Top-Rated Reasons To Consider A Career As A LGV Driver In The UK

To date, the best reason to consider becoming a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) driver in the UK, has to do with a considerable amount of available vacancies.

This mainly has to do with that many of the LGV licence holders have retired from or left this industry to pursue other types of job prospects. There is also a low percentage of new trainees within this field.

This has resulted in many employers making the decision to adjust their policies in order to make the LGV driving positions a lot more attractive. Drivers can now look forward to receiving better benefits, earning a higher salary, and improved working hours when compared to previous years. Even though there is currently a dip in LGV drivers, the salaries within this industry were always regarded as relatively good, and in most cases, it has remained 50p and £1 above the standard minimum-hourly wage.

One of the other factors that have made an LGV driving career a good choice, has to do with job security. This industry is highly regulated in order to protect drivers’ rights, yet the current lack in these drivers has meant that employers have needed to take the steps in order to keep their current drivers.

Another reason for the lack of employees is due to drivers that have not fulfilled the necessary requirements in order to become LGV drivers. Most drivers have their C class and C+E licences, but most have not completed the required CPC (Driver Certificate of Professional Competence) training. The CPC courses entail training that is offered by providers that are authorized over a period of 5 hours daily for 7 days. There are no examinations or tests and receiving the DQC (Driver Qualification Card) from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is only based on attendance.

In addition, the fee that is involved in this training along with acquiring a DQC is nominal. In an effort to make these positions look more attractive, some of the employers within this field, are now offering to cover these costs for the drivers that already have a C+E and C category licence.

Another great reason to think about a career as an LGV driver involves the flexibility of these positions. For drivers that like the open roads, there is the option to apply for the long-distance positions which will involve traveling abroad and throughout the UK. For drivers that prefer closer to home positions, there are many local, city, or regional hauling options to choose from.

Driver licensing and training requirements are also comparatively low and drivers are able to achieve these requirements rather fast. To commence with training, the driver must first obtain a standard car driving licence. From here a C category or class 2 licence, which will involve a practical examination, a test, and training. Once the drivers have achieved their C licence, they have the choice to advance their prospects by pursuing a class 1 or C+E category licence.

The time that it will take to achieve these requirements for the different licences will depend on the type of training course that was taken, along with how much time is dedicated to this training. In the courses where the trainers dedicate time to a learner on a one-on-one basis and daily is obviously the fastest.

Individuals are also able to go after a career in LGV Driver Training while still working for another job when they choose the part-time courses or weekend training, or when they have any other time to set aside for this training.