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!

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.

So you want to be an HGV driver?

You want a job that’s rewarding, reliable, flexible, and lucrative. Who doesn’t? If you’re considering becoming an HGV driver you’ll be pleased to know that this is one vocation that ticks all the above boxes. In recent years, there has been a significant shortage in the number of HGV drivers so training in this line of work could set you up for a career with plenty of opportunities. If you’re just beginning to think about a career in HGV driving, there are a few things for you to consider before you start hatching those plans.

First off, you need to make sure you have the right mindset for this sort of work. Driving an HGV can be intensive. You’ll need good levels of concentration as you can be on the road for a long time, plus you must be happy in your own company as that’s who’ll you’ll be spending the majority of your time with! You must also be a confident and competent driver. The next step is to consider where to undergo your training.

HGV driver training in London makes sense for many people. That’s because there are a number of training courses that you can undertake here. Some are intensive, while others can be tailored to suit you. Perhaps you already have a full-time role, if this is the case and you still want to receive HGV driver training, a London based course could work for you. Alternatively, there are many other test centres located around the country, so if you’re not based near the capital, you’ll still be able to find a training centre that’s ideal for you.

HGV driver training will take you from those first tentative steps right up to the moment you step into your cab and leave as a fully qualified HGV driver. Look out for courses that really go – excuse the pun – the extra mile. You’ll need start-up documentation, theory and practical tests and assessments in order to be able to hit the road as an HGV driver. Accredited HGV driver training courses will cover everything you need to do in order to feel confident and assured on the road.

When you’re thinking about training, it’s also wise to consider what sort of licence you’ll need. Furthermore, as HGV drivers are in demand across the country, you’ll need to think about other factors such as where you would be happy to be based, your ideal work schedule, and a remuneration package that’s agreeable.

Once you’ve thought long and hard about all of the above factors, the only real thing that’s standing in your way from becoming an HGV driver, is the training. As with all courses – academic and vocational – it’s wise to check out the institution running the course and ensure they are well thought of in the industry. There are accredited courses in HGV driver training in London and across the UK. Look for one that will work with you from the start to the end and make sure you’re as prepared as possible for all tests.

What HGV Licence Should I Train for?

If you’re thinking about a career as a driver of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), a great place to start is to gain your HGV/LGV Cat ‘C’ licence – also called Class 2. There will probably be a class 2 training course in a location close to you as this is an extremely popular choice for many. So what exactly will a class 2 training course qualify you to drive?

If you successfully pass your class 2 course you’ll be able to drive vehicles with a rigid body that is over 7.5t. These sorts of vehicles include everything from rubbish trucks that operate in towns and cities all around the country, fire engines, and any HGV where the vehicle is all one unit (for instance, the cab does not come apart from the trailer section).

Cat C HGVs are to be found all over the country as they are a popular choice of vehicle for a number of jobs. As a fully qualified and trained HGV class 2 driver you can be looking at a starting salary of around the £24k a year mark.

Once you’ve successfully passed your Class 2 training, you can then move on to train to gain your HGV/LGV Cat ‘C+E’ (class 1) licence. This licence will allow you to drive any vehicle that is over 7.5t and that has a cab that separates from its trailer. You can only apply for this licence once you have successfully completed your Class 2 training. That’s because the vehicles you can drive on a Class 1 licence are considerably larger. They are often used for long haul and international haulage routes so you can often be away from home for a considerable length of time when you own a Class 1 licence. The average starting salary for a driver who has their Class 1 licence is roughly around the £28k a year mark.

As well as Class 2 and Class 1 licences, there are other licences which you can train for. These include licences such as Cat C1, Cat C1+E and Cat D. If you are thinking about training for a Cat C1 licence (which will allow you to drive any goods vehicle that is above 3.5t but below 7.5t) you should consider training for a Class 2 training course licence anyway as once you have gained this you will automatically get your Cat C1 licence too. Furthermore, if you passed your driving test before 1997 you will not need to take the Cat C1 training course as you will already be eligible to drive a Cat C1 vehicle. If in doubt, check your driver’s licence and see.

Training to drive HGVs/LGVs can be done on courses that fit around your current work and life routines. What’s more, licences such as the Cat C1 can be gained on courses that take just one week. Gaining an HGV Class 2 licence can quite literally open up the world to you, especially if you continue to study for your Class 1 licence. Train as an HGV driver and who knows where you’ll be heading next…