HGV Class 2 driver
A rigid lorry, where the cab and the body are one vehicle. Usually multi-drop, usually home every night, and usually more physical than Class 1.
Also called: Class 2 driver, rigid driver, category C driver
What it pays
£28,000 to £38,000 a year, or £13.50 to £18 an hour. Less per hour than Class 1 and often more hours, so the yearly figures are closer than drivers expect.
The hours
Typically 45 to 50 hours, governed by drivers' hours rules. Early starts are the norm because the drops have to land in the customer's morning.
How you get in
- Category C licence
- Driver CPC, 35 hours every five years
- Digital tachograph card
The tickets and qualifications employers ask for
Class 2 (category C) licence Driver CPC card Digital tachograph card ADR for hazardous loads, which adds real money Moffett or tail lift, asked for more often than people expect
What you should not be paying for
Class 2 training is roughly £1,500 to £2,500. Some employers fund it in return for a period of service, which is lawful as long as the agreement is in writing and the amount reduces over time. Read what you are signing before you sign it.
What people like about it
- Home nearly every night, which Class 1 tramping is not
- The natural step to Class 1, and the licence upgrade is short
- Work is steady: every town needs rigids
What is genuinely hard
- The handball. Multi-drop means you unload it yourself
- THE SCANNER, which nobody mentions at interview. On a lot of rigid work you scan every pallet, get the customer to sign the handheld, and photograph the paperwork. It is the office's admin moved onto the driver, it is done standing in the rain, and it is the reason a good driver walks off a decent job
- Tight delivery windows and tighter town centres
- Paid less per hour than Class 1 for a licence that is nearly as hard to get
Where it leads
- HGV Class 1 driver
- ADR or specialist loads
- Transport planner or shift manager
- Driver trainer or assessor
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