Discussion On Becoming A Lorry Driver
If you’re interested in becoming a lorry driver, then you’re reading the right post. There are multiple reasons to pursue this career path, but no matter what your personal reasons may be, we will show you how to get started. Do note that being a lorry driver isn’t suitable for everyone. However, if you have the following characteristics listed below, you’ll likely be quite suitable. – A love of driving – Patience – Self-motivated – A stickler for safety – Good health and fitness – Happy to be alone for long periods
Table of Contents
What is the job of a lorry driver?
You’ll have to drive commercial vehicles such as trailer wagons, articulated lorries, transporters, tankers and other vehicles that weigh more than 7.5 tonnes. You’ll also have to work from locations such as warehouses, distribution centres, depots and ports that are located throughout Europe and the UK. If you are interested in becoming a lorry driver you could invest in an HGV course. In addition to driving, you’ll also have the following duties: – Securing loads and ensuring they are safe to carry – Assisting in the process of loading and unloading or supervising these tasks – Planning schedules and routes for the delivery along with various transport managers – Doing logbooks and paperwork for delivery – Checking traffic reports and adjusting your route as needed – Doing maintenance on the vehicle such as checking the brakes, tyres, oil etc.
Salary
A lorry driver will typically earn between £18,500 to £35,000 per year. A new lorry drive will start off between £18,500 to £22,000 per year. A more experienced lorry driver will earn between £23,000 and £28,000 and an extremely experienced driver will earn between £27,000 and £35,000 per year. Lorry drivers will need to work about 42 hours per week, however, you may possibly be able to work more with overtime. That said, there are very strict laws on the amount of time that you can drive in between breaks. Be sure to read the guide on lorry driving hours for more details. The vast majority of your time as a lorry driver would be spent driving in both the day and night. You’ll have to do overnight stays as well as drive in all different types of weather. Once you’ve read this far, it means that you’re still interested in becoming a lorry driver and we’ll now look at how you can do just that.
Qualifications
In order to apply to be a lorry driver, you’ll need to fulfil the following first: – 18+ years old – Car driving licence Once you fulfil these criteria, you’ll then need to: – Start the process of getting a provisional lorry driving licence – Finish the Driver CPC qualification
Getting your provisional lorry driving licence
The first thing you’ll have to figure out is the type of lorry that you wish to drive. Some of your options include those that are more or less than 7.5 tonnes. These include trailer wagons, tankers, articulated lorries, flatbeds etc. After you’ve figured out the particular type or types of vehicles that you want to be able to drive, then you have to do the application for that particular licence.
Medium Vehicles
The lowest class and the lightest commercial vehicles are Category C1 and they weigh between 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes, MAM. Once you have the Category C1 licence you’ll be qualified to drive vehicles such as cargo vans, lightbox trucks, Luton vans etc. Do note that the trailer can only be up to 750 kg. The next class is Category C1E which allows you to drive Category C1 type vehicles that have a trailer that weighs 750+ kg. However, it is important to note that once the trailer is loaded, it can’t weigh more than the actual vehicle. If you want to drive vehicles with heavy utility trailers then you should get this type of licence. Keep in mind that the MAM of these two licence categories can’t be more than 12 tonnes.