HOW PROFESSIONAL?
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• I would like to respond to your article recently regarding Certificates of Professional Competence.
While the CPC is a basic minimum requirement to enter the haulage industry it should be noted that, this is exactly what it is, nothing more and nothing less.
Unfortunately, it is a rare occurrence for a CPC on its own merit to bring a management position, let along a £10,000 salary and company car.
Would-be CPCiers would do well to consider their career prospects very carefully before forking out cash for a qualification that was not intended, nor is considered academic in any way by any professional other than a traffic commissioner.
They should consider all transport qualifications such as internal exams of professional bodies and part time studies at local colleges, there are many to choose from, and then decide where a CPC fits in with one's personal transport career development.
Having completed all four CPCs and certain academic qualifications, I have first hand experience of the worth that is attached to CPCs and regretfully it is not a lot.
I would not discourage anyone from attaining a CPC but the potential client should remember what they are.
As for the correlation between the CPC and ratecutting in the industry, 'professional pride' and ratesetting cannot be learned by any academic qualifications. But if the structure of the CPC could be joined to certain basic educational courses run by local colleges and universities in an attempt to give more weight to CPCs then perhaps the word 'professional' could be put back into the Certificate of Professional Competence, if it was ever there to begin with.
A serious attempt should be made to help students know how much or how little a rate for a job is wrong. Going back to the educational roots of the industry may uncover a new force of cohesion and equilibrium.
Alyn Peacock HGV driver Edinburgh