HGV operators up and down the country have been urged by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) to keep up to date with Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) training. 

This comes one year after the first CPC deadline - and the FTA said that delaying submissions to the last minute can result in a bottleneck at the 2019 deadline, which may result in slower responses. 

A total of 35 hours of periodic training is required to be completed by drivers every five years for them to stay qualified. 

Last year's deadline of September 10th saw a rush of drivers registering with just weeks to go. 

Training manager at the FTA Keith Gray said a significant number of Driver Qualification Cards were issued after the previous deadline, which means that not all of the training taking place in 2015 has been for those starting again. 

"If we are slower to get started, it will mean that the peak experienced in 2014 will be even greater," he warned.