Top Reasons You Should Become a LGV Driver in the UK

At the moment there are a lot of vacancies available for Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) drivers in the UK, so now is a good time to become qualified. A lot of current LGV license holders have retired or moved on to other fields, and there has been a shortage of people training up to replace them. These talent shortages are cyclical and have happened in other fields before.

The current skills shortage means that employers have been forced to adjust their policies, offering higher salaries, better benefits and more flexible hours than they did in the past in a bid to attract skilled workers. Salaries have always been better than many other fields, with basic wages often being 50p to £1 above the minimum wage, and that is set to improve.

LGV drivers also benefit from job security. The industry is quite strictly regulated, protecting the rights of drivers, but the lack of applicants at the moment means that employers are working even harder to retain their employees.

The lack of drivers right now is partly because many people do not meet the requirements for LGV work. A lot of drivers have C+E, and C class licenses, but have not completed the CPC training that is required for LGV driving. CPC courses require that the driver go through training by a qualified provider, for five hours per day over a seven day period. While there is no formal exam, the training requires some time commitment in order to receive the Driver Qualification Card before you can start work.

The good news is that the fee for obtaining your qualification card is quite modest. Even so, a lot of companies are now offering people who have a C or C+E category license free training in order to entice them to work as LGV drivers.

Another reason that LGV driving is worth considering is that it is a quite flexible job. Drivers have the option of applying for long-distance driving jobs that can offer the opportunity to travel abroad, while there are shorter jobs available for those who would prefer regional, city or local driving.

Someone who is already experienced as a driver can obtain their license quite quickly and easily. To start training, a would-be driver must have a car driving license. From there, they can train up to a class 2 driving license, and then earn the Class 1 / C+E license, and the DQC. Each qualification increases the variety of jobs that the applicant can take on.

One-on-one training will likely get someone qualified more quickly, but there are group courses available for those who are happy to try learning in that way. Time on the road is an important part of building confidence, and there are jobs available for those who have the lower classes of licenses. Part-time training presents an opportunity for someone to slowly skill up to earn their LGV license while they are still working in their current day job.