Top Tips for HGV Drivers to Stay Alert on the Road

Driving long distance can take its toll. You’ll be concentrating for long lengths of time and you’ll be in charge of a hefty vehicle so it’s vital you’re alert and in control. There have been many horror stories of drivers falling asleep at the wheel and wreaking all sorts of havoc, so stay alert, focused, and on the ball.

Rest when you need to

We all need sleep and that’s a fact – and there’s no getting around it. Sleep gives our bodies and brains the vital down time in order for it to repair, rest and rejuvenate. You need sleep in order to function to the best of your abilities. Trying to cheat on sleep is a fool’s game so make sure you get regular rest breaks, and sleep a good 7 hours at night if at all possible.

Eat Properly

Feasting on junk food at service stations is a seriously bad habit, plus it won’t do you any favours. Not only will you put on weight (especially as you won’t be able to jog it off afterwards because you’ll be back in your cab), but it will make you feel sleepy and groggy too. If you want to stay alert on the road you need to eat smart not dumb. So ditch the carb-laden noodle pots that are sky high with salts, sugars and other nasties, and opt for fresh food as much as possible. Make your own sandwiches and that way you’ll know what’s gone in them, eat healthy snacks like –

•Fruit
•Veg sticks with hummus
•Yoghurt
•Nuts

Be Mindful

Mindfulness is a form of meditation that helps you to stay in the moment and stop your thoughts from trailing off. Driving for long distances can be hard on your brain and you may often find yourself thinking about all manner of disconnected things such as HGV training finance payments to a past relationship that’s gone wrong. If you can though, try and bring your thoughts back to what you are doing now, where you are driving to, and focus on where you are. Doing this should help keep your brain focused on the here and now which is vital for staying alert on the roads.

Think back to your HGV Training

Cast your mind back to your training course. Maybe you were worrying about meeting your HGV training finance payments, or perhaps there was something going on at home. How did you pull yourself out of it and get back to the task in hand? Maybe you left the room for a short break and came back in more determined to focus. You can do this on the road too – just pull over, refocus, and then get back to the driving.

Staying alert is vital to succeed as an HGV driver, so practice these top tips and hopefully you’ll be able to concentrate and complete your journeys calmly and alert.

How to be a Considerate HGV Driver

You’ll have covered driving etiquette in your HGV and LGV driver training courses – plus you should remember how to be a considerate driver from your car driving lessons. If you need a recap though, here are some top tips on how to ensure you’re a considerate HGV driver.

Look Around You

Lorries are huge vehicles and when there’s a number of them on the road together, this can be intimidating to car drivers. When you’re driving through towns, or out on the motorway, it’s important you know what other vehicles are around you. Keep an eye on your mirrors as much as possible, be aware of your blind spots, and don’t make any rash driving decisions. It’s all common sense stuff but it’s good to be reminded once in a while.

Signal

Think about it. How irate do you get when someone doesn’t signal? Nobody can read minds (although a few claim they can!). In the world of driving, you need to signal otherwise no one will know what you intend or want to do. Never just pull out, always signal, and make sure if you want to make a specific maneuver that there is space and time for you to carry this out without affecting other drivers. You’re bound to have covered all of these basics in your LGV driver training courses, so if in doubt, think back or look over any past notes, and see how you can improve and get out of lazy habits.

Don’t Risk it

If you’re tired and you’re wondering whether you can make the last stretch without stopping off, don’t risk it. Pull over, grab a coffee, get some fresh air and stretch your legs. Splash water on your face to revive you, and eat a snack to boost your energy levels. If you’re at all concerned about how tired you are, the most considerate thing you can do for yourself (and all the other drivers on the road) is to come off and take a break. You may just be preventing an accident.

Don’t Overtake on a Hill

The main annoyance of many car drivers would have to be HGV drivers overtaking on a hill – especially if they’re in a vehicle that’s been limited to 50mph. This results in a tailback of furious car drivers going nowhere fast, while up at the front the HGV inches forwards over the course of what seems like three hours. So if you can avoid it, try not to overtake on a hill – simply by staying in your lane you’ll be a considerate driver. Top marks!

Being a considerate HGV driver can take time and a bit of dedication, but if you want to be the best driver you can be, it’s wise to be as considerate as possible. Remember, being considerate is all about –

•    Thinking of others on the road
•    Being aware of other drivers
•    Treating yourself and them with kindness

Remember these points and put them into use, and you’ll be a considerate driver in no time!

