stuff though.
I would rather see more technical info than statistics on road casualties in Latvia but at least they are making an effort here.
If the compulsory 35 hours is to stay and no assessment phase is introduced to determine what an individual drivers needs then I also think there should be 5 set courses with the content of each course approved by an expert
It should be 7 hours per year (more allowed if the driver needs to meet an expiry deadline or has been out of the game for a while and needs all 35 to start a job now) and the course on the rules must be taken every 5 years or it must be the next course taken if the rules change significantly as they did in 2007
Focussing on the actual driving does not need to be included because every LGV driver I have ever had as an associate for the IAM advanced has done that with ease with most getting praise from the examiner
Some of those had it paid for by their employer and were not really bothered whether they did the advanced or not
Most just did their normal driving with a few very minor tweaks 
I found that most drivers didn’t really need to do it but some drivers really did, especially when it come to tacho law and WTD
The DCPC does not need to be more than a few hrs once every 5 -10 years , this 35hrs every 5 yrs is complete ■■■■■■■■, It is we drivers who should be being paid to sit in a hot room +28c sweating ,falling asleep, the amount of hrs(35) is complete nonsense and will not make better drivers or the roads a safer place ,
tommy t:
The DCPC does not need to be more than a few hrs once every 5 -10 years , this 35hrs every 5 yrs is complete ■■■■■■■■, It is we drivers who should be being paid to sit in a hot room +28c sweating ,falling asleep, the amount of hrs(35) is complete nonsense and will not make better drivers or the roads a safer place ,
quite right but then you have steering wheel attendant’s that know naff all and don’t want to know anything else 
You know what this DCPC could be a cunning plan 
make all drivers do the DCPC then after 2019 abolish it and make it 1 day in 5 years… we’ve done 2 things by then …
Made lots of money
got rid of monkeys that didn’t take the job seriously
Quackers:
A walk around check is one of my 7 hour courses in August. Don’t know what they’re going to talk about for 7 hours though
Drum it into drivers that checks have to be done properly and defects reported.
I’ve had to defect a trailer for two bald tyres before I could take it out, there were many other instances of defects that drivers were too bone idle to report.
I once saw one of our trailers in our yard with a tyre nearly off the rim and that hadn’t been reported.
There were no issues about the repairs not being carried out, it was simply that the workshop staff weren’t clairvoyant.
Not allowed to repeat modules.
Economical and defensive driving, tacho, walk round checks and load securing to be mandatory modules.
You have to pass a test at the end of that day’s module.
tommy t:
The DCPC does not need to be more than a few hrs once every 5 -10 years , this 35hrs every 5 yrs is complete ■■■■■■■■, It is we drivers who should be being paid to sit in a hot room +28c sweating ,falling asleep, the amount of hrs(35) is complete nonsense and will not make better drivers or the roads a safer place ,
Judging by the rudimentary questions asked by people and the complete ■■■■■■■■ spouted by those who’ve been doing the job for years, such as people like you who still think that even 9 years after it was introduced there’s an opt out to the WTD, its sorely needed.
On the first page of this forum as I type there are two questions about hours, one about load security and one about overhang. All things that certainly experienced drivers should know the answer to. The fact they don’t proves a lack of training in fundamentals and that the “I’ve been driving a wagon for longer than the trainer has been alive and don’t need teaching how to such eggs” view is wrong.
Conor:
Judging by the rudimentary questions asked by people and the complete ■■■■■■■■ spouted by those who’ve been doing the job for years, such as people like you who still think that even 9 years after it was introduced there’s an opt out to the WTD, its sorely needed.On the first page of this forum as I type there are two questions about hours, one about load security and one about overhang. All things that certainly experienced drivers should know the answer to. The fact they don’t proves a lack of training in fundamentals and that the “I’ve been driving a wagon for longer than the trainer has been alive and don’t need teaching how to such eggs” view is wrong.
^^^^ Hear Hear!!! I agree!!!
The DCPC is good in theory, but falls apart in how it’s administered. It should be comprised of properly recognised QCF modules in order to make it valid.
If the point of it is to inject professionalism into driving, then it needs to be geared into demonstrating that those who undertake it have taken on what has been delivered to them. Run it more along the lines of an NVQ or something.
Derf:
The DCPC is good in theory, but falls apart in how it’s administered. It should be comprised of properly recognised QCF modules in order to make it valid.
If the point of it is to inject professionalism into driving, then it needs to be geared into demonstrating that those who undertake it have taken on what has been delivered to them. Run it more along the lines of an NVQ or something.
Makes sense to me.
I’ve booked a 35 hour DCPC course (my first ever, even though I was driving in 1996) and due to the impending deadline I’ve had to elect for 3 tacho courses, 1 walk around/check/load securement and 1 defensive driving.
That’s all they have left before September.
It would make lots more sense to me if there was a set syllabus with specific targets and a pass/fail status for each course.
I’ll just have to sit through it all.
Conor:
tommy t:
The DCPC does not need to be more than a few hrs once every 5 -10 years , this 35hrs every 5 yrs is complete ■■■■■■■■, It is we drivers who should be being paid to sit in a hot room +28c sweating ,falling asleep, the amount of hrs(35) is complete nonsense and will not make better drivers or the roads a safer place ,Judging by the rudimentary questions asked by people and the complete ■■■■■■■■ spouted by those who’ve been doing the job for years, such as people like you who still think that even 9 years after it was introduced there’s an opt out to the WTD, its sorely needed.
On the first page of this forum as I type there are two questions about hours, one about load security and one about overhang. All things that certainly experienced drivers should know the answer to. The fact they don’t proves a lack of training in fundamentals and that the “I’ve been driving a wagon for longer than the trainer has been alive and don’t need teaching how to such eggs” view is wrong.
No the whole idea that drivers need 35hrs of this ■■■■■■■■ every 5 years is wrong, So those idiots in Bruxelles and our greedy self serving government are wrong , drivers do not need this ■■■■■■■■ at all,35hrs is 30hrs too long, and is therepurely only so the so called trainers can cash in ,as well as government ,think how much they have raked in from the upload fees, wake up to their scam i have,
As for the WTD thats just another layer of red tape that does nothing to improve a drivers lot, And as i’ve said there is no enforcement in place, So i would say there is a large percentage of drivers who don’t observe this bureaucratic ■■■■■■■■
So Conor is one of those who has seen and done it all, at least we know who to call when we need information for he has all of the answers in his head. As a complete profesional, this industry is all about learning, there are jobs that i havnt done yet and so there could be a time when i need to ask some questions the same as drivers who ask what you mention, its a refresher for the mind as we are all prone to forget all of the rules and regulations, thats why there are books and printed versions of them. Ok there are drivers who ask what to others are stupid questions, but better to ask than fail the job theyre going to do.
I agree that periodic training should be done on a regular basis, but the training should have substance, and not teaching us what we already know in this DCPC, but about learning something new in the industry instead of learning from newspapers or Trucknet, the problem is there is so much to learn, so many different aspects to this industry and therefore not practical to teach everyone everything ( in case they come on trucknet to ask a question they dont know or have forgotten the answer to ) From my start in this industry in 1963 to the present day, there have not been any practical training methods within, and although people slag off the Eastern Bloc drivers, they had in place a great training program for every driver in the system, and that was to work in their workshop for 3 years, before stepping in the truck as a driver, they were taught what every driver should be taught, the workings of a truck, how to spot faults and fix them, everything i learned was from fellow drivers and asking them the questions.