Job Security and Good Money in a Role that is really 'Going Places'

With a growing market and pay that is potentially way above the median UK salary, the title of this post is not only a terrible pun, but an accurate description of a career driving Heavy Goods Vehicles. So if you are looking at a new career, whether it be from a young age or looking for a bit of change, this post should hopefully provide you with some information and advice on what it is like to go truckin' vocationally.

What does the job entail?

Well, essentially being a HGV Driver is transporting goods from one destination to another. However, asides from that there are other job requirements that include a responsibility to ensure goods are safely secured, a pride in keeping your vehicle in good condition, expert loading and unloading of a vehicles cargo.

The further you go through this career the more avenues (sorry, another poor pun) begin to open up. Progression within the industry could lead to qualifications that allow you to transport more specialist cargo, work in the training side of the industry or to become involved with logistics and transport management.

Money and Hours.

As previously mentioned the money in HGV Driving is at worst pretty good. The National Careers Service estimates that the starting salary for a driver can begin at between £18k-£22k. Then within a few years it could rise to at least £35k. Naturally as the industry grows and the need for drivers increases it is likely that these figures could also increase- making it a very lucrative career. These figures compare favourably with the National Median Salary which is at about £20k for all jobs.

Working in the HGV Industry can mean that you are working fairly long hours, with Total Jobs stating that the average weekly hours for a driver are 48. However, the work patterns for HGV drivers are fairly ruled upon with appropriate breaks and holidays stipulated in EU Legislation.

Is work readily available?

As noted in a previous article, there are literally thousands of jobs available in the HGV Industry, and this is only going to grow as the average age of drivers means that more positions become available.

What Next?

The next step for anyone who wishes to look into a career along these lines is to get some training, this is generally available through week-long crash courses at a price of around £1200 including test fees- this represents a great investment on the basis of future employment and working security.

For further information you may wish to visit www.alphahgv.co.uk

Serious Shortage In HGV Driver Numbers?

Now, as you will probably know if you are reading this, there is a serious area of concern growing in the HGV Industry with regard to the lack of qualified Drivers available. But what are the facts? A lot has been said, rightly or wrongly, on the issue, so I am going to look at the facts with regard to Driver Shortage in the UK. 

First off, many are working under the assumption that there just aren't drivers available out there. Since the end of recession and the phoenix-like rise of the British economy, industry has sped up and  there is a greater demand for HGV drivers on Britain's roads. Depending upon which figures you read there were either 45 thousand (RHA estimate) or 50-60 thousand (FTA estimate) unfulfilled HGV jobs during 2014. Huge numbers. Yet, while the amount of jobs have risen, the cost of actually attaining a licence during the recession, coupled in with the risk of not getting employed at the end of the process and the potential jeopardy it put employment under at the time, meant that people simply weren't getting qualified.

Interestingly, perhaps, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is reporting that in February 2015 there were 1,345 drivers in the UK claiming unemployment benefits. Alongside the drivers outside of employment who are not claiming of the state this must mean that there are the drivers available. However, the figures for drivers claiming unemployment benefits in February 2015 look quite different when compared to statistics 12 months earlier. In February 2014, ONS reported that there 3,100 qualified drivers claiming benefit, creating a decrease of 56%. With the increase in the amount of jobs available it is likely that this trend will continue and therefore put a huge strain on the HGV Industry.