Transport training company Novadata has introduced a new drivers' CPC course ' Drivers' Understanding of an Operator's Licence.
This new course, approved by the Joint Approved Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT), has been developed to help LGV and PCV drivers understand the vital importance of the Operator Licence and to give them invaluable insights into their role in protecting it.
'While many of our courses already tackle the areas in which the driver must comply with the law, it is not always immediately obvious to them that their compliance protects the O Licence, and therefore their job, their livelihood and the future of the company they work for,' said Novadata managing director Su Winch.
'This new course now very clearly maps out the potential knock-on ill-effects that non-compliance can have'
Drivers' Understanding of an Operator's Licence explains clearly the various types of Operator Licence, including the Restricted Operator Licence and the Standard Operator Licences. It outlines the role of the Traffic Commissioners and the standards of best practice that they require from Operators.
It also examines issues, such as the laws relating to driving as well as Drivers' Hours and the correct use of tachographs, and it explains the need to ensure that vehicles are not overloaded and that speed limits are always observed.
As so many traffic infringements centre around flaws in daily vehicle checks and in reporting defects, the course covers effective defect reporting and proper record-keeping in depth.
And it also explains what happens when things go wrong, outlining what happens during a roadside inspection and the measures that Traffic Commissioners can take against an Operator when they or their drivers fail to comply with the law or to fulfil their O Licence undertakings.
'We've developed this course to make drivers more aware of how important their compliance is to the security of the O Licence,' said Su Winch.
'This will not only benefit the driver with seven hours towards their 35 required hours of periodic Driver CPC training but also directly benefit Operators by ensuring that drivers are fully aware of how they can help in the maintenance of a healthy Operator Compliance Risk Score, which protects the O Licence itself.
'It isn't always easy for an Operator to impress on a driver how essential compliance is but this new Drivers' Understanding of an Operator's Licence course will do it for them, making sure that everyone is working together towards the future prosperity of the company'
