HGV Class 1 driver
Driving articulated lorries over 7.5 tonnes on trunking, tramping or store delivery work. The best paid driving licence in the country, and still short of people.
Also called: LGV driver, artic driver, C+E driver
What it pays
£32,000 to £45,000 a year, or £15 to £22 an hour. Nights and weekends pay more, and tramping usually adds £25 to £35 a night out.
The hours
Typically 45 to 55 hours, governed by drivers' hours rules. Four on four off, nights, and Monday to Friday tramping are all common.
How you get in
- Full car licence, then a provisional C+E entitlement and a medical
- Class 2 (C) first, then Class 1 (C+E), or straight to C+E with some providers
- Driver CPC: 35 hours of periodic training every five years
- Digital tachograph card from DVLA
The tickets and qualifications employers ask for
Class 1 (C+E) licence Driver CPC card Digital tachograph card ADR for hazardous loads, which adds real money
What you should not be paying for
Skills Bootcamps fund HGV training free for adults in England and end with a guaranteed interview. Many hauliers also fund the licence in return for staying a year or two: get that agreement in writing.
What people like about it
- Consistently short of drivers, so experienced people can choose
- Overtime is usually available and well paid
- You are left alone to do the job
What is genuinely hard
- Nights out, and time away from home on tramping work
- Strict rules: tacho infringements are taken seriously
- Loading bays, waiting time and other people's poor planning
Where it leads
- Transport planner or traffic office
- Driver trainer or assessor
- Transport manager with a CPC in road haulage
- Owner driver
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