Obtain Your PCV License
Do you want to become the next Stan Butler? Want to become king of the road? After a career change? Look no further, follow these simple steps and you'll soon be on your way to becoming a qualified bus driver!
Steps
- Meet the requirements.
- Age - You can be 18 years of age to take your test, provided that you also hold or are undergoing your Certificate of Professional Competence (DriverCPC).
- Eyesight - You need good and clear vision.
- Full car license (Category B Entitlement).
- Apply for your provisional. You can get the relevant application form sent to your home address by giving your details to the DSA (Driving Standards Agency).
- Along with your provisional application, you will also need to send a completed Driver Medical form. This will be sent along with your application from the DSA.
- Start driver training. You can either learn lessons by yourself, or you can do your training through a bus company:
- Privately - This will be more of cost when it comes to taking your lessons as you will be required to pay the full amount.
- Through a bus company - Most large bus companies will take on trainee bus drivers. The upside to this is the company will pay for your training, tests and Driver CPC. However, you will be required to set up a bond repayment back to the company. This will usually consist of deducting £10 a week from your wages for 2 years.
- Receive your Driver Qualification Card (DriverCPC). Along with learning to drive and passing your test, you will be required to obtain the Driver CPC. If you opt to work for a large bus company, all of their DriverCPC training is done in house.
- Once you have completed and passed all of your modules you should receive your DriverCPC card within two weeks. You will be required to complete two modules to obtain your DriverCPC card. These are the "show me" and "tell me" questions and the CPC theory test.
- Keep up with ongoing training. Once you are a fully qualified bus driver, you will still be expected to keep up-to-date with your training. The training is mainly related to your DriverCPC which needs to be "renewed" every 5 years. To do this, you need to complete 35 hours of classroom and work-based lessons on the following subject areas:
- Driver hours, working time, and tachographs.
- Driver and vehicle safety checks and safe loading of vehicles.
- The driver's legal responsibilities.
- Accident prevention, accident procedures and basic first aid.
- Customer care and defensive driving.
Tips
- Become a trainee driver with a bus company - you will be guaranteed a full-time job at the end of your training!
- Purchase the Highway Code written by the DSA.
- Keep track of your training.
- Try your hardest at all times. Listen to your instructor when learning.
Warnings
- Your type of vehicle is the second largest on UK roads (under HGVs). Make sure you make a note of that on your first day of lessons.
Things You'll Need
- D2 Application form for provisional bus entitlement.
- D4 Drivers medical form.
