DVSA is warning HGV drivers to check they can still drive legally after technical problems with the agency's website prevented drivers' training records being uploaded in time for the Driver CPC deadline this week.
The agency is also asking enforcement officers to "be aware of the outages" and to "act accordingly" when checking a driver's Driver Qualification Card (DQC).
The warnings follow a technical problems this week on the day of the Driver CPC deadline (9 September) which saw the DVSA's Recording and Evidencing (R&E) system crash repeatedly.
It left JAUPT approved trainers across the country struggling to upload hundreds of CPC drivers' training records before the Driver CPC midnight deadline and with no way of warning drivers of the delay.
If drivers miss their CPC deadline, their Driver Qualification Card (DQC) expires making it illegal for them to drive professionally until they can prove they have completed their 35 hours of periodic training. Failure to produce a valid DQC can result in a fine of up to £1,000.
A DVSA spokeswoman said: "The Recording and Evidencing (R&E) system was unavailable for a short period (on 9 September), but the system is now back up and running.
"Training providers are working hard to ensure all driver records are uploaded accurately. They have five days to do this, though many will upload more quickly.
“It is the drivers responsibility to plan their training regime pragmatically and check their full 35 hours of training is uploaded using the online driver enquiry (ODE) service, they should not drive professionally if this isn’t up to date.
“DVSA Traffic Examiners are, however, aware of the system outages and will act accordingly when checking a driver’s DQC.”
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This is the second time in the past two weeks the DVSA system has failed. This latest glitch left trainers unable to upload hundreds of drivers records just hours before the deadline.
Sharon Daley, director of training provider Sigma Studies, told motortransport.co.uk that her team had spent the day trying to upload the records of around 600 drivers and had been concerned they were in danger of driving illegally as there was no way to inform them that the records were not in the system.
"We took on extra staff to deal with the last minute rush but DVSA has let us down," she added.
