HGV Long Distance Driving – The Rules and Regulations

Long distance HGV – Heavy Goods Vehicle - driving (or now officially called LGV - Large Goods Vehicle – as it was changed as not all countries in Europe have a word for heavy) was once a massively popular and sought after occupation. Not so popular now, but still a common career, HGV driving can be extremely rewarding, but also extremely onerous.

The occupation is often criticised as it can be seen, in its most basic form, as a simple driving job where the driver is sat down all day, every day, driving back and forth between warehouses. In fact, to be a great HGV driver you require a lot of patience, large amounts of energy, be a self-starter and can be an effective sole worker. Individually, these traits can be found amongst a large amount of people. Together however, these traits in a person are extremely difficult to come by.

To drive HGV’s, a normal motorcar license will not suffice and a specific HGV license is required. Split in to two categories – N2 and N3 – which one you choose depends on which type of HGV you can drive. Having an N2 license allows the holder to drive a vehicle that has a Maximum Allowed Mass (MAM) of between 3.5 tonnes and 12 tonnes and the N3 allows for a MAM greater than 12 tonnes. Once you have the license, you can drive the relevant vehicle immediately. Getting the license however, is a little bit trickier. - a HGV license can cost up to £2,000 depending on which license you choose. However, there are two main ways to go about getting a HGV license.

The first option is to pay for it your self. Plain and simple. Take some lessons, have a test and get your license.

The second option is to be sponsored. A lot of haulage companies will take on people who don’t currently hold a HGV license, but want to, train them up and put them through their test completely free of charge – with the agreement that the newly qualified driver will stay with the company for between 12-24 months. This is the ideal option for a lot of people, if you can gain sponsorship. You receive full training, a license and guaranteed work for 12 to 24 months. The downside is that the work is likely to be somewhat basic (simple drops between two companies), which is where passing your test yourself excels – you can choose who you want to work for and which jobs you want to accept. The only other issues here is that you’ll need to buy your own HGV – which can cost around £40,000 as well as your own HGV insurance, which can be extremely costly.

Insurance wise HGV insurance costs are a whole lot more expensive than Van Insurance. Lorries cost a whole lot more and can deliver a whole lot more damage in an accident too.

Salary wise, HGV drivers can expect to earn between £9-£12 per hour for agency staff and in excess of £22,000. Of course, the potential to earn more is always available and a lot of HGV drivers are earning over £30,000 a year, plus any over-time they may work.

Further to the monetary benefits, a lot of drivers can see a variety of places in one drive. For example, a European HGV driver can see several countries in one go whilst a HGV driver in America can visit a variety of states in a single trip.

Whilst the working hours leave something to be desired – early mornings and late nights are a regular occurrence – the benefits can be fantastic and the job is ideal if you have a love for driving.