It's a great career - if you qualify.
Are you looking for a job as a heavy goods vehicle driver? It is a highly skilled job with excellent pay to match but it doesn't necessarily suit everybody. You not only need to be physically fit but you would need to get a category C licence at least, which would mean both theory and practical tests. You would also need some experience under a tutor so it could be quite costly and time-consuming before you could qualify.
However with pay rates of between about £28,000 and £40,000 a year, and a chance for further advancement whilst quite possibly travelling not only the length and breadth of Britain but abroad as well, it is the ideal job for very many drivers, and there is no shortage of work available.
Apart from qualifying for a licence, there are a number of other factors that you would need to consider before deciding upon your career choice.
So yes, being a HGV driver could be a marvellous career for you but it would not suit everyone so you would need to think carefully about whether or not it would be the right one for you. If you already know any HGV drivers it may be a good idea to talk to them and get their views on just what the job is like and what it entails.
At the risk of being accused of sexism, it is rarely a suitable job for females because of the physically demanding nature of the work, particularly the loading and unloading of cargoes. Nevertheless there are a number of women who have made a success of this career.
Drivers need to be physically fit with good stamina, and most of them are over the age of 25, since those under this age are unlikely to have had sufficient driving experience. They do however come from a wide variety of different backgrounds and so there is no single type of person who is likely to succeed at this career. However, in general the following characteristics are very useful:
A HGV driver has to stay alert and observant, because potential accident situations can crop up at any time.It is vital that these are spotted, and action taken if necessary, before a potential problem develops into an actual one.
Then read the pages under the 'More essential reading" box. There is a lot of information there but if you seriously want to become a qualified and successful HGV driver then make a cup of tea, settle down and read on!