HGV DRIVER TRAINING

Keep Legal HGV Driver Training and HGV Driving courses are designed to give all drivers the opportunity to go through a professional training programme that helps them to learn the key requirements to drive a 7.5 Tonne plus truck in order to be able to safely drive on UK roads and highways.

HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) is now commonly known throughout the UK and Europe as LGV (Large Goods Vehicle) and particularly in the UK, driving this type of vehicle comes with specific legal requirements, and training that is mandatory, to ensure a driver can safely and competently manage one of these vehicles.

To become an HGV class one driver, you need to have a true love of driving as a lot of time is spent on the long road, and if you are seriously thinking of making a career in driving HGV/LGV vehicles, then the first step, of course, is to acquire a class one HGV licence. This is where a trusted trainer comes in, one who can support and advise you on your journey.

Keep Legal currently provide a wide range of ADR Driver training and certification courses throughout the year and during 2023 we will be adding a new set of training courses specifically for standard HGV drivers. These will include full driver training from scratch.

For these courses, we currently have dates finalised for the beginning of 2024.

In 2021, The Road Haulage Association were quoted as saying that the shortage of qualified drivers was as many as 100,000 in the UK alone. The pandemic caused many companies to change their logistics processes and home deliveries was an issue many companies faced.

Now transport and fleet management companies are actively hiring, so if you want to make the move into a career that provides long-term security and opportunities, then Keep Legal can help you get started.

You’ll need to be able to handle lorries over 7.5 tonnes and the first step in the process is to take the four-module Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) test.

The first step on the road (pun intended) to becoming a fully-fledged HGV driver is to obtain your HGV provisional licence. To do this you will need to be aged at least 18 years and of course already hold a standard C class driving licence.

At Keep Legal, we have helped hundreds of people launch their careers as HGV and long-distance lorry drivers, and we can help you achieve the same goal with a full range of courses.

To find a good company to undertake your training with, it is always good to try and find either a local driver training school or one that offers certain parts of the course online.

The easiest way to do this is to do a search in Google or Bing.

Some terms you can use to find a list of quality driver training schools are listed below.

“Good driving school near me” although this may bring back a list of standard driving schools.

For specific HGV and LGV training then try something like “HGV training near me” or maybe “driver education schools near me”

And if you want to be very specific, then “ADR driver training near me” or “CPC training near me” if you are already an experienced driver,

As well as the actual training needed to get your lorry driver’s license, there are other things that you must do before being able to obtain the license.

You need to be in good physical shape which means first undergoing a set of medical tests from a medical practitioner.

These include completing the D4 form from the DVLA. The D4 is completed by a medical professional based on a series of tests. You will need to be clear from any long term medical conditions and of course, eyesight tests are part of this.

The D2 form is the one you’ll submit to apply for your actual license and once this is done then the next step is to take the mandatory CPC training which is a requirement for all HGV/LGV/ADR/PSV/PCV drivers. You can read more about the CPC qualification below.

The CPC test consists of 4 parts:

Theory
Case studies
Driving ability
Practical exam

Driver CPC Part 1 Test: Theory

There are 2 parts to the CPC Part 1 theory test:

Multiple choice
Hazard perception

You book the tests separately but you can complete them on the same day if you wish to. You’ll need to pass both of them within 2 years of application to get your CPC part 1 theory certificate.

Multiple choice – You get 1 hour and 55 minutes to answer 100 multiple-choice questions. The pass mark is 85/100.

Hazard perception – You have 19 videos to watch during the hazard perception test with 20 developing hazards you need to spot. Out of these videos, 18 should include 1 hazard each. But 1 video will contain 2 hazards. The pass mark required is 67/100.

You’ll receive your certificate once you have passed both parts with at least the minimum required score. This then allows you to book your part 3 driving test. Your certificate is valid for 2 years from when you passed the first part of your test.

Driver CPC Part 2 Test: Case studies

You are able to book your spot for the CPC part 2 case studies test as soon as you’ve got your HGV provisional licence. But if you’re not going to be driving HGVs for a living you don’t need to take this part of the test.

This assessment will contain 7 case studies based on situations you’re likely to come across while driving a large vehicle. You can find practice tests for this module free online, and we always advise our students to take a look at these.

You get 1 hour and 15 minutes to answer 6 to 8 multiple-choice questions on each case study. The pass mark is 40/50.

Your pass letter/certificate must contain a reference number, and you’ll need this to book part 4 of the CPC. The pass letter/certificate is valid for 2 years.

Driver CPC Part 3 Test: Driving Ability

You have to take the CPC part 3 driving ability test whether you’re going to be driving recreationally or for a living and this is the main part of passing the CPC driver test

As well as the relevant documents you must turn up with a lorry, bus or coach that conforms to the DVLA’s standards (Keep Legal can provide these vehicles)

The practical test lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes, and it includes the following:

– Vehicle safety questions
– Practical road driving
– Off-road exercises
– Vehicle safety questions
– Like a car driving test, expect to be asked some “show me, tell me” questions such as:
– Show me what instrument checks you’d make before and after starting the engine on this vehicle
– Tell me how you’d check if the condition of the body is safe on this vehicle?
– GOV.UK has a full list of these questions.

Practical Road Driving

During your practical road driving test the examiner will score you on a number of elements, including on how you:

– Use the vehicle controls
– Move away at an angle, uphill and downhill
– Do a controlled stop
– Use the mirrors
– Give appropriate signals
– Show awareness and anticipation of other road users’ intentions
– Manage your progress and control your vehicle speed
– Deal with hazards
– Select a safe place to stop

There are also 10 minutes of independent driving. This is to test your ability to drive safely while making independent decisions.

Off-road exercises

The off-road exercises include an S-shaped reverse into a bay.

Passing the test

You pass your test if you have 15 or fewer driving faults and no dangerous faults.

Driver CPC Part 4 Test: Practical Demonstration

Like part 2, you only need to take this part of the test if you plan to drive for a living. As well as your documents, you will need to bring a DVLA-approved lorry, bus or coach to take your test in. (Keep Legal can provide these vehicles)

Your examiner will test you on being able to:

– Load the vehicle safely and keep it secure
– Stop trafficking in illegal immigrants
– Assess emergency situations
– Reduce physical risks to yourself or others
– Do a walkaround vehicle safety check

Questions are based on the CPC syllabus. There should be 5 topics each with a maximum of 20 points. To pass, you must score at least 15/20 in each section and have an overall score of at least 80/100.

Still want to be an HGV driver? For more information on this process and to ask questions, then feel free to contact us.