HGV Training in Bedfordshire

COURSE IN Bedfordshire

You have a lot of choices when it comes to your career path. We assume you are visiting our website because you are considering a career as either an HGV or PCV driver. Both options are good, inasmuch as professional driving offers comparatively good pay, long-term stability, and an opportunity to work in an environment that includes daily challenges and the ability to be out and about rather than confined to an office or warehouse. Here at the HGV Training Centre, we offer PCV and HGV training in Bedfordshire and surrounding areas.

Before we talk about our training, it might be helpful to provide some information explaining why the professional driving career is such a good choice. If you are like most people, you want a career that pays decently well and offers enough stability that you will not have to spend your entire career worrying about being out of work. A professional driving career offers just that.

Data from 2014 clearly shows that PCV and HGV drivers are steadily earning more as time goes by. As of last year, the average salary for PCV drivers was £23,095 (up 3% from the previous year) while HGV drivers earned an average of £25,602 (up 1.4% from 2013). That’s not a bad salary when compared to many of the other jobs you might have access to. As for career stability, there are no worries there.

The UK is currently in the midst of a severe driver shortage that seems to have no end in sight. The industry is now short tens of thousands of licenced drivers who can legally operate articulated lorries, transporters, coaches, buses, tipper trucks, and more. There are so many opportunities out there that our students seldom struggle to find work. And those who work hard and do what is expected of them never have to worry about losing their jobs.

What Our Training Programme Provides

Now that you know why professional driving is such a good career choice, it is time to discuss your training. It is no longer possible to obtain a Category C or Category C+E licence without undergoing formal training first. If you have any plans to be a professional driver, you must plan on training before looking for work.

Our HGV training in Bedfordshire is provided with two primary goals in mind: prepare our students to take and pass the mandated tests, and teach them the knowledge and skills they need for productive careers. With that in mind, all of the information and skills presented in our training courses cover three primary areas as follows:

• Driving Theory – There is a particular body of knowledge applicable to professional driving that does not apply to non-professional driving. This body of knowledge is known as driving theory. Our students need to grasp this theory in order to be successful during their careers and pass the HGV theory test at the start of training. We present this information in a classroom setting and through software we provide all of our students.
• Driving Skills – Obviously, driving a large commercial vehicle is much different from driving a standard passenger car. Drivers need certain skills to do so safely and effectively. Those skills include things such as reverse manoeuvres, safe braking, proper acceleration techniques, and so on.
• Practical Skills – There are certain practical skills that go along with professional HGV driving. For example, the driver must know how to conduct a proper walkaround safety check prior to undertaking a journey. We teach our students how to do those checks. Students must have a good grasp of practical skills in order to pass their final test.

We essentially teach drivers everything they need to learn to successfully complete the four-test regimen now mandated under Driver CPC requirements. Those four tests are:

• HGV theory test
• Case studies test (for CPC certification)
• Driving skills test
• Practical demonstration test.

You should know that more than 90% of our students consistently pass their tests on the first try. We are very proud of that statistic given that the average pass rate for the LGV test is only about 55%. Our higher-than-average pass rates prove that our training programme works.

What You Can Expect from Our Training

Should you decide to enrol in our HGV training in Bedfordshire, and we hope you will, you have the right to expect certain things from us. First, you can expect us to provide you with the individualised attention you need to master what you learn in class. We make a point of not trying to push students into testing unless we are absolutely sure they are ready to go. If there is any question about your readiness, you need only ask. Our instructors will help you master anything you are struggling with before you take your scheduled exams.

Second, you can expect an entirely transparent training process that keeps nothing hidden from students. There is no point in hiding information you need to know as you embark on your new career as a professional driver, so we simply don’t do it. We are very upfront and straightforward in everything we do.

You can expect your instructors to know what they are talking about as they are training you to be the best driver you can. We are very particular about who we hire, seeking out instructors with real-world experience who can pass along what they already know to others, who will become the drivers of future. Furthermore, each of our instructors is 100% committed to the success of students. They would not work for us if that were not the case.

Most important of all, you can expect a very intense and fast-paced training programme that does not waste your time by taking months to complete. We see no reason to extend your training for six months or longer when we can impart all of the information you need in a matter of weeks.

What You Can Expect after Training Is Complete

Our HGV training in Bedfordshire goes above and beyond just helping you obtain your commercial driving licence. We also provide our students with job placement assistance designed to help get them into the workplace as quickly as possible. Our up-to-date jobs database includes both PCV and HGV opportunities all across the country. Trust us when we say there is no shortage of jobs available. Right now there are tens of thousands of jobs just waiting to be filled.

An additional benefit of training with us is the fact that the HGV Training Centre name carries with it our well-known reputation. Employers know they can trust drivers who have completed training with us, so they are more likely to look favourably on our students during the hiring process. That is not to say you are guaranteed a job just because you trained with us – you still have to interview well and go through the hiring process – but listing us as your training provider does go a long way in helping you find work.

Once you begin working, you will constantly be putting to use those things you learned in your training classes. Whether you are challenged by bad weather or supervising the loading or unloading of cargo, you will find that you have retained what you learned and were able to recall it when you need it. Such experiences are yet further proof that the training approach we utilise is one that works.

Contact Us Today

Your HGV training in Bedfordshire can begin as soon as you are ready to go. Just contact us on our freephone number or through this website to initiate the process. We will immediately provide you with two information packs that cover the professional driver medical exam and the application for your provisional entitlement. If you need help with either of these things, our support staff is available.

With your medical exam complete and your provisional entitlement in hand, you will be ready to embark on your training. We will prepare you for the HGV theory test, provide you with practical skills training, and accompany you to the testing facility on the day of your final exam. Through every step of the process, we will be right by your side.