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CPC proposals THE CONCERNS
Page 38
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When is a transport manager not a transport manager? It's a question the European Commission (EC) hopes will be answered once and for all with its proposed changes to the Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).
Driven by concerns over the current standards in CPC assessment and training, the EC is proposing a raft of changes that it hopes will boost the quality and expertise of transport managers across Europe.
The key plans include having a single CPC that incorporates national and international, at least 140 hours' training — or 17.5 days — before sitting the exam, and limiting to 12 the number of trucks each transport manager can take charge of if they are not a full-time employee.
The measures reflect fears that some CPC holders have fairly tenuous links with the dayto-day running of fleets.
The EC is also worried that some managers who work across several small firms may be stretching themselves a little too thinly to safely run their fleets.
Other measures include setting standards for CPC training, so that course providers are properly accredited.
However well intentioned, the plans have already upset the Freight TransportAssociation (FTA).`"There are 6,000 people a year doing the CPC — you'd be lucky to get any if they have to do 140 hours of training," says the FTA's general manager for training Brian Szukala, company can afford to lose people for more than three weeks."
But do members of the CM operators' panel agree? Despite a few concerns, most appear slightly more receptive to the EC's plans than the FTA. •