What kind of jobs can you get with an HGV/LGV licence?
If you are considering completing training to become a truck driver, you may be wondering what sort of job opportunities there will be available once you’re qualified.
There is currently quite the shortage of HGV/LGV drivers so there will be many different career paths and types of job available, should you be open to opportunities.
Firstly, you will need to decide what kind of driving work you would like to do. Here we will be looking at the different types of work available and what sort of jobs these could lead to.
Types of lorry driving
There are several types of driving job available once you have achieved certification. The jobs that you will be able to apply for will, in part, be influenced by what type of licence you have attained. Two of the most popular options for licences are a Category C and C+E. Upon completion of a Euro 1 Training course, these categories allow you to:
Category C
- You can drive LGVs over 3500kg with a maximum allowed mass (rigid vehicle and trailer combined) of up to 38 tonnes
Category C+E
- A step up from a Category C, allows you to drive LGVs with a maximum allowed mass (articulated or drawbar vehicle and trailer combined) of up to 44 tonnes
3 Groups of Lorry Driving
As may be expected, different types of job will be more prevalent for the different licence types and, subsequently, the size of the LGV you drive. The main types of driving work available are split roughly into 3 different groups:
1. Local driving
This involves driving within a small area. Usually you would expect this sort of work to involve carrying out many deliveries in a day.
2. Short-haul driving
This type of work would cover a larger area than local driving, perhaps covering a few counties. Jobs extending overnight would be rare.
3. Long-haul driving
This type of job will see you travel furthest, and is what many people think of when they imagine the work of a lorry driver. Single jobs can last several nights, even running into weeks, and could see you travel all the way into Europe.
Types of lorry driving jobs
There is a variety of work to be found when you hold an LGV/HGV licence, even within each of the different types of driving. Examples include:
Local driving jobs – food delivery truck drivers; courier driver; refuse collector; furniture delivery driver
Short-haul driving jobs – home removals driver; livestock delivery driver; retail delivery driver
Long-haul driving jobs – car transporter driver; machinery transporting; tanker driver
Job Progression
There are opportunities for progression after starting out as a lorry driver. One route to consider is taking further certification to transport specialist items. This could be licencing for driving hazardous goods, such as toxic or flammable chemicals by tanker, or loads of ammunition or fireworks.
Alternatively, you could choose to move up the ranks into a management position where you would gain responsibilities such as coordinating and organising a fleet of drivers.
Becoming an LGV/HGV training instructor is another viable path to consider once you have gained industry experience.
The team at Euro 1 Training are experts in plant machinery, allowing us to provide a comprehensive selection of certified training courses for machinery spanning from HGVs/LGVs to forklifts and excavators. Our skilled course leaders have backgrounds within the industry which ensures that your high quality instructing is informed by practical experience.
Based in Doncaster, our services can be organised around your current commitments and we are conveniently placed for clients across Sheffield, Wakefield, Goole and the surrounding areas. For more information, contact our team today.