coritani

You're fine then mate. As far as licences go, class one is just an extension to the class to you already have, hence category C becomes C+E.

Gremmie

Dont they still give them out free with Rice Crispies

coritani

Just been looking into this cpc nonsense with regard exhanging our licences back if we return. From what I can see, we only get this DQC (drivers qualification card) once we complete the 35 hour periodic training, which as existing drivers we dont have to have completed until 2014 anyway. So the way I read it, we return to the UK, apply for our UK licence back and it SHOULD come back with all our categories on them, we've passed the tests, we're entitled to them. Then, like all the other poor sods in the UK, we worry about the cpc periodic training later on and once we've completed that, we then get issued a DQC card.

If the case really is that if when we are in Canada, we lose aquired rights to the cpc and are classed as new starters when we come back (how can this be legal? we passed our tests years ago?!) then moving back to the UK would be all but impossibe, atleast if you want to be a truck driver again. Just imagine the cost of it all!

marcustandy

This is the bit I don't trust DVLA to get right!! I speak from experience. :curse:

coritani

Nor do I to be honest with you. Still best to get a duplicate before we go I think, and also a notorized copy done of the original one at the police station, if they'll even do that for you, no doubt there will be several legal reasons why they will not.

As for the cpc stuff, I can't see how we'll be affected. When we do get our licence back from the dvla (if we come back) then our hgv categories will state that we got them before 2009 and hence we have acquired rights as we would were we to stay here until September 2009.

CurtNIR

Why, is that how you got your's Graham?

Gremmie

Nope,went streight from car to class1

dinger24

Just had a wee sketch at this thread and to put it nicely DVLA cant be trusted. I have known a few people to put in their licence to change address and it comes back with Cats missing!
You then have to send of again and make a couple of calls (that how the make 3.5 million!) bill you for their mistake, if you are really lucky you'll have the full cats on it. If not you will have to resit the whole lot of the cat you are missing!
I am going for the "oops" lost it found it road!

coritani

Sounds like thats the only way to go. I wonder though, if when the Canadian provincial government sends back our licence to Swansea, does our duplicate/original one also become invalid as they both amount to the same thing? If that is the case which I suspect it will be, will the DVLA morons accept our duplicate as proof of our HGV cats or not? Obviously we know its proof, its our actual licence, but these people are just battery chickens in a government department who are beyond reason and logic.

alandoug

How about keeping your Digital tachograph drivers card? I've got mine & it runs out when my next medical is due (in 2 years).

Another line might be the following:
Say you want to work in Canada AND UK..... You pass your Canadian tests so you can drive there. Why do you have to surrender your UK licence? What does a Canadian surrender once he passes? Zilch. If the Canadian company goes out of business or you want to work in UK for a while....

OR... With the pound in freefall & no parachute, the Canadian dollar may well become so strong against the pound that its worth just working in Canada. Forget all the immigration palava. You have to go back to UK for 4 months then after 2 years, so you'll want to work when at home. Could even split your time between the 2....
What is officialdom going to say then? Why you can't hold a Canadian & UK licence I don't know, you pass the tests you're entitled to it.

coritani

Their official line is that we can work in both, but when we return to the UK we simply hand in our Canadian licence and get our British one back, just like that.

I'm not sure if we can start from scratch and do a Canadian car test and then go straight for their class 1, I have not looked into that although I'm sure I read somewhere you have to wait a certain period of time in between?

alandoug

Well if you don't trust the DVLA, then getting it notarised (as previously suggested) would be the only way I can see of proving you had a C+E licence. Have you talked to a solicitor about your concerns?

coritani

No, although that is something I'm going to be looking into. This is my biggest concern at the moment. I won't be happy going unless my way back is secure.

bigwheels241

Two answers:

Your digi card is the same issue for class 2 or class 1, even busses if you look at the logo holigram on the left hand side bottom of it. So that dosnt prove a thing, only thing is that your license number is within it.

Second:

Canada take your UK once you place a change of address and issue you with a car, you then sit tests to gain artic, Canada return back to UK / DVLA your UK one, and visa-versa the DVLA send back to issueing country if you move to the UK.

didster7

how the driving industry is today in UK, its only going to get worse so i might not want to drive hgv in UK again, if i have spent a couple of years in Canada and if i come back.

if you are in your early forties you have also got to think about your medical at 45, no medical you lose your hgv entitlement..