Ed’s Blog 16/07/2015
The current HGV / LGV jobs available are estimated at over 45,000 across the UK, so a great time to be looking at LGV / HGV as a new career. The Road Haulage Association have also added that over the next 2 years we are due to see another 35,000 jobs become available due to retirement.
Road Haulage Association chief executive Richard Burnett said: “The RHA represents UK hauliers which, between them, operate over 100,000 heavy goods vehicles. Our members, quite literally, move the UK economy. We are now facing an unprecedented and critical shortage of qualified truck drivers – currently estimated to be in the order of 45,000 across the country. Current retirement levels and low levels of new entrants to the industry are creating a perfect storm.’’
With becoming an HGV driver a regularly asked question within our industry is to do with age restrictions. Now at The LGV Training Company we train people of all ages & all backgrounds. A few years back you had to be over the age of 21 years old to become a driver. Trying to avoid the shortage we have currently hit they brought the age restriction down to 18 years of age, with this you just have to take your module 2 CPC test (Theory) & your module 4 CPC test (Practical). See below for further information….
Also, previously in the past the DVLA would not allow anyone with Type 2 or Type 1 Diabetes to become a driver. The rules have not too long ago change on this so that the DVLA physically assess each individual situation to determine who is physically able to become a driver. Trying to make sure that every person looking to become an HGV / LGV driver gets a fair chance & at the same time helping towards the driver shortage.
Just yesterday posted on the TE (Transport Engineer) they’ve gone into how the RHA & FTA would like a lot more younger drivers to become LGV drivers as currently the average age of an HGV / LGV Driver is 52 and over the next 2 years the forecast of drivers going into retirement is over 35,000 as said previously.
If you like driving, you like listing to the radio & like the idea of being your own boss then this is the career for you.