HGV Choices

Another common misconception is that this is a career only males should consider. While there are fewer female lorry drivers out there, the number is growing and should keep growing if the younger generation moves past the gender issues and allows this shift to take place.

The best thing about this career is that there is a lot of freedom. The hours are very flexible and you get to decide when you work, and how much you work. If you want to work long hours because you don’t have a family, you can do so and earn enough to live comfortably and save. However, if you do have a family, you can make sure you’re home most nights for dinner.

An additional benefit is the advances in technology that have taken place. Modern trucks are very comfortable, with air-conditioning and your favorite music. You will be able to pick the best routes with the result of your GPS system. In the past few years, this has become a profession that pays more than the national average (with wages being between 26,000 and 34,000 pounds per year). Also, there has been a decrease in the number of hours you must work in a week, down to 48 from 65.

There are also opportunities for career growth in this industry. After you have had significant experience in haulage, you can move on to become an instructor for future drivers. You will be required to teach students how to drive safely and help them develop the skills they will need to pass their HGV tests.

You will be required to assess each student’s skills and knowledge and plan customized lessons for them based on this research. At the end of the lessons, the student must be able to control the vehicle with confidence, understand road safety, know the driving law and Highway Code as well as know how to deal with emergencies and be able to check the vehicle for basic maintenance.

After you had had several years of experience as an instructor, you will be able to get further qualifications to become a specialist instructor. Sometimes, companies will hire or train one of their drivers to become a specialist instructor so that the training of other employees can take place on site.

There are plenty of opportunities to advance your career should you choose to become an HGV driver. By no means is this a dead end career, and you can earn plenty of money in each of the stages, while retaining control over the number of hours you work and with a flexible workday. Furthermore, with the advances in technology, this career is going to become more and more profitable as the years go on.

CPC

Anyone wanting to work as an LGV or PCV driver must undergo and pass CPC driver training as well as hold the applicable licence entitlement. Those who already have the vocational licence are exempt from the Drivers CPC training scheme and have "acquired rights".

What is involved in the Driver CPC?

To obtain a Driver CPC, applicants must sit a series of tests and then undertake a total of 35 hours of periodic training within five years of obtaining the Driver CPC or by September 2014 for those with acquired rights. This periodic Driver CPC training must be repeated every five years to ensure those holding the certificate keep their skills, such as safe loading and complying with relevant rules, updated.

In the CPC driver training programme there are 100 multiple choice theory test questions and 19 hazard perception video clips. Drivers must pass both elements. Drivers will also take modules containing LGV case studies and a licence acquisition test.

Drivers who pass the multiple choice questions and case studies have the option to undertake an approved National Vocational Training programme while they take the remainder of the Drivers CPC elements. This allows them to drive professionally for up to 12 months while finishing the exams and can also count towards an accredited national qualification such as an NVQ or BTEC in driving goods vehicles or carrying and delivering goods.

Following the theory elements a half-hour practical test must also be passed. This involves around ten minutes of independent driving on public roads to assess ability to control the lorry unsupervised and make decisions without guidance. During the practical element of the CPC driver training, candidates will have to complete a reversing exercise at the test centre. There is also an eco-safe driving assessment which looks at control of the vehicle and planning while driving. This does not count towards the result but the examiner will give feedback to help lorry drivers improve their fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Once the Driver CPC has been issued evidence of it must be carried when driving professionally. It is valid in all EU member states, allowing drivers to work on the continent without having to pass further tests or gain extra qualifications.