Expert HGV Training London Enfield

Some local councils and training suppliers across the country are offering free HGV driver training opportunities, but places on these courses are highly competitive, and eligibility factors mean that not everyone will qualify.

Limiting factors for these courses include:

•       A low number of training places
•       Limited providers partnering with councils
•       Varied eligibility criteria
•       Long application procedures
•       Oversubscription to training opportunities

For those who are not eligible for free HGV driver training, you don’t need to despair.  

HGV Training Network is proud to be the only supplier of driver finance to prospective HGV drivers across the country, helping hundreds to access our HGV training courses and change their working lives.  

In as little as 5 weeks, you could be waving goodbye to the monotonous 9-5 and viewing the wonders of the Great British countryside through your windscreen instead.  

For more information on how we can help, browse our Snap Finance options or give us a call for a no-obligation conversation with our down-to-earth team.

As long as your eyesight is good enough to pass DVLA eyesight standards, you’ll be considered safe to drive.

As part of HGV training, all students must undergo a medical assessment with a qualified doctor before they can get behind the wheel of an articulated vehicle. This is to ensure that they are medically healthy enough to remain in control of such large and heavy vehicles.

The doctors completing these assessments will consider your overall health and any medication you take as well as your vision and hearing. This will ensure that you are sufficiently aware of your surroundings and can recognise road hazards in good time – to stop them from becoming road traffic accidents.

As such, there is no reason why needing corrective lenses should stop you from a career of driving HGVs professionally.

To book your HGV medical assessment and further training, you can call us or email us today at contact@hgvtrainingnetwork.com. Our friendly advisors can answer any questions and start your training journey as soon as you are ready.

If have life events or holidays coming up, saving a bit of spending money can help you enjoy them even more – and an easy way to do this is to increase your driving hours.

You can work a full seven-day week if you choose, but thanks to legally protected driving hours, you will need to follow some requirements to make sure you stay safe and avoid burnout. These include:  

•       Working up to a maximum of 9 hours per day, or 10 hours per day twice a week
•       Not exceeding 56 hours maximum per week
•       Taking breaks regularly – after every 4.5 hours driven, you must take a 45-minute rest – tachographs are used to monitor driving times and break periods
•       Having 45 hours of rest per week
•       Working a maximum of 90 hours over two weeks – a 56-hour week must be followed by a 34-hour week or less

For more information about HGV driving in practice, call us or email us today at contact@hgvtrainingnetwork.com. Our friendly advisors can answer any question you may have and start the process for you at your local training centre.

In the current market, HGV driving is one of the most profitable and enjoyable careers open to newly qualified professionals – as new drivers frequently exceed earnings of £25,000 per year as their starting salary.

But that’s not all.

Some employers also offer benefits packages, alongside excellent pay, which can include:

•       Unbeaten independence
•       The freedom to fit work around your home life
•       No two days are the same – variety is the spice of life, after all!
•       Varied company-specific benefits, ranging from free meals and vouchers to cash bonuses throughout the year
•       Legally protected driving and resting hours to keep you fighting fit and healthy behind the wheel

Simply put, HGV driving can be a career that changes both your professional and private life as you know it, for the better.

Similarly, as the UK is currently experiencing a driver shortage for years which is likely to continue for years to come, companies have an abundance of work to offer. This gives you the ultimate chance to choose a new job that suits you and your family best – without the normal compromises of job hunting.

To find out more about why HGV training in London Enfield could be perfect for you and how to get started, you can call us or email us today at contact@hgvtrainingnetwork.com. Our outgoing advisors can answer any questions you may have, giving you the no-obligation information you need to help you make an informed decision.

Before they get started, trainees will need to decide which licence they wish to study for, as each corresponds to different vehicle weights. The individual licences allow you to drive the following vehicles:

•       7.5 Ton Cat C1 licence

The C1 licence enables you to drive vehicles that weigh between 3.5 – 7.5 tonnes, like delivery and removal vehicles, ambulances, and smaller horseboxes.

•       Class 2 Cat C licence

Cat C professionals can drive any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, up to 35 tonnes, including fire engines, tractors with long trailers, refuse or recycling trucks, and anything on the Cat C1 licence.

•       Class 1 Cat C + E licence

Articulated or drawbar HGVs can be driven by those with a licence for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes with a trailer. This includes the lorries you see on the motorway as well as anything from the 7.5 Ton Cat C1 licence and the Class 2 Cat C licence.

For help deciding which vehicle licence will be best for you, call us and our advisors will gladly discuss your options and career plans with you to help you make a final decision you’ll be happy with.

Some HGV drivers choose to train for further qualifications after a few years, to allow them to handle different vehicle types. These vehicles can be broken into two categories, including those that can carry passengers or goods:

Carrying passengers

•       Ambulances and fire engines
•       Horseboxes of all sizes
•       PCVs – Passenger Carrying Vehicles, such as buses or coaches *

Carrying goods

•       ADRs – a Dangerous Goods Vehicle driver can carry goods that may be flammable, toxic, or even radioactive! *
•       HIABs – lorry-mounted cranes or lorry loaders *
•       Refuse or recycling lorries

*Stars mark career options that require further training and testing to gain the correct certification.

While varied and covering different areas of the UK, these professional driving jobs can come with fantastic salaries thanks to their increased responsibility. They also come with high job satisfaction, and depending on where you work, can include a range of benefits – especially those marked with a star.

To see how HGV driving could be an excellent starting point for you, or to explore alternative options after years of driving HGVs, reach out to our expert team today. You can email us at contact@hgvtrainingnetwork.com or fill in our enquiry form and we’ll get you on the road in a new set of wheels in no time.