HGV drivers’s spend an inordinate amount of time on the road. Chalking up the miles on the motorways and A roads of the country, in all kinds of weather at all times of the day and night. And when those red tail lights come on in front of you and you spot the endless row of cars and lorries snaking its way out of view on a rush hour tailback – you need to remind yourself that, there are those […]
The HGV industry is ever changing. As the world evolves and embraces new technology, as it looks towards improvements in productivity, safety and the environment, so the HGV and haulage sector has needed to keep up, remain open-minded about innovation and always seek to find new techniques, products and technology to make life easier, safer and better for the world around us. This has been seen in the recent announcement of various new inventions or designs within the industry, all […]
Becoming an HGV driver, finally completing your training and passing your test, is an exciting moment. A chance to enter on a new path, a new career, full of promise and exciting prospects. And the opportunity to put into place all that training and knowledge. Naturally, alongside the excitement you may find a few uncertainties in the mind as well. After all, you are stepping a little bit into the unknown so it’s only to be expected that there may […]
The culmination of your HGV training and the final step before qualifying to become a fully fledged licenced lorry driver is your test. Taken in two parts, the HGV driving test requires you to pass a practical test in which you will get behind the wheel of a lorry and be tested on your acquired driving skills and techniques. And, in addition, you must also pass a theory test. As much as the practical test is important to gauge your […]
You know, it’s not just those horrible, dark and cold winter mornings that give cause for concern when it comes to road safety in your HGV. Yes, they might present challenges from icy roads, patchy fog and poor visibility, but when it comes to the really hazardous months, data presented last year from Smart Witness suggested that it was in fact the summer months when HGV drivers, as well as other motorists, were more likely to be involved in an […]
One of the more eye raising announcements, although not completely unexpected, from the recent budget was George Osborne’s confirmation that the first trials of driverless HGVs are set to be carried out on UK motorways this coming year. It was something that had been reported by the Times and BBC at the beginning of the month, with the Chancellor making it official in his statement to the Commons.
As is always the case, one of the key areas of the 2016 budget to concern the transport and freight industries, was in relation to the cost of fuel and related charges. Indeed, while Chancellor George Osborne’s budget arguably presented something of a mixed bag across the different sectors, the news that fuel duty and HGV Road User Levies were being frozen was generally well received. And for good reason – the cost of fuel plays an extremely significant role […]
As we’re in a period of HGV driver shortage (we have mentioned it once or twice) maybe it’s a good time to say that there’s much to be said for a career in the cabin of a lorry as can assuredly be testified by the number of somewhat familiar faces who have taken to the open roads as a truck or lorry driver over the years. Before fame, fortune and other kinds of notoriety struck, HGV driving (or truck driving […]
The problem around HGV driver shortages in the UK has been a focus of attention in the Houses of Parliament so far in 2016, with Transcom, a Parliament Select Committee sitting and hearing evidence from industry leaders and experts regarding the situation. As we’ve discussed on this site before, the issue around driver shortage in the road haulage sector is at potential crisis point with estimates of a shortfall of anywhere between 30,000 and 60,000 drivers, depending on which report […]
As an HGV driver you rely on the reports and information and word of your customer when it comes to what freight you’ll be transporting. Once loaded and signed for, you’re on your way, happily assuming that your cargo is exactly as stated and all is well and good. But how certain are you that this is case? The Law on Cargo for HGV Drivers HGV drivers are, in the eyes of the law, responsible for the goods which they transport […]
