Important change for companies which employ drivers

By 10 September 2014, all professional drivers (essentially lorry, bus and coach drivers) need to carry a Driver's Qualification Card (DQC).

To get this, they must pass the Drivers Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) – and it will be a criminal offence to drive without it.

Organisations could also find themselves criminally liable if their drivers drive in breach of the CPC requirement. Companies and their directors could be fined up to £1,000 each, and the business' operator licence could be threatened.

The message to employers is: make sure drivers know about the CPC requirement and are assessed before 10 September. After that date they won't be able to drive legally without the CPC and that could mean they stand to lose their jobs. That all needs to be communicated to staff, giving them as much time as possible to get CPC arrangements in place.