HGV Training in County Down

COURSE IN County Down

From Belfast to Downpatrick to Newcastle, the cities and towns of County Down rely on commercial drivers and their vehicles to transport consumer goods and passengers in the region. Without HGV and PCV drivers doing what they do, local residents would find life much different. We owe a lot to the logistics and transport industries, which is why the HGV Training Centre is committed to offering HGV training in County Down.

PCV and HGV training are the first steps in pursuing a career as a commercial driver. Whether you want to drive articulated lorries, coaches, or any other kind of commercial vehicle, training prepares you to take the tests you will need to pass to obtain the appropriate driving licence. HGV drivers pursue one of the Category C licences while PCV drivers focus on Category D.

Why embark on a career as a professional driver? Consider the following five reasons:

1. Professional drivers earn competitive pay in line with the UK’s median salary.
2. Professional drivers enjoy a level of job security not found in other industries.
3. Professional drivers enjoy the freedom of the open road.
4. Professional drivers are not confined to a single room or building throughout their careers.
5. Professional drivers enjoy plenty of room for advancement.

It has long been believed that professional driving is a career of last resort that anyone can do if nothing else works out. For the record, this is simply not true. Professional drivers possess a body of knowledge and certain skill sets that the general public does not. Why else would drivers need professional training in order to obtain a licence? It is not an easy job, but professional driving is a challenging and rewarding one.

How to Get Training Started

Getting the training started is not difficult to do. You only need to contact us to express your desire to begin as soon as you are ready. There are a few minimum qualifications: you have to be at least 18 years old, you must already possess a valid car licence, and you must be able to pass a routine medical exam.

Current regulations call for an HGV medical to be performed by any licenced doctor in the UK. The purpose for the medical exam is simple. As a professional driver, you must be able to maintain proper and safe control of your vehicle at all times while working. You cannot afford to have any physical impairments that might compromise your ability to drive safely. Quite frankly, the rest of the driving public cannot afford it either.

During your medical exam, the doctor will be checking pretty standard things. For example, your eyesight will have to be measured to make sure you see well enough. The doctor will also examine you for things such as heart problems, diabetes, drug and alcohol use, etc. You should have no trouble passing as long as you are in reasonably good health and you are not a drug or alcohol abuser.

Every new driver who signs on with us to receive HGV training in County Down is provided a medical package. The package contains the required medical forms, helpful instructions, and a list of contact information for doctors throughout the UK offering affordable medical exams.

After the Medical Exam

Undergoing the HGV medical exam is just the first step in the process. Once that is complete and the paperwork has been submitted, the next step is to apply for a provisional entitlement. Once again, we provide our students with an appropriate package of information that includes the application form and instructions. Our support staff is available to help drivers complete the paperwork and submit it in a timely manner.

A driver’s provisional entitlement will usually arrive in the mail within 7 to 10 business days from receipt of the application. In that time, we encourage students to prepare for the HGV theory test. The theory test is a two-part exam that can be taken in a single session or multiple sessions. Both parts of the exam must be passed within two years of one another to be valid. The theory test is composed of:

• Multiple Choice – Students are presented with 100 multiple-choice questions dealing with topics of general highway and driving knowledge. Students must answer 85 correctly in order to pass.
• Hazard Perception – Students are presented with 19 videos in which they are expected to identify 20 developing hazards. Each video is scored based upon how quickly and accurately the student identifies the hazards. A passing score is 67.

The HGV Training Centre offers preparation classes to get students ready for the theory test. You are under no obligation to take such a class, but most of our students find them extremely helpful. For a small investment of time and money, our preparation class virtually guarantees you will be prepared to take the test with confidence.

Practical Skills Training

With provisional entitlement in hand and a passing score on both parts of the theory test you will be ready to begin your practical skills training. This training prepares you for the three remaining tests in the CPC regimen. You cannot obtain a commercial driving licence without passing these tests.

The tests are:

• Case Studies Test – The case studies test presents the student with six or seven scenarios related to some sort of circumstance he or she is likely to experience in the workplace. The studies are accompanied by multiple-choice questions that need to be answered appropriately. This test is required to obtain the drivers first CPC qualification card.
• Driving Skills Test – Demonstrating your ability to safely and proficiently drive is the purpose behind the driving skills test. This test consists of time on public roads as well as on a closed course at the testing facility. All candidates spend at least some amount of time driving solo during this test.
• Practical Demonstration Test – the fourth and final test in the series is the practical demonstration test. Students are presented with a number of questions taken from the CPC syllabus; the questions are answered with a combination of physical demonstration and verbal explanation.

Our HGV training in County Down is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to pass the first time. Our training works as evidenced by the fact that more than 90% of our students consistently pass their tests on the first try. By way of comparison, the average LGV pass rate throughout the UK is about 55%.

Practical skills training takes place both in the classroom and out on the driving course. Students learn book knowledge in the classroom and then actually drive a late-model vehicle for the purposes of applying that knowledge and practicing their physical skills. We believe that the right combination of both does the best job of preparing students for testing.

You will find that our training is fast-paced and intense. This is on purpose. We have designed our training programme to take advantage of short-term memory by teaching students in brief, concentrated segments. We believe this is a better approach than putting students through long lectures and classes that can take months to complete.

We Are Ready If You Are

The HGV Training Centre offers comprehensive PCV and HGV training in County Down as well as more than four dozen additional locales throughout the UK. New classes are forming on a regular basis to account for the hundreds of drivers we train every single month. We are ready to get you started if you are ready to go.

Training with us means you could have your licence and be ready to look for work in just a few weeks. As an added bonus, we provide job placement assistance to all students who successfully complete their training. It is yet another way we work hard to help our students succeed.