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CPC training at GTG 

CPC stands for Certificate of Professional Competence and is periodic training that professional drivers must complete every five years to drive a lorry, bus or coach. 

At GTG, we’re here to help you meet your Driver CPC deadlines and make it as hassle-free and enjoyable as possible to complete your 35 hours of CPC training every five years. Our transport trainers are all experts in the industry and have hands-on experience that they can share to make your CPC training journey as simple and relatable as possible. 

By training with GTG, you’ll be joining the 30,000 delegates that train with us every year across our state-of-the-art centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Wolverhampton. Plus, we're now offering Driver CPC online so you can complete your CPC course from the comfort of your home or workplace. 

 

What is Driver CPC training? 

CPC training is periodic training that you must complete as a professional lorry, bus or coach driver. If you do not complete your training before your five-year deadline, you’ll not be able to drive professionally and may be fined up to £1,000 for driving professionally without a Driver CPC. 

After you attend CPC training, you will receive a certificate of attendance, and we will upload a register of your course attendance to the DVSA so they can update your training record. 

Who needs CPC training?

Anyone who wishes to drive a lorry, bus or coach needs to do CPC training. If you received your vocational driving licence after September 2009, your initial CPC will be covered in your training. However, you will still need to complete periodic training every five years. 

Acquired rights 

If you got your vocational driving licence before a certain date (for lorry driving, it’s before 10th September 2009) and did not have to take the initial Driver CPC qualification because of your experience, you likely have ‘acquired rights’.  You can check whether you have acquired rights based on when you got your licence (shown in the table below). 

 

Vehicle categories included 

When you got your vocational licence 

Lorry 

C, C1, C+E and C1+E 

Before 10th September 2009 

Bus or coach 

D, D1, D+E, D1+E 

Before 10th September 2008 

Bus or coach (not for hire or reward) 

D(101) 

After 1991 

Minibus (not for hire or reward) 

D1(101) 

Before 1997 

 

You will still need to complete training periodically, although the deadlines for this training are set (as in the table below). 

 

Lorry driver 

Bus or coach driver 

Dual-category driver (lorry, bus and coach) 

Lorry 

9th September 2014 

9th September 2013 

9th September 2013 

Bus or coach 

9th September 2019 

9th September 2018 

9th September 2019 

Bus or coach (not for hire or reward) 

9th September 2024 

9th September 2023 

9th September 2024 

CPC card – everything you need to know 

What is a CPC card? 

Your CPC card is a card that you must carry with you when driving professionally in a lorry, bus or coach – you may receive a £50 penalty for driving without it.  

 

How do you get a CPC card? 

You will receive your CPC card when you complete your CPC training (a total of 35 hours within a five-year period). If you complete your training within the 12 months before your deadline, you will receive your CPC card straight away. If you complete your training early, you won’t receive your new card until closer to the expiry date for your existing card. 

 

How do you renew a CPC card?  

Your CPC card will expire every five years and you must complete your 35 hours of training within that timeframe for your card to renew. Once you have completed your CPC training, your new card will be sent to you automatically. 

To see when your card is likely to arrive, you can check your Driver CPC training hours. Remember, your card will be sent to the address on your driver’s licence automatically, so it’s important to keep this up to date. 

Driver CPC courses to choose from

DCPC: Fire Fighting & Emergency First Aid in accordance with JAUPT - CRS1909/383 7.0hrs

DCPC: Realities of Transport in accordance with JAUPT - CRS10019/383 7.0hrs

DCPC: Safety in Transport and Manual Handling in accordance with JAUPT - CRS11733/383 7.0hrs

DCPC: The Law and You in accordance with JAUPT - CRS5850/383 7.0hrs

DCPC: Bridge Strikes and Winter Driving in accordance with JAUPT - CRS15111/383 7.0hrs

DCPC: Digital Tachograph & Drivers Hours Training Course in accordance with JAUPT - CRS0994/383 7.0hrs

What changes are happening to CPC? 

As of the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, some Driver CPC changes were introduced to CPC. Going forward, you will have two options to stay qualified, choosing between National and International Driver CPC.

 

Staying qualified in Driver CPC 

Going forward, to stay qualified for CPC, you’ll need to choose either: 

  • International Driver CPC 

  • National Driver CPC 

What’s the difference between National Driver CPC and International Driver CPC? 

 

What is International Driver CPC? 

International Driver CPC works in the same way that Driver CPC previously worked. Every five years, you need to complete 35 hours of International CPC training to be allowed to drive in the EU and UK. 

 

What is National Driver CPC? 

National Driver CPC is a new version of Driver CPC which was more flexible. This type of CPC is designed for drivers who only wish to drive in the UK.  

The table below highlights the main differences between National Driver CPC and International Driver CPC, so you can determine which type suits you best: 

 

  

National Driver CPC 

International Driver CPC 

Where am I allowed to drive? 

The UK 

The UK and EU 

How long does each CPC training course need to be? 

3.5 hours 

7 hours 

Do CPC courses need to be completed on consecutive days? 

No 

Yes 

Can I do 12 hours of CPC e-learning to contribute towards the 35 hours? 

Yes 

Yes 

Can the 35 hours of CPC training be e-learning only? 

Yes 

No 

  

How to get qualified in CPC after 2025 

If you’re completing your CPC training after the changes have come into place in 2025, you will automatically get the International Driver CPC for the first five years, allowing you the flexibility to drive both in the EU and UK. After the five years, you will have to choose to stay qualified with the National Driver CPC or International Driver CPC.  

CPC course package

You can also complete your CPC training in one block week over the course of five days with our Driver CPC five-day package, allowing you to choose from the six CPC course topics listed below: 

  • Fire Fighting and First Aid
  • Realities of Transport
  • Safety in Transport and Manual Handling
  • The Law and You
  • Bridge Strikes and Winter Driving
  • Digital Tachograph and Driver’s Hours 
Driver CPC 5 Day Package

Online CPC courses

To make it as easy as possible for you to meet your CPC training requirements, you can also do your CPC training with GTG online. Once you have successfully booked your CPC course, a member of our team will be in touch with the Zoom link and joining instructions for the course.  

To be eligible to take your CPC course online, you must meet the requirements below: 

  • Have access to a computer or laptop. 

  • Have a microphone (usually integrated to a modern laptop). 

  • Have a webcam. 

  • Have a valid driving licence or ID (we’ll need these to perform legislation checks at your online registration). 

Why choose GTG for your CPC course?

Learn from expert transport trainers.

Join thousands of delegates trained each year.

Train in state-of-the-art facilities.

What our Driver CPC customers say

"Just finished the five-day CPC training at GTG Glasgow. Great facility, spotless café and toilets. Greeted every morning by the lovely Nancy. The course instructor was Billy Fowler who was very informative, knowledgeable and, in such a serious business, managed to keep it lighthearted with tales from his vast experience in the transport industry. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Billy, take care. P.S. I was right about the pole!"
John
"Great couple of days of CPC via Zoom. My trainer, Alan McDonald, was great, informative, funny and engaging. Would definitely recommend. "
Allan
"Just completed a week of driver CPC training. Our instructor all week was Billy Fowler, who was absolutely top notch. Thought he was brilliant. I must confess, I wasn't looking forward to it, but he made it a really enjoyable week. Cheers Billy! "
Ross
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