Exemption from Driver CPC rules will reduce regulatory burden for farmers

Under current EU regulations, drivers of commercial good vehicles weighing more than three and a half tonnes must have a certificate of professional competence, consisting of an initial qualification and a 35-hour training programme every five years.

However, an agricultural tractor and trailer were exempt from the original rules.

After a consultation earlier this year, the Department for Transport (DfT) has agreed to ‘exempt drivers of vehicles used, or hired without a driver, by agricultural, horticultural, forestry and farming undertakings’ following successfully lobbying efforts from UK farming unions.

A DfT spokesperson said: “We hope this flexibility will encourage the agricultural sector to reconsider the use of large tractor and trailer combinations that are sometimes used in the farming industry rather than using a lorry.”