Planning A New Career? Consider Becoming A HGV Driver
When someone says they are a HGV driver, many people can only see the part where they drive along the motorways in big lorries. But driving a HGV can be an incredibly fulfilling, challenging and rewarding career path for the right kind of person. And like everything in life, there's more than one way to do it. So if you're planning a new career as a HGV driver, we have a few suggestions of the options you could take.
Choose Your License
If you're brand new into the business, you will need to get your license and qualifications sorted before you start looking for jobs or setting up on your own. You will need to take your Driver CPC as a bare minimum, but we recommend looking into other qualifications too. The more types of vehicle you are qualified to drive, the more attractive you are for a client or employer. So look into taking your CAT C1, CAT C+E, CAT C1+E or horsebox licenses as well. This means you will be more flexible as a freelancer and much more attractive over drivers with a basic Driver CPC for employers.
Single Company Employment
The most traditional route for newly qualified HGV drivers to take is to go into full time employment with a distributor or other company. Once you've decided it's the career for you and passed all of your qualification exams, it's time to brush off your CV and start job hunting. You'll generally find the bigger companies who are transporting goods across the country regularly (think big supermarkets or wholesalers) are the best to target first, as they are always looking for new drivers to help them open up more routes and distribution channels. At the moment companies, all over the UK are crying out for newly qualified drivers to replace those who are retiring, so you shouldn't have much trouble finding a position. From there you can negotiate routes, hours and timetable, and HGV drivers are usually paid a good wage by their hour for their time. This option gives you the security of a corporate job without the 9-5 ball and chain, so you can still enjoy some freedom and time on the road.
Freelance Driving
Of course, you don't have to become attached to another corporate job at all. One of the more popular options recently has been for HGV drivers to operate on a freelance basis. This new model means that drivers get to set their own hours and be their own boss, while distributors everywhere reap the benefits of their skills and the business model. A freelance HGV driver is usually licensed to drive a few different categories of HGV, but doesn't actually own any of them. At most, they would own one, unbranded HGV. Freelance drivers organise their own insurance and qualifications, and simply hire out their services to distributors. This means that the distributor doesn't have to hire a driver on permanent staff, pay out all the costs associated with it or pay inflated agency fees for a driver. Freelance HGV drivers are often used to cover periods of sickness, holiday or leave, to boost deliveries in a busy period of to use as an interim solution. Being a freelance driver gives you a lot of freedom and flexibility, which is why it has become such a popular option.
For more information or to ask us anything about a career as a HGV driver, just get in touch with our team and start your new life today!
