Hi, I’m 16 and currently doing my GCSE’s, I’ve been thinking about what I want to do when I leave school and I’ve decided that I’d like to be a lorry driver. I was thinking of driving vans when I turn 17 in September so that I have some experience of delivering goods, and then going for my HGV license when I turn 18. Would I be able to find work at this age, and how much would I expect to be paid? Also on average, how many hours do you guys work each day? Also do you guys think lorry driving is the right job to go for in this current climate? Or should I just go to College and study for a trade?
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Welcome Pato .
Pato:
going for my HGV license when I turn 18
It’s good to go for your dream
Pato:
Would I be able to find work at this age
I will be very honest with you - very unlikely unless you have a family friend etc who can offer you an opportunity
Many companies have insurance issues with those under 25 especially those with little or no road driving or LGV driving experience
Pato:
how much would I expect to be paid?
Anything from minimum wage upwards
Pato:
how many hours do you guys work each day?
Between 8 and 15 hours
Pato:
Also do you guys think lorry driving is the right job to go for in this current climate?
I would say no BUT if this is what you really want to do then GO FOR IT - you can always look upon it as an investment for the future.
Pato:
should I just go to College and study for a trade?
The more options you give yourself the better
I am sorry that some of my answers may seem off-putting but I would rather be honest from the way I see it than give you false hope.
Pato:
Would I be able to find work at this age, and how much would I expect to be paid?Highly unlikely, unless you know someone who owns a transport company would would be willing to pay the what I’d imagine will be extortionate, second part to that, the square root of ■■■■ all should cover the wages, as the money will have had to go on paying insurance.
Also on average, how many hours do you guys work each day?
Too many
Also do you guys think lorry driving is the right job to go for in this current climate? Or should I just go to College and study for a trade?
I’d opt for the second part, then if you still want to drive then you’d have age on your side a bit more, plus a trade to fall back on
So I’ve basically got no chance of finding employment at that age then. What do you guys know about van driving? Can you get work at a young age there? I was thinking of getting my HGV license at 18, driving vans for a few years and then when I’m in my mid twenties maybe applying for hgv driving jobs.
tbh van driving counts for jack when trying to get a hgv job and at 17 your highly unlikely to get a van job until ur at least 18/19. your best bet is get ur licence at 18 then go to college for 2 /3 years and get something else behind you. then you have a choice of what you want to do
Pato:
So I’ve basically got no chance of finding employment at that age then. What do you guys know about van driving? Can you get work at a young age there? I was thinking of getting my HGV license at 18, driving vans for a few years and then when I’m in my mid twenties maybe applying for hgv driving jobs.
That plan looks a lot more realistic and it gives you the option of possible odd LGV driving days for an agency.
Much easier to get a van job when in your late teens.
Van experience is good for route planning and getting to know your way around the road networks.
Many employers expect the van driver to have the job done yesterday which is why many van drivers can amass many points on their licence - the employers do not mind as they just get another van driver when the original driver either slows down or loses their licence!! - Not all van jobs are like this
If you are set on a driving career then start now by studying the HIGHWAY CODE and any other driving advice book you can find. I recommend MIND DRIVING (Link) for the thinking aspects of driving.
If you click my signature below then you’ll see what is required to get a LGV licence (after you get your car licence)
Like the others have said, it is not impossible but very unlikely that you will get into HGv driving at your age and the problems associated with van driving and age.
Like others have said, maybe look into a trade. Look for something related to transport.
I would suggest looking to go on the spanners. Could also help in the future if you decide to go down the owner driver route if you can do most of your own maintanance
welcome to the mad house btw
if i was you go for the licence and go to collage to get another trade so you can fall back on or do something transported related there are plenty ( FLT for 1 ) if you know anyone in the trade ask if you can go and wash there trucks ect
doing van work at 17 may be just as difficult as HGV due to insurance ( when i had mine you had to be 25 to drive the van due to insurance )
you dont say where you are but be careful about becoming an o/d as there is quite a lot involved in that as you will have to pay your own tax NI costing ect have a good luck round the forum as there is a lot of useful information about if you do go down that route do your research for your area
but dont dismiss it at all as you only have to have your licence for 2 yrs
another option is join the army ( logistics core ) as they may put your through you licecne ) at a young age
So I’m probably going to have to go to collge and get a trade then. At what age do you think i will be considered for a HGV driving job?
Pato:
So I’m probably going to have to go to collge and get a trade then. At what age do you think i will be considered for a HGV driving job?
No-one can give you an age - all they can say is that you will stand ‘more of a chance’ after the age of 25 but that does not mean that you stand ‘no chance’ before that…
I know this does not seem helpful but there is not a black or white answer to this.
More experience will be useful but then you have the ‘catch 22’ situation - how do you get the experience if no-one is willing to take you because you lack experience!!! - bangs head against brick wall…
This catch 22 situation is common for many careers so be prepared for it
as has been mentioned before your best bet is, get ur licence at 18 and sit on it for 2/3 years, in that 2/3 years go to college and get on the spanners or get an apprenticeship or something, it should be easier if youve had ur licence for 2 years than when you first get it even if you never drive a truck.
There are some other young ‘road knights of the future’ on this site and they are the same age as you.
Josh & Removalboy are two I can think of - there may be others
gogzy:
as has been mentioned before your best bet is, get ur licence at 18 and sit on it for 2/3 years, in that 2/3 years go to college and get on the spanners or get an apprenticeship or something, it should be easier if youve had ur licence for 2 years than when you first get it even if you never drive a truck.
Excellent advice.
Have you thought about the army ? not a great looking job in the current climate but if training and choises are what you want they will do it for you and when you leave and want to get in to driving it will stand you in good sted.
mrshill:
Have you thought about the army ? not a great looking job in the current climate but if training and choises are what you want they will do it for you and when you leave and want to get in to driving it will stand you in good sted.
Army is definitely not for me.
hi there,
i was the same but as i could not get adriving job i opted for the spannering after school, for a local haulage company who ran everything from escy vans to artics, after i passed my car test pestered for a few driving jobs they said no cus of insurace 
but kept working hard wash the trucks on a friday night sat morning etc asked the drivers the routes to the more regular drops to gain a bit of knowlage always be the first to muck in with transhipping loads or to do a bit of o/t shunting dieseling up etc and within 4 months got handed a copy of insurance cert wit my name on and the keys to a van and sent on my way.
the morols of this is put in a little extra graft and show your willingness and you might be lucky like i was, one other thing that my boss always said helped me out aswell was honesty,if i every had a mishap i always came clean, as the boss will find out sooner or later!!! as i found out while trying to replicate a seen from tokyo drift in a tractor unit around the yard thinking he had gone out. when in fact he was watching me.
anyway good luck and hope you enjoy your career in trasport
Don,t know if this helps…but when i passed my class 2 a few month ago alls iv been able to do since, is work for a local company through an agency through a friend as most agencys won,t even look at me, so the best im getting is been put down as a spare driver, driving to or from destinstation or doing a local run on my own, so im hanging on to this for 12 month or so , to get experiance.