What Can You Do With Your HGV License?

Making the decision to start a career as a HGV driver can be the best you ever make. It’s the start of a long, challenging and rewarding career, for the right kind of person. It’s a big change from the 9-5 you may be used to, but it will see you travelling across the country and even overseas, to see new places and help businesses thrive. But once you’ve decided that you want to pursue a career in HGV driving, what are your options?

Level Up

Before you can embark on your career as a HGV driver, you need to earn some basic qualifications first. Every HGV driver must hold a valid Driver CPC (certificate of professional competence) in order to drive heavy goods vehicles, so this is your most basic requirement. From then, you can opt to qualify to drive different type of vehicle, such as a CAT C or CAT A, or a horsebox. The ability to drive more than one class of HGV is a very attractive prospect to both employers and customers, so it is what we recommend. By holding multiple licenses, you are able to cover more jobs and be flexible about what you drive.

Traditional Employment

Now that you are qualified, you can choose how you would like to make a living. The most typical route for new HGV drivers is to seek traditional employment with a single company. If this is the route you choose, it’s not much different from a normal job hunt – just brush off your CV and get applying. You will find larger companies based in retail are always looking for new drivers to replace retiring drivers and help them open up new routes for trade. Particularly now, when companies are crying out for new drivers to join their fleets, you shouldn’t have any problems finding a position you like. From there, it’s simply a matter of negotiating your pay, schedule and routes, and you can start work. Once you hit the road you are your own boss, responsible for your own working hours while still having the security of a full-time job. Your job will never quite be a 9-5, but then, that’s one of the perks of being a HGV driver isn’t it?

Go Freelance

A route that has been less popular in the past, the time of the freelance HGV driver is coming. Becoming a freelance driver means you are your own boss in every sense of the term – you rub your own business, with all of the administration and costs that come with it. But, you provide a valuable service to business owners and likely make more money out of it than you would through freelance agencies, as you can charge your own rates and don’t have to pay any fees. Freelance drivers will often own an unmarked HGV of their own, but possess licenses and insurance to drive any HGV they need to, so they can drive the HGV their client owns instead. Freelance drivers are also useful to bigger business to cover sickness of holiday for their in-house drivers. Many smaller companies are struggling to pay drivers through agencies thanks to high finders fees, do going freelance is a great way of cutting out the middle man and creating a profitable relationship for both driver and business owner.

Being a HGV driver can be an incredibly fulfilling career, no matter which option you choose. At HGV Training Centre we pride ourselves on not only providing outstanding training for aspiring drivers, but helping you understand all of the options available to you in your HGV driving career. For more information, get in touch with us today.