{"id":12098,"date":"2022-08-22T10:05:34","date_gmt":"2022-08-22T10:05:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/?p=12098"},"modified":"2022-06-29T10:19:31","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T10:19:31","slug":"what-skills-does-an-hgv-driver-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/what-skills-does-an-hgv-driver-need\/","title":{"rendered":"What skills does an HGV driver need?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If a life on the open road and a great annual wage sounds like the perfect recipe for your dream job,
\nyou may be well-suited to a life as a HGV driver. At present, the HGV driver shortage<\/a> is still as
\nsignificant as ever, which mean companies in search of the right talent are willing to pay more to find
\ntrained professionals capable of filling the gaps in their team.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re willing to put the time and effort into developing your knowledge of the Heavy Goods
\nVehicle (HGV) landscape, the reward can be a highly rewarding career.<\/p>\n

The question is, which skills do you need to excel in your position as a HGV driver? What are the best
\nemployers really looking for, and how can you make sure you stand out?<\/p>\n

While the exact demands for any role will vary, here are some of the most common skills a HGV
\ndriver will need.<\/p>\n

1. HGV Driving Skills<\/strong>
\nStarting with the most obvious, to be a HGV driver, you\u2019ll need to be qualified to manage and drive a
\nlarger vehicle than most people accustomed to. You\u2019ll need to be confident behind the wheel of a
\nvehicle which may be responsible for moving a range of different materials, and you should consider
\nyourself to be a relatively efficient, and extremely safe driver.<\/p>\n

Aside from earning your HGV license, you\u2019ll also need to have a standard driving license that\u2019s free
\nfrom convictions. This will help you to appeal to the best-paying employers in the HGV environment.
\nYou\u2019ll also need to know how to handle a HGV in different environments and situations, like in
\nwinter, when the roads can be icy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Mechanical Knowledge<\/strong>
\nThough you don\u2019t need to be a full mechanic to thrive in a HGV position, you will need some basic
\nmechanical knowledge. After all, you\u2019ll be driving for extended periods of time in this vehicle, so you
\nshould be able to determine what the issue is if something goes wrong mid-journey.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also be responsible for checking your vehicle before you take it out on the road, to ensure it\u2019s
\nsafe enough to travel. Although your employer will likely conduct specialist tests to ensure the HGV
\nyou use is road-worthy, you\u2019ll still need to be able to handle any minor mechanical issues which
\nmight pop up when you\u2019re driving.<\/p>\n

3. Reliability and Honesty<\/strong>
\nThough technical skills like driving capabilities and mechanical knowledge are important to a life as a
\nsuccessful HGV driver, you\u2019ll also need to have the right soft skills to stand out when you go for your
\njob interview. In most cases, an employer won\u2019t just be looking for a professional who\u2019s comfortable
\nhauling all kinds of equipment in a larger vehicle. They\u2019ll also want someone they can trust.<\/p>\n

A great HGV driver is reliable, flexible, and honest. Remember, you\u2019re going to be responsible for
\ntransporting some very expensive and important<\/a> goods for clients, so you need to be someone your
\nboss can rely on.<\/p>\n

Showing your future boss you can be reliable, honest, and ready to pay attention to the rules of the
\nroad at all times will help you to earn the best possible role.<\/p>\n

4. Good Organisation and Decision Making<\/strong>
\nThere\u2019s a common belief in the HGV driving world that employees are simply left to go wherever
\nthey\u2019re told, and that\u2019s all there is to it. However, the reality is there\u2019s a lot more input required<\/a> from
\nyou than you might realise. You need to be able to examine two different routes in real-time and
\ndecide which road is the best one for you in terms of safety and efficiency.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also be required to plan your day to ensure you\u2019re reaching your destination on time, while still
\ngiving yourself time for breaks and rest between sessions of driving. Knowing how to organise your
\nschedule and make effective decisions will be crucial in your role.<\/p>\n

You may even find that you need to handle more paperwork than most people realise. Keeping track
\nof this documentation will help your boss to stay compliant with rules and regulations.<\/p>\n

5. Good Communication Skills<\/strong>
\nBecause a lot of the time you spend as a HGV driver will be alone in a cab, driving from one
\ndestination to the next, you might not think communication skills are very important. However, that\u2019s
\noften far from the case. First, you\u2019ll need to communicate regularly with your boss to keep them
\nposted on your progress with various jobs and deadlines.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re part of a team, you\u2019ll need to communicate and collaborate with them to ensure you\u2019re all
\nmeeting your targets. Eventually, if you\u2019re promoted in your HGV role, you may even need to guide
\nand direct your entire team too.<\/p>\n

Additionally, you\u2019ll need to be able to deal with customers and build trusted relationships with the
\npeople you connect with over time. You\u2019ll need to be able to answer questions clients might have
\nabout the items you\u2019re hauling, and communicate about how to best unload and store equipment.<\/p>\n

6. Stress Management<\/strong>
\nWhile many of the careers you can develop<\/a> with a career in HGV driving will deliver a lot of fun,
\nfreedom, and opportunity, they can also be stressful from time to time. A job as a HGV driver is often
\nunpredictable. You might find yourself dealing with people on the road that don\u2019t drive as well as you
\ndo, or terrible traffic conditions.<\/p>\n

Stress can also be brought on by being away from home for long periods of time as a long-haul driver.
\nBeing able to manage your stress effectively and look after your mental health will be important if
\nyou want to excel as a HGV driver.<\/p>\n

Good stress management means you can take the challenges of the job head-on, without suffering
\nfrom reduced productivity or efficiency.<\/p>\n

Do You Have the Skills?<\/strong>
\nIf you think you have all the skills you need to excel as a HGV driver \u2013 but you still need to get that
\nHGV driving qualification, reach out to Surrey and Hampshire HGV training<\/a> today to finish off your
\nCV, and start your new career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If a life on the open road and a great annual wage sounds like the perfect recipe for your dream job, you may be well-suited to a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":12101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[103],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hgv-skills"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-23 13:35:02","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12098"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12100,"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12098\/revisions\/12100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surreyandhampshirehgvtraining.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}