HGV Training in County Durham

COURSE IN County Durham

Throughout most of the 20^th century, County Durham was known as an agricultural, manufacturing, and mining centre. Things have changed a lot since then, but the county is still bustling with activity from day to day. Indeed, on any given day you can find HGVs traversing county roads transporting everything from consumer goods to manufacturing supplies. Alongside them are the coaches and buses providing necessary transport for passengers. At the HGV Training Centre, we are thrilled to be part of the local area. We are proud to offer HGV training in County Durham.

If you have ever considered becoming a professional driver, now is a great time to do so. The haulage and transport industries are currently short tens of thousands of drivers, so companies are competing aggressively to hire a limited supply of workers. The driver shortage is driving wages up and providing new job seekers with a level of security not found in other industries.

According to the National Career Service, new HGV drivers earn between £18,000 and £22,000 annually. With experience, annual salaries can climb as high as £35,000. Bus and coach drivers earn a little less to start, but they can earn just as much with enough time on the job. It is not bad money considering average wages paid across the entire spectrum of job choices.

Train Quickly, Get to Work

There is a lot to appreciate about training to become a professional driver. First and foremost is the limited time commitment. Unlike going to university to earn a degree, HGV training does not require multiple years of study. In under a month, you should be able to complete your training as long as you learn quickly and apply yourself. But even if you need more time, you can still complete your training in just a few months. Then you will be ready to start looking for work right away.

How can we train so fast? It is partly due to the design of our training approach and partly due to the fact that most of our students already have plenty of experience driving cars. The fact that you must already have a valid Category B licence to begin HGV training in County Durham means you have already learned the basic concepts of driving. That is half the battle. We then take those basic concepts and add the knowledge and skills required for commercial driving. It is not like you’re starting from scratch.

As for our training approach, it can be summarised in one short phrase: fast-paced and intense. We have designed our training programme to present students with information in short, concentrated bursts. We follow each informational segment with the next, in quick succession, building one concept on top of another in order to construct a complete body of knowledge. Think of it as similar to building a house made of bricks. We place one brick on top of the one below until the structure is complete.

Teaching in this way takes advanced of the way people naturally learn. Our training approach helps students succeed by:

• increasing comprehension
• encouraging retention
• improving recall.

Comprehension, retention, and recall are all vital components of successfully taking and passing the required tests. As far as we are concerned, that’s what it’s all about. A driver cannot get a commercial driving licence without passing four tests; we make sure our students are fully prepared for each of those tests.

What Our Students Learn

So, what exactly do you learn from our HGV training in County Durham? If you assumed you would learn the physical skills necessary to operate an HGV or PCV, you are correct. You will learn skills such as proper accelerating and braking, safely turning corners, conducting controlled stops, and making intricate reverse manoeuvres. But that’s not all you will learn. Remember, four tests need to be taken. You will also learn:

• Driving Theory – There are things you will need to know about driving large commercial vehicles before you ever get behind the wheel. For example, consider the area of physics. The weight and size of the typical HGV dictate it will handle differently than a small passenger car. You need to understand the physics behind the equipment in order to drive it safely.
• Practical Skills – There is a long list of practical skills that all commercial drivers must possess to successfully pass their tests. For example, a candidate must prove he or she knows how to conduct a proper walkaround check prior to departure. Students must also demonstrate they know how to load cargo and secure it. All of these things fall under the practical skills category.

The things you learn at the HGV Training Centre will be tested in four different stages throughout the training process. The first test you will take is the theory test, which qualifies you to continue training. It is followed by the case studies, driving skills, and practical demonstration tests. The HGV Training Centre will book your tests for you as part of your training package, and we will do everything within our power to make sure you are prepared before taking each of them.

Why Choose Us as Your Training Partner

You have other choices for HGV training in County Durham. So why choose the HGV training centre? First and foremost, because of our reputation within the industry. We are one of the most reputable training companies in the business due to our high success rates. We back up our success rates with a strong commitment to each and every student who trains with us. As we see it, we do not succeed unless our students succeed.

From the first stages of training, you will quickly see our commitment to students manifested in the way we do things. For example, you will be under the tutelage of experienced instructors who have spent time as professional drivers themselves. We are very choosy about who we hire because we know experienced drivers with excellent records make the best teachers.

You will also have the pleasure of working with a dedicated support staff that has been tasked with the responsibility for guiding and supporting students throughout the entire training process. Staff are always available to answer questions, help with administrative tasks, provide guidance on specific courses, and so on. Our support staff is available to help students in any way they can.

Finally, our commitment to students is demonstrated in our size and pricing structure. Where size is concerned, the fact that we operate more than four dozen training centres around the UK means that training with us is very convenient. There is likely a training facility very near to where you already live or work. That makes it easy to commute to and from your classes every day without having to spend long hours on the road.

As for our pricing, we continually work hard to make sure we keep our prices as low as possible. We even offer a financing package for students who want to take training now but do not have the cash on hand to pay for training. Financing means you can train today and defer payment until later.

Our HGV training in County Durham routinely accepts new students. If you have ever considered working as a professional driver, now is the time to get started. We can have you trained and ready to work in a matter of weeks.