If there’s a no-deal Brexit, there are some very important things that you should do in order to keep operations running smoothly when driving a HGV.

Problems you could face are:

  • Longer waiting times at the border crossings
  • Additional documents need to be obtained prior to crossing
  • Access for HGVs will be restricted due to large amounts of extra traffic

Driver’s license and International Driving License

  • Carry your UK driving license!
  • You might also need to carry an international driving permit, which differ depending on the countries you will pass through 
  • To get an IDP you will need to be 18+
  • You need to hold a full UK driving license 
  • You need to be a UK residents.

Driver CPC

You will need a driver CPC qualification to drive legally across Europe. This is a qualification that is recognised across the European Union. It is not permanent, and will need renewing after 5 years’ time. To renew this qualification, you will need to complete 35 hours of training.

If you work for an EU company and hold an EU CPC, you might want to switch to a UK CPC as soon as possible to avoid any problems if/when the UK leaves the European Union.

Passports and visas

Brexit may mean that you have to renew your passport. In any event, you should always maintain at least 6 months on your passport and it needs to be less than 10 years old.

If you don’t renew your passport then there are some EU countries you won’t be able to visit. In a no-deal situation, LGV drivers may not need a passport at all in order to visit for shorter trips less than 90 days in a 180-day time-period. Longer visits may still require a visa.

Insurance

Of course, you should always have the correct vehicle insurance whenever you are driving in the UK or the EU. In a no-deal Brexit, you may have to also carry a green card as proof of having valid insurance in an EU country. You might even have to carry more than one green card for certain countries or for certain cases. For example, if you are towing a trailer, which will require an additional green card or if you have more than one policy covering the vehicle you are driving.

So those are our top trucker tips which will hopefully be useful for you if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Of course, this is always liable to change, so it’s always best to do your own research using the UK government website.