Since I graduated from university, I've been working as an office administrator, which is a job I'm not particularly interested in doing. However, after reading some recent reports, I'm considering getting training to become a heavy truck driver instead.
I like the idea of not being confined to an office, of ending each day with the sense that I have accomplished something, and of the possibility that I could be earning twice as much as I do now, according to several accounts that I have read.
I have been a licensed driver for seven years, all of which have been spent maintaining a clean and normal driving record.
What kind of training will I need to become an
HGV driver training
, how long will it take, what kind of hours will I be expected to work, will I only be able to work in the UK or will I get to travel internationally, and what kind of salary can I actually expect?
Some of these reports, which state that drivers are being offered a yearly salary of £70,000, are hard for me to believe for a number of reasons.
According to Angelique Ruzicka of This is Money, it is easy to be enticed by the hefty bonuses and salaries that are being used to lure old and new drivers into the industry. These bonuses and salaries are being used to attract drivers.
Since many years ago, the business world has been begging for more people to fill the roles of heavy goods vehicle drivers. However, due to a perfect storm of factors, including Brexit, the pandemic, poor working conditions, and low pay for the hours worked, this problem has recently become even more severe.
The industry is trying to transform itself in order to make the roles more welcoming towards women and those who have families so that they can work in it and get some flexibility. This is in acknowledgement of the industry's shortcomings.
But in order to entice people to join, increased salaries, monetary bonuses, and cost-of-living adjustments are now on the table.
It is safe to say that for many, the prospect of a career in this field has not been seriously considered because of the low pay, the difficult hours, and the potentially hazardous nature of driving all day. But this is beginning to shift.
You will soon be able to take the C+E test as soon as you have a Category B license, provided that you are at least 18 years old and the law will change in January 2022 to make this possible.
The key account manager for the Road Haulage Association is Martin Dean.
According to the employment website Indeed, the median advertised wage for
HGV training
drivers saw an increase of 12.8 percent between the months of February and August.
In comparison, the median wage for all jobs listed on Indeed rose by only one percent, while the number of people working in driving jobs rose by 7.6 percent overall.
The work is still difficult, and traveling by road can be an isolating experience.
In addition, getting the appropriate training can be expensive (for more on this topic, see the response provided by the Road Haulage Association below).
If you keep your ear to the ground, however, there is a good chance that you will be able to convince a retail or logistics company to pay the fees in exchange for your agreement to work for that company for a certain amount of time.
Will the government assist in covering the costs of training?
It's even possible that the government will pay for everything. It was announced earlier this month that a total of 4,000 individuals will soon be able to participate in training courses to become HGV drivers.
The United Kingdom's Department for Education plans to invest up to £10 million to establish new skills bootcamps that will provide training for up to 3,000 individuals.
According to additional information provided by Gov.uk, "The free, short, intensive courses will train drivers to be road ready and gain a category C or category C&E license, contributing to the current HGV driver shortage."
It is anticipated that an additional one thousand people will receive training through classes that can be taken locally and are paid for using money from the government's budget for adult education.
There was a time when HGV drivers were not compensated well; however, this is beginning to change, and there are now reports that drivers are earning more money than some head office executives at companies such as Waitrose.
However, if you are looking for work that pays well, allows you to move up the ranks quickly, and might even require less training than what it would take to become an HGV driver, there are other industries and companies that are also in desperate need of workers. These industries and companies include the hospitality sector, as well as those that employ factory and farm workers. If you are interested in working in one of these industries or companies, you should consider applying.
Experts in haulage discuss sage advice and salary information.
Two experts in the field of road haulage were questioned further about the education and experience requirements necessary to become an HGV driver.
The Road Haulage Association's key account manager, Martin Dean, made the following statement:
It is required that you have a car license in Category B in order to operate a heavy-duty vehicle (HGV).
After that, you will be able to take the Category C test in order to operate rigid HGVs weighing more than 3.5 kilograms, but in order to operate an articulated HGV, you will need to pass the Category C+E test.
At the moment, in order for you to be permitted to drive an articulated vehicle, you will be required to pass all three category tests, which also include a theory test.
The law will be changed in January 2022 to make it possible to take the C+E test as soon as you have a Category B license and are at least 18 years old. This change will take effect immediately.
If you want to keep your vocational entitlement to drive, you will need to complete 35 hours of driver certificate of professional competence (DCPC) training every five years.
The training could be split up into two different intensive courses that each last for six weeks. It costs approximately £1,500 for individuals who want to train for a Category C or a Category C+E.' Because there is a recognized shortage of heavy vehicle drivers (over 100,000), there is a significant increase in the number of job openings. The EU Drivers Hours regulations mandate that drivers can only log a maximum of 90 hours of driving time in a period of two weeks. The Working Time Directive applies to truck drivers as well, including those who operate tractor trailers. During a given reference period, this indicates that you are not allowed to put in more than 48 hours of work. Everyone can find a driving job that works for them. "Trampers" spend nights away sleeping in their truck, but you can be a day driver where you only work during the day and return to base after each shift. "Trampers" spend nights away sleeping in their truck. As a sector, we have been forced to develop and become more adaptable over time. There is now a variety of shifts available, including shifts that run regularly from Monday to Friday. If not, you will normally work for four days straight followed by four days off. On the other hand, you could work any five days out of the week that consists of seven days. Additionally, there are a variety of start times available, in addition to night shifts and weekend shifts. In recent years, driver pay has seen significant increases as a direct result of the severe shortage of drivers. It is now common practice to offer salaries ranging from £35,000 to £50,000, in addition to signing on bonus payments and loyalty payments.
A "night out" allowance in the neighborhood of £26 per night will be provided to you in the event that you spend the night away from home in a truck. There are a few different ways that drivers can make money, including an hourly wage, a day rate, and a salary.
Andy Scott, chairman of REL Investment Management, the company that owns REL Transport, adds, "The total cost to become fully trained ranges between $3,000 and $4,000.
"There are day or night runs, tramping, which involves three to five nights out every week, or occasional nights out; however, job opportunities are contingent on whether or not the driver is willing to do any of these things.
You can advance from a Category C license to a Category CE license while remaining employed by the company, and there are even office-based opportunities available.
It is possible for you to launch your own company and make use of the services of other drivers to cover night shifts.
After completing the CPC course, you also have the option of purchasing trucks and working your way up to the position of transport manager.
One driver's license allows for the supervision of up to sixty different vehicles.
When you work for us, you can anticipate working anywhere from 40 to 60 hours per week, depending on the jobs. However, over the course of 17 weeks, it shouldn't be more than 48 on any given day. Cat C drivers can make approximately £30,000 a year, while Cat C+E drivers can make approximately £41,600. There are now some supermarkets that offer up to fifty thousand pounds.
The IR35 rules prevented us from employing drivers who were working under a Limited Company, despite the fact that we use agencies to cover flexible periods and that all of our drivers are paid salaries. Since we are contractors, we do not make use of owner-operators.
If you are looking for a reliable HGV training provider, consider
HGV Training Network
. They offer a variety of training courses, and their services are accredited by the DVSA. They also offer a job-finding service to help you get started in your new career. With over 50 centres across the UK, they are one of the largest HGV training course providers. Their courses are designed to be completed quickly, and they have an exceptional pass rate. You can also finance your training with their Train Now and Pay Later service.
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