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Specialist HGV recovery is essential for logistics, haulage and distribution corporations, as without it, operations may cease, causing a significant hit to revenue. Additionally, vehicles may have to be written off without recovery services, which aren’t cheap to replace, to say the least!
Throughout this guide, we uncover everything you need to know about HGV recovery, and what you need if you want to become a recovery driver yourself after completing HGV training.
What is HGV recovery?
HGV recovery is the removal, or roadside repair of heavy-duty vehicles, such as coaches, buses, caravans, LGVs and HGVs that have broken down or have been involved in an accident.
Navigating the movement of large disabled vehicles can be very complex given the size, weights and shapes of these machines, which is why you need a specialist HGV recovery company to handle the process.
Commercial vehicle recovery services provide roadside assistance at the site of the HGV breakdown or accident, which may include:
- Crane-lifting lorries out of ditches, from roadsides or difficult terrains
- Roadside mechanical repair
- Engine jumpstarts
As HGVs are large and heavy, specialised equipment is often required to recover these vehicles. Many HGV recovery companies will use heavy recovery units to lift, tow and carry broken-down HGV vehicles away, such as rotator vehicles (heavy-duty trucks with a crane arm that pivots), mobile cranes, and air cushion recovery.
Air cushioning uses cushions filled with compressed air strategically placed beneath heavy vehicles to help manoeuvre a recovery.
The methods used will depend on the severity of the accident and the weight of the vehicle that needs recovering – HGV recovery engineers are equipped with the tools and knowledge to determine which machinery is best for the task at hand.
Did you know – with a career in HGV driving, you can break free from the constraints of office life and access enticing wages, sometimes beyond £50,000 DOE? Speak to us today on 0800 254 5007 to kickstart your training! ).
How long does it take for HGV recovery services to arrive?
Due to the disruption broken down HGVs can cause to road traffic, and the magnitude of damage they can cause if involved in an accident, heavy-duty road recovery firms aim to provide a rapid response to solve the problem promptly.
Many HGV recovery companies offer 24-hour, 365-days-of-the-year heavy vehicle recovery services. This means that wherever you are, at whatever time of day, recovery is on hand to help. So, lorry drivers should only be waiting for a short period of time for assistance.
However, several factors may impact the speed of recovery vehicles reaching the incident site, such as:
The severity of the incident – if the rescue is complex, more planning will have to go into the vehicle type sent to the site and the method of recovery.
The location of the breakdown/accident – more remote locations further away tend to take more time to reach.
Call volume – if the HGV recovery company is experiencing a high volume of call-outs, you may be waiting a little longer.
HGV recovery companies
HGV commercial vehicle recovery companies provide the specialist recovery services spoken about earlier – these businesses have a fleet of heavy vehicle recovery vehicles at their disposal, ready to combat any challenge they may face.
Here’s a list of some of the most popular commercial vehicle recovery companies:
- RAC Truck Rescue
- CMG Commercial Vehicle Recovery
- Euroroute Recovery (Scotland)
- Nationwide Transport Breakdown Services
HGV recovery cost
The fees associated with lorry recovery differ greatly, and are often influenced by the gravity of the breakdown, and whether you have breakdown insurance covering your HGV, which we’ll explore more shortly. your training, fill in our contact form or call us on 0800 254 5007.
HGV recovery insurance
For many haulage companies that depend on commercial vehicles for their daily operations, HGV breakdown recovery cover is essential. With the frequent usage and extensive miles travelled, it’s expected that these vehicles will experience some form of mechanical difficulty at some point.
Having HGV recovery insurance ensures that roadside assistance or recovery can be provided in the event of breakdowns.
There’s a comprehensive range of insurance policies available to choose from – breakdown cover plans may be pay-for-use or an annual policy.
Pay-for-use cover typically involves paying a small admin fee for the year, and then paying for repairs or recovery when the event occurs.
Annual breakdown cover for commercial vehicles is paid yearly and covers all aspects of the breakdown.
The terms of your policy determine what is covered by your insurance, and may include repairs, recovery, battery replacement, and even key replacement.
We recommend requesting a quote from multiple insurers to find the best deal for you.
Can you get HGV recovery training?
If you intend to become an HGV recovery driver, you’ll need to earn your Class 1 (C+E) licence and additional specialist qualifications.
The Class 1 (C+E) is required for driving and operating vehicles weighing 7.5 – 44 tonnes with or without detachable trailers – which typically includes heavy recovery vehicles. However, you need to embark on a professional HGV training course to earn this qualification and CPC training.
Additional qualifications will likely include a HIAB licence permitting the operation of HIABs, otherwise known as lorry-mounted cranes or lorry loaders. These vehicles are used to perform specialist lifts and require extra training to ensure operators know how to use them correctly and safely.
We offer training on finance here at HGV Training Network, meaning you can open the doors to a new career without worrying about costs – for more information, get in touch today.
Get in touch with us for specialist training
If HGV recovery driving sounds like a dream career for you, we provide HGV and specialist HIAB training here at HGV Training Network.
Our expert team with experience in the field will coach you through everything you need to know to pass your HIAB and HGV training, helping you on your way to a new and exciting career.
Want to know more? Call us today on 0800 254 5007 or use our online contact form, and we’ll be in touch.
