What It's Really Like Being An HGV Driver
HGV driving is one of those professionals that many people don't give a second thought to, especially if you don't know anyone in the industry. You just see them driving by, potentially even getting frustrated at their steady pace when you're in a rush on the motorway. But have you ever wondered what it would be like to drive a HGV for a living? To feel the open road ahead of you, knowing you are supporting businesses and keeping our economy going? Here's just a few insights into the world of the HGV driver.
Long Hours
HGV drivers spend pretty much all their time transporting goods from one point to another. If this was a simple as driving 5 minutes down the road, odds are business owners wouldn't bother hiring a lorry - they would simply drive it there themselves. But most goods transported by HGV's are being moved hundreds or even thousands of miles, from one end of the country to another. Those journeys are long, with one delivery sometimes spanning 2 full days from start to finish. So to be a HGV driver you need to be happy with driving for long periods of time. There are regulations around the amount of time you can spend driving continuously, so you do get regular breaks and rest stops, but you can't just go home during those, so they're usually spent in restaurants or your cab.
Freedom And Travel
One of the reasons so many people gravitate towards driving HGV's is because it's a very liberating job. Instead of being micromanaged in an office, you are given a vehicle, a location and told to go there. If you work for yourself it can be even better, as you can set your own working hours and choose when to take time off for family or holidays. You can opt to only do more local deliveries and avoid long overnight trips away, or you can go the other way around and use the opportunity to see new parts of the country. Some UK drivers even opt to take goods overseas in order to see new places while they drive.
Lots Of Time On The Road
To be a successful HGV driver, you need to love driving and being on the road. That's an absolute must, and without it you will probably burn out very quickly. HGV drivers are a special breed of people who love driving, time alone and travelling long distances to new places. You will meet all sorts of new people along the way and at your delivery points, and likely make some fast friends in the industry as well. But only if you love driving and would be happy sitting behind the wheel all day, every day. If you love the feeling of the open road, travelling long distances behind the wheel with just your music, podcasts and thoughts for company, this is the job for you.
So if you think you have what it takes to become one of the new generation of HGV drivers, we would love to hear from you. The industry is in the midst of a driver shortage, with new drivers in high demand with thousands of companies, so finding work won't be a challenge for you. For more information, get in touch with us today or book on to one of our HGV driver training courses.
