What does a HGV Driver actually do?

The short version

HGV drivers move the country's freight between ports, depots and distribution centres — overnight trunking runs on artics or regional multi-drop work on rigids. The qualification, not a degree, is the barrier: a Cat C or C+E licence plus a Driver CPC, which costs a few thousand pounds and a few weeks to get unless an employer funds it.

The pitch: the post-2021 driver shortage has cooled but never resolved — a quarter of haulage businesses still report vacancies and the workforce is ageing fast, so newly qualified drivers with clean licences are genuinely wanted. The catch: the hours are regulated to the minute, early starts and nights come with the territory, and a surprising amount of the job is waiting in queues for a loading bay.

Entry routes that actually work

• Self-funded Cat C, then C+E — a few weeks and a few thousand pounds with a training provider.
• LGV driver apprenticeship — the employer pays for the licence while you earn.
• Agency work after qualifying — irregular at first, but how most drivers build the experience the good shifts require.