As an HGV driver, you’ll undoubtedly want to ensure that your skills are as efficient as possible, after all, you’ll be responsible for driving a huge vehicle with a similar weight to a tank. Fortunately, developing your HGV career can be fairly straightforward, what with so many training courses and unique qualifications to pursue. Not only will your driving skills benefit as a result, but you could also find yourself receiving a higher level of demand as more and more businesses are searching for capable, qualified drivers to fulfil their needs. We’ll be taking a closer look at some of the most efficient ways to improve your prospects whilst enhancing your capabilities as an HGV driver.
Should You Ever Stop Training?
They say that you only really learn to drive when you are behind the wheel of your own car, but that doesn’t mean that your training period should stop once you have your HGV license. Many specialist drivers choose to maintain their level of education with frequent tests, and these don’t just relate to their driving skills, but also their eyesight and medical factors.
How Can You Improve Your Driving?
You’ll likely learn plenty of new skills on the road, but there are also dedicated courses that can be undertaken to ensure that you are as capable as possible, however long your journey might be. For example, the below training courses can be a helpful way to maintain and improve your skill-set, without requiring you to take a long time away from work to undergo the education.
CPC Training
CPC (or Certificate of Professional Competence) training is a course that requires the driver to undergo experience that can require them to perform up to 35 hours of periodic training that tests their capabilities, reaction time and other important factors for professional drivers. Once completed, you’ll receive a CPC license and certificate, which can be carried on your person at all times and referred to whenever needed, such as if stopped by the police, or when going for a job interview.
HIAB Training
If you’d like to specialise in a particular task such as crane maintenance and usage, then an HIAB training course is a must. With this license, you’ll be able to operate a crane on the back of an HGV, and as so few people possess this type of qualification, you’ll likely find yourself being requested to work on certain projects, or to fulfil specific tasks that regular HGV drivers aren’t permitted to perform.
ADR Training
This unique form of training is considered advanced – so much so that any driver with this license will be permitted to transport potentially hazardous materials on the road. Even fewer drivers have this license and those that do often find themselves inundated with requests for assistance from companies that require these types of services, but don’t have the facilities to do so themselves.
These are just three ways to advance your career as an HGV driver, and if one thing could be said for certain, it’s that the more qualifications that a driver possesses, the more work they will find coming their way.
