Is it worth becoming a HGV driver?

helpimcrap

helpimcrap

helpimcrap

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Joined
13 Jan 2004
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I would have to pay for my cat C & CE and would now be looking to train in the next month or so. But is it worth it or has the bottom fallen out of it?

I'm looking at it as a job to do whilst at university as I'm hoping it's better paid than bar work etc and it can also be a back up job when I hopefully move to Australia.
 
It can be lonely so you have to like your own company. The days can be long and you could be away from home 5 days out of 7.

Scania on the forums will tell you more.
 
LGV is the new term for non articulated wagons. Cat C

HGV is the term for articulated wagons. Cat C+E.

Money is still about for the C+E stuff if you can get ADR and a decent company. You can still earn good money with Cat C but companies are few and far between.
 
The HGV world is odd in that drivers with no experience are few and far between. Companies like experience not just of roads and bridges and driving, but rules and regulations too. Be prepared to spend nights in the cab (summer is too hot and winters are cold even with heating). Even though you only want 1 day a week, you will be asked for more of a commitment.
Depending on the work, you can earn up to £200 a day. A HGV licence costs money.
As for using this in Australia, that might come as a shock due to the distances and 1 run being a 2 week journey. The trucks are probably better though.

Work is there though as road haulage is the cheapest way to move stuff around the UK.
If you have no friends and a cheap place to live, I highly recommend it as it won't require much of a lifestyle change and you can earn a lot from it by mostly sitting down.

My background is as a general haulage transport planner and in 5 years, I never met a new driver.


LGV covers 7.5t trucks and multi-drop (so ideal if you want something local) and you are best off with an agency if you only want 1 day a week. You would ideally need to be physically fit as you will have no idea what you will be carrying and there is a very high chance that you will have to lift off the truck yourself.
Pay is usually around minimum wage and you can expect an hours notice of work.
 
Thanks for the detailed response. I did consider getting just a Cat C but was concerned about exactly what you said. I understand about the Australia thing but it's a back up job, not a career as such. My granddad used to do runs to Belgium over 2 days every week.
 
The only way you may get experience is to start driving smaller stuff with a firm that runs bigger trucks then once you've proved yourself they probably will give you a try.

Either that or agency work.
 
Maccapacca said:
The only way you may get experience is to start driving smaller stuff with a firm that runs bigger trucks then once you've proved yourself they probably will give you a try.

Either that or agency work.
Click to expand...

Trying any way to get experience. DVLA told me I'd be ok to drive as I have a licence and CPC however I didn't get licence returned until other day and CPC card still waiting. Companies won't consider me without them physically even though a DVLA licence check shows I can.
 
Not sure about the possibility of this due to where you live,But Wilko are always recruiting HGV Drivers,And often they pair drivers up (training) for so long before letting them go out on their own,It could be a starting point.

Im not exactly sure wether wilko actually employ the drivers themselves,Or a company called Canute,But i know they also have agency drivers too :)
 
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