Finding a job you can trust to not only continue paying the bills year after year but give you a high level of career satisfaction isn’t easy. Even if you know what kind of roles you’re passionate about, and have a number of transferrable skills, getting that ideal career can be complex.
If you’ve been struggling to find a job that ensure you can sleep easy at night, it might be time to start thinking about a career change. Not only does HGV driving offer a fantastic level of flexibility to professionals, allowing them to explore a wide range of different schedules, but it can also be a highly secure and reliable job too.
Today, more than ever, starting a career in HGV driving could be the easiest way to ensure you’re always going to have a source of income waiting for you. After all, the HGV driver crisis has prompted companies to work harder than ever when it comes to keeping their HGV drivers close.
Here’s why becoming an HGV driver is a reliable career.
Let’s start with the basics, HGV driving is a job you can rest assured won’t become obsolete in a few years’ time. While it might be nice to imagine a future where we didn’t need huge trucks and lorries to transport essential items around the globe, it’s not realistic.
Ultimately, we’re always going to need vehicles capable of transporting everything from heavy-duty equipment to large volumes of products (like food and medicines). This means we’re always going to need HGVs, and the people who have the right skills to drive them.
Although there have been concerns in recent years about certain jobs being “taken over” by automation and robotics, this isn’t really an option for HGV driving either. While it’s possible that the AI and automation tools making their way into our day-to-day roles could definitely have an impact on your driving experience, it won’t be to the extent where you’re no longer needed on the road.
The reality is that even if autonomous vehicles do become an option one day in the distant future, they’re unlikely to be an affordable option for the majority of businesses. Autonomous vehicles would potentially cost millions to create. Most companies can’t afford to spend their entire budget on an entire fleet of self-driving vehicles.
At the same time, because the rules and guidelines around safe driving on the roads of the UK are constantly changing, human beings will always be needed to keep HGVs safe. It wouldn’t be possible to constantly update an HGV software system with the tools required for it to drive entirely alone.
No matter how advanced technology becomes, you’re always going to have a job as an HGV driver.
HGV driving is skill-focused career. You need to learn how to evaluate hazards, operate large pieces of machinery, and stay safe on the roads. This means undergoing the right training and earning certification to be an effective driver.
Not just anyone can be a fantastic HGV driver, you need to be committed to working on your skills and earning your certification. Like any job which requires a specific skill, this also means you can usually request a higher level of income for your work.
Typical starting salaries vary depending on where you work and who you’re working for. However, according to Total Jobs, the average salary for an HGV driver is around £32,500. Depending on the kind of job you’re doing, you could also earn a wide variety of benefits, such as extra insurance and private healthcare, or paid time off.
The average income for a HGV driver is currently increasing as more companies struggle to fill the gaps in their team, following the driver shortage of the last few years. This could mean if you take advantage of the demand in the market now, you can get a much higher starting salary in your career, without having to work your way up to a promotion.
It’s also worth remembering the rewards of a HGV driving career aren’t just monetary. Aside from the wages and benefits, you also get the added advantage of knowing you’re doing a job with a real positive impact on the world. Without HGV drivers, the entire country would simply stop in its tracks. HGV drivers deliver medicines to doctors, ensure grocery stores can sell food, and even make sure you have the fuel you need to power your car.
Finally, a job as a HGV driver is more flexible than you’d think. Depending on your specific needs, you can find a job which suits your interests and schedule requirements perfectly. HGV driving offers plenty of scope for progression too. You could focus on developing your skills with driving a certain kind of HGV or truck, which could open the door to new kinds of driving.
Some people in the HGV driving landscape travel all around the world, transporting goods on freight ships and making sure imports and exports can be managed from country to country. Other people in the HGV environment might stay closer to home but work on developing their position as a board director or a fleet manager.
There are various other ways to expand your career as a HGV driver too, such as getting involved with fleet procurement, transport planning, logistics management, or even training other HGV drivers. The wide range of options means even if something in your life changes, you can still find a HGV driving job which appeals to you.
Life as a HGV driver isn’t just an excellent way to earn some extra cash right now when demands are high. Transitioning to a career in HGV driving could be the ultimate way to make sure you have a fantastic, high-paying job waiting for you, no matter what might happen in other industries.
You can start your progression towards a more secure and reliable job today, by starting your training with HGV Training Centre!
Website Content © 2023 HGV Driver Training Centre
Abbey House, 282 Farnborough Road, Farnborough, GU14 7NA