Top Tips for HGV Drivers to not feel Lonely on the Road

So you’ve finished your driving course at the LGV training centre, and you’re about to set off on a long haul mission to the back of beyond. It’s going to be five days and you’re wondering how you’re going to cope without your usual home comforts and family interaction. To help ensure you stay as connected as possible here are some tips to help combat loneliness on the road.

•Touch base

A 5-minute phone call doesn’t take a large chunk out of your day, so make the effort to stay in touch. Complaining about being lonely works both ways – you need to actively ensure you’re doing everything you can to stay in contact. If you’ve got a smart phone or laptop with you there are loads of ways of staying in touch. Why not try – 

• Whatsapp – you can send photos, videos, and messages for free using wifi
• FaceTime – this free app on your iPhone allows you to connect with family and friends using the video facility on your phone so they can see you and you can see them
• Skype – free and easy. Use with a camera or simply use it like a phone
• Text message – if all else fails, a few text messages now and then wouldn’t go amiss and it will let your family know you’re safe and sound

Talk

Stay in contact with fellow drivers (mates you made at the LGV training centre and new ones on the road) when you can. Plus, when you stop off for breaks, make sure you get out of your cab and have a chat with someone. Whether that's the café owner, or fellow drivers – a bit of verbal interaction can help ease that feeling of isolation. And remember, all other long distance drivers will probably be feeling the same – or will have felt it at some point so they'll get where you're coming from if you just need a chat.

 Read

If you can’t interact with anyone, divert your attention to something else and read a good book. This is a great way to stop yourself thinking about issues in your own life and get absorbed in another world altogether.

Watch a Film

Likewise with the book above – forget about your own worries and lose yourself in a film. If it’s a good one, hopefully by the end of it you’ll have forgotten what you were worrying about in the first place.

Exercise

It may sound like a bit of a random one, but if you’re feeling down and a bit lonely, a bit of exercise could help boost your mood. If you’re on a break, don’t stay slumped in your cab, get out and stretch your legs. A little walk – or a brisk run – will get the endorphins going and help to bust those blues out of the water.

Being away from your loved ones can be hard work, but if you establish good habits from the off, you should be able to stop any feelings of loneliness in their tracks.

Training to be an HGV Driver? Here’s what to look for…

So you’ve crossed the first hurdle and you’ve decided you’re going to train to be an HGV driver. Give yourself a pat on the back! Making that first definite move to changing your career is often the hardest part – especially if you’re already midway through your working life and have family and other responsibilities to think of. But here’s the good bit – there are some really great HGV training centres across the UK so if you make the right choice and choose wisely you’ll be in safe hands when it comes to your training. So before you choose, what should you look out for?

First off, as with any educational institution, it’s always wise to check out their credentials. Reputable HGV training centres should be able to answer ‘yes’ to a number of the following (if not all)… They should be associates of the RHA (the Road Haulage Association), and members of the FTA (Freight Transport Association). Furthermore, HGV training centres should be regularly inspected by awarding bodies to ensure they are following correct procedures, and training people to the right standard.

Alongside all this, you should also ask to check out their pass rates of previous candidates. If a training centre is training people and getting a poor pass rate, it says something about the quality of their training. As well as the pass rate, consider the location of the training centres, and the number of training centres they own/run.

Training for a new career can be hard work, and it will take a considerable amount of time. You’ll need to study, pass tests, and be assessed. With that in mind, it’s wise to consider the location of your training centre. The closer to home, the better. You’ll save money on travel costs, and be able to fit the training in around your work and life more easily.

There are many HGV training centres around the country, and while many will work hard to train you to the best of their ability, some will work extra hard to take things even further. Look out for HGV training centres which have attached recruitment centres so that they can help you find work once you’ve gained your licence. This can ease the whole ‘job hunt’ process considerably, and should make finding work that little less painful.

So, there you have it – everything you need to think about when choosing your HGV driver training centre. One final thing to think of though is just how long your potential training centre has been training for. If it’s only been open for a few years, it may not have the level of expertise that some of the older centres have – but that’s not always the case. Before you sign up to training of any kind, always make sure you check out the institution beforehand and make sure their credentials are up to scratch. This, after all, is the most reliable way of ensuring you’ll get training that’s top-notch, accredited, and destined to get you on the road.