The case of a town in Lleida with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants where hundreds of foreigners come to become truck drivers.

The lack of interest from young Spaniards, coupled with the retirement of many truck drivers and the possible early retirement of professional drivers, which is increasingly approaching, has led British Formació to look for a solution outside of Spain .

As reported by Segre , this private academy offers truck driver courses that cost over €6,000 , which include the paperwork, preparation, and the CAP itself. Therefore, it welcomes hundreds of South Americans to its center in Castelldans (Lleida), a municipality with fewer than 900 registered residents that is seeing hundreds of foreigners arriving each month who have found a way into Europe. Thanks to this, in just four months they complete a highly sought-after training program in Spain , the CAP (Certificate of Professional Aptitude), thereby gaining a foothold in the Spanish labor market .

How do these foreigners access Spain?

The students, generally from Peru, come to Spain thanks to an inter-ministerial agreement with British Formació, which allows them to work and train at the same time, thus supporting their course costs. Therefore, this measure simultaneously promotes local employment in this small municipality and even in the rest of the municipalities in the Las Garrigas region.

But the administration believes the agreement could be being used fraudulently . The region is seeing many former students of the academy apply for and receive aid because they are unable to support themselves .

The main reason behind this problem could be that British Formació does not take charge of finding them a job after completing the course; it simply ignores them, even if they fail the CAP exam .

What is the CAP (Certificate of Professional Aptitude)?

The Certificate of Professional Aptitude (CAP) is an essential requirement for all those who work as professional drivers of goods or passengers, both in Spain and the rest of the European Union . In other words, it is mandatory for those who drive trucks, buses, or trailers and receive compensation for doing so.

This certificate certifies that the driver has completed the necessary training to perform their job safely, efficiently, and in compliance with European regulations. Ultimately, the CAP is mandatory for vehicles used for professional road transport that require category C1, C, D, and their combinations with +E permits .

Is it possible to drive a truck without a driving license?

The answer is yes: the DGT establishes that to drive a truck it is enough to have a C license. valid, which certifies that the corresponding theoretical and practical tests have been passed. The same applies to buses and trailers, which require D and C+E permits, respectively .

However, these permits do not authorize the use of vehicles for professional purposes , as explained earlier in the article, that is, to transport goods or passengers in exchange for financial compensation . To do so, it is mandatory to pass the CAP course, an essential requirement to be able to work as a professional driver. in the field of transport.