HGV (& PSV) Medical renewal

[PiperCub]

To all those with HGV &/or PSV licences, a quick question as I cannot face calling DVLA to be left waiting for half an hour to get an indeterminate answer!

 

Does anyone know how early you can get a class 2 medical renewed before the existing one expires?

 

Mine expires on 30th April next year and I want to try and combine it with my CAA class 2 medical which expires at the end of January.

 

It's not just me being a cheapskate (which I am but that's beside the point), but I want to save time hassle and it seems stupid to pay so much for a DVLA medical separately when it's so straightforward (eye test, blood pres, listen to chest, a few questions - that's £100+ please for 10 mins work).

 

This might be an obvious question but not being in the industry or a trucker these days I don't know. Googling it didn't help either.

 

[dean36014]

Think I renewed mine 3 months before expiry. Mind you it took them 3 months to return it to me!

[PiperCub]

That was a figure I had in mind.

 

Do DVLA send a reminder beforehand? Last time I renewed (when I was 45), I did so as part of an address change as I'd just bought my house then. 

[I_am_Diesel]

The DVLA will send you the reminder with the paperwork for the doctor to fill out. If you wear glasses I would recommend that you go for an eye test beforehand. I think I received mine about a month before my medical was due.

[Eddie Honda]

http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=129498

[gordonbennet]

Mine has to go to the medical team every time due to a childhood eye injury.

 

You'll get the renewal forms about a months before due, i went online to DVLA and requested forms about a month before that, new licence arrived (thankfully) @ 7 weeks which is about the norm currently (appears to be a month or so if no medical complications so if you don't have any issues that should be the time frame), there's a lot of info on the CVLA website, and its fairly easy to navigate and understand.

 

About a week before it arrived i was getting worried, so rang them and it was still pending but due for appraisal the following week, but they did send me a letter confirming my legality to continue driving even past expiry date due to the delays.

 

HGV medicals are a lot cheaper than your local doctor if you are prepared to go to another who offers their services for a more reasonable price, i paid £50 which the company re-imburse.

 

I can't link to it, but if you pop onto trucknetuk.com, go to the newbies section and a sticky at the top of the page entitled ''A fool and his money'' will reveal a list of doctors who don't take the piss.

 

Wanted to use the Post Office licence application checking service, it appears they don't do this any more, and the bloody forms made my head spin.

 

Take a tip, if you still have it don't destroy the green licence section as they suggested last year, it's got all your details on there and proof absolute that you were previously licenced should they cock things up and lose your entitlements, which is not unknown.

[Eddie Honda]

According to this, 8 weeks. https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-renewal-after-45-lorry-minibus-bus

 

But as mentioned above, under certain circumstance the medical can be delayed as the move to synchronise the medical expiry with the expiry of the photocard.