for your Driver Certificate Of Professional Competence
A lot of motorists think that driving a heavy goods vehicle is easy - just like driving a car, only it's bigger. Nothing could be further from the truth.
A HGV is indeed big; in terms of heigh, width, power, length and weight. As such it takes a lot more energy to stop it, get it up a hill, overtake other vehicles, and keep it from running away downhill. Handling characteristics are completely different from those of a car, and they can change not only from one vehicle to another but also from one load to another.
Add to that the fact that in an accident a heavy vehicle can cause a massive amount of damage; and possible serious injury or loss of life; for other road users, and it is clear that those who drive these vehicles have to have skills far in advance of those of the average motorist. That is why training is so rigorous, standards are so high, and regular refresher courses are demanded for drivers who want to gain, and keep, their HGV licence, and their Driver Certificates Of Professional Competence (CPC).
First you need a standard (class B) driving licence. You can then apply for a provisional HGV licence and start your training.
This training is a lot more involved than the training for a normal car licence; you cannot for instance stick L plates on the back of a truck and set off with a qualified driver next to you! You will need to take a course run by a HGV driving school; their fees vary and so some shopping around may be necessary. Financial assistance from the government may be available for those who are unemployed or low paid.
Driving a HGV requires a good standard of both physical and mental health; after all a driver of a large vehicle having a stroke or a vertigo attack whilst driving down a motorway or busy road in a city could be involved in a real disaster. Because of this a doctor examines every applicant and will only approve them if they are considered to be fit enough to handle a vehicle safely.
Some disabilities will not necessarily prevent the driver from working but there may well be restrictions on the type of work that can be carried out.
You will need to pass theoretical tests before moving on to the practical ones. There are two parts to the theory test: a set of multi-choice questions and the Hazard Perception Test.
For this you will need to show throrough knowlege of the information in three books:
These can all be accessed online or you can buy them from major book stores - Amazon usually stock them but make sure they are the latest editions.
In this test you have nearly two hours to answer 100 multiple choice questions; and to pass this section you will need to get at least 85% of them correct.
In this you watch 19 videos which show views from the cab of a HGV driving down a road. In each video potentially hazardous situations occur; and you need to not only recognise them, but do so quickly so that you have time to react to them. Typical situations can include a driver from a side road pulling out in front of you; vehicles coming from the opposite direction overtaking a parked van; pedestrians trying to cross the road when it is unsafe to do so.
There is an excellent DVD called The Official DVSA Guide To Hazard Perception that shows typical situations, and which gives you a chance to practice and to test yourself. Again you can access this online or buy one from major booksellers, including Amazon.
This is known as the Case Study Test and it presents you with seven different typical situations that a HGV driver could encounter at any time. You are then asked a series of questions, with multiple choices, to test your knowledge and understanding of each situation; plus how you would respond to them. There are 50 questions and the test would take abot 90 minutes.
Now you actually get into the cab of a HGV. This exercise tests your ability to reverse a vehicle in an 'S' shape into a bay. Many people fail carry it out in a single manouvre, but you are allowed to do it again if necessary (provided that your driving is not so bad as to cause a serious hazard).
First you will be asked safety questions. These could include the following, or similar:
You then get down to the real nitty gritty: an hour of practical driving on the road, accompanied by your examiner.
This makes sure that you are familiar with routine procedures to ensure both the safety and security of your vehicle, such as ways of securing your load, recognising emergency situations, reacting to different weather conditions, preventing criminal acts (including illegal immigration), and optimising of fuel conditions; amongst other subjects.
If you have successfully completed all the modules, then congratulation you are now a qualified HGV driver, at least for the class of vehicle that you have been assessed on. However, in order to maintain your CPC you must now complete a further 35 hours of training in every five year period (these can be staggered to suit your own timetable). Fail to do so and you would commit an offence, if you continued to drive a heavy goods vehicle professionally.