What is life like as a lorry driver?
Driving a heavy goods vehicle for a living can be very different to almost any other job. Some drivers report spending around 300 days each year away from home. Whether you primarily drive around the UK, or in Europe, or even further afield, clearly you will see all sorts of new places and massively expand your horizons.
Evidently, it is also the case that your time with family and friends will be limited. Social media and Skype can only go so far in filling the void caused by the lack of real face-to-face contact with your loved ones.
One of the most coveted aspects of the job can be the flexibility. Drivers often get to choose when they drive, so some might set of at dawn, known as ‘moving with the light’, while others may prefer to drive through the night.
Many drivers also report that the on-the-job camaraderie with other drivers is second to none. Other drivers really like the satisfaction that comes from doing such an important job – society couldn’t function as we know it if supermarket shelves weren’t stocked, or if life-saving medical supplies didn’t get delivered.
One of the main attractions of driving as a career is that it is relatively well-paid, with good job security. Average salaries are more than £30,000 per annum.
Good drivers are certainly very much in demand – surveys by haulage associations suggest there is a need for up to 60,000 more drivers in the UK, and 60{3607493196638bd3057655f67fcc1f106cd4610af40c2e05d711490d9fe2de87} of drivers are aged over 45.
Many office jobs involve working eight hours per day Monday to Friday. Driving jobs are often very different – a common arrangement might be four 12-hour days, followed by four rest days.
The role might test you at times. You will inevitably, on occasions, find yourself driving in poor weather and on unfamiliar roads. You may need to plan your route very carefully to ensure you don’t end up on a road that clearly isn’t suited to a large vehicle.
A & S Recruitment is a reliable recruitment agency, that has considerable experience of recruiting HGV drivers in Ipswich and Felixstowe. If you’re looking for a new career opportunity as a driver, then get in touch with us today.
