Get an Hgv License
Template:StubLearning to drive a HGV can be a very rewarding career for you but you should be prepared to work long hours and stay some nights away from home.
Steps
- Have at least 2 years driving experience. This is now mandatory. Find yourself a well known registered instructor.
- Book yourself a course of lessons. Most instructors will do an intensive course of lessons. Ideally you want to pass your test at the end of your course of lessons, so try to find an instructor who offers a guaranteed pass. This means that your first and possibly second test is included. You may have to pay for tests after this but any further tuition is included. Check before you buy.
- Before booking your lessons, you should obtain your provisional HGV licence.
- In the UK, you will need to pass your HGV 2 and drive for 2 years before you will be eligible to do it all over again to obtain your HGV 1.
- Typically it will cost in the region of about £5000 to get your HGV 1 and you need to bear in mind that you may only be earning £ 400 per week. You should also bear in mind that it will be difficult to get a full time well paid job until you have 2 years experience in the job. All in all would I recommend it ? Well the answer would have to be No. In the UK at the time of writing there is a shortage of about 30000 drivers. In my experience most employers will shove all the responsibility they possibly can onto the drivers, because there are so many laws governing the job and fines for breaking the law can run very very expensive. Just for being overweight on all your axles on one occasion can cost the driver £25000 and that's not all just having one light bulb not working can cost the driver £30. There's is VOSA and the police to deal with, they both have the legal right to stop you for any reason they see fit. Tyres excess smoke from the engine over your legal driving hours, insufficient breaks working during a break - believe me there are literally thousands of things the employers are happy for the driver to carry the can for and see you get fined for.
- Think long and hard before you choose this as a career option. You may work up to 14.5 hours twice a week and the rest-of the week is no picnic either possibly 12 hour days no drinking, driving in all weathers possibly not getting home at night early starts 4am, having to eat at roadside caravans, and generally treated by everybody like something on the sole of your shoe.
Tips
- Don't do it
Warnings
- You can get very tired while working long hours
- You may acquire fines if you don't have a license or drive recklessly *You can die if you get into a car accident Prison Sentences
