Annual Salary
£25,000 to £42,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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HGV drivers transport and deliver products including bulk materials and liquids between suppliers and customers.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; away from home
There will be
0.2% more HGV driver jobs in 2027.
As an HGV driver, you could:
You'll need to drive safely and follow road haulage regulations at all times.
Your working environment may be physically active and you'll travel often.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) Driver C and E Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
The armed forces also offer some HGV driving apprenticeship roles.
You'll usually need:
If you're already working for a transport operator, your employer might support you to get your HGV driving licence.
You might also be able to accompany a qualified driver whilst you train to get your licence.
Course
You'll need to get a professional driving qualification called the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).
Lots of organisations offer this course. You can find training to become a HGV driver or search for training providers through the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
You might find it useful to compare several providers before signing up to one.
The course will cover driving skills, basic mechanics and how to load items. At the end of your course you'll need to pass 4 parts of the CPC test which includes:
If you're going to work with hazardous goods, for example fuel oil, you'll also need an Advisory Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) certificate.
Refresher course
If you're returning to work, you might need to do refresher training. Find out more about returning to be a HGV driver.
Skills Bootcamp
You might be able to apply for a place on a Skills Bootcamp for HGV driving.
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses that last up to 16 weeks.
When you pass the course, you:
You'll need to:
You may be able to increase your income by working irregular shifts.
Companies often need more HGV drivers at peak times. You could look for seasonal opportunities on retail and delivery company websites or with driver recruitment agencies.
You can find out more about how to become a qualified HGV driver from GOV.UK.
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and Generation Logistics also have details about careers in HGV driving.
With experience, you could:do extra training to get an Advisory Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) certificate to carry hazardous loads like flammable liquids; specialise in transporting particular loads, like foodstuffs; train to become a HGV driving instructor; become a road transport manager; become self employed and work for different companies or set up your own transport company
You'll need: