Migrants Risking Lives Riding Lorries into UK

Many a lorry driver has been shocked by recent footage from the BBC showing migrants risking their lives by riding HGVs into the country from Calais. The migrants are not asking for rides in the cab; rather, they are climbing underneath trailers and attempting to ride across the border by sitting on one of the axles. Some drivers already aware of the problem told the BBC they feel like ‘sitting ducks’ at the border. Now they are asking the government to help.

Illegal immigration has long been a problem for England and France. However, a recent surge has been realised thanks to the civil war in Syria and continued unrest in places like Afghanistan, Egypt, Libya, and Iraq. Migrants make their way to Calais before attempting to cross the border into England.

Some reports claim large gangs of migrants swarm the lorries as these approach the border crossing. Drivers are powerless to prevent small numbers of individuals from climbing onto the trucks because they are concentrating on operating their vehicles. Moreover, even if there was something they could do, there are just too many migrants to deal with.

On the one hand, seeing footage of migrants travelling on trailer axles can make one angry. On the other hand, it is also rather sad to see so many people willing to risk their lives to get into England. Nevertheless, civil war and persecution can drive people to great extremes to find freedom.

Lorry Driving Career

We think it is important to point out that what is happening in Calais is not the industry norm throughout Europe. Most lorry drivers will go through their entire careers without experiencing such events. When these things do happen, it tends to be isolated.

We encourage you to consider becoming a lorry driver if you are just embarking on your career, or even if you’re looking for new career due to redundancy. Working as a professional driver offers you many opportunities to see new places, meet new people, and experience new challenges. It is definitely a great career choice if you are the type of person who likes the freedom of being out and about.

Becoming a professional lorry driver requires a commercial driver licence appropriate to the class of vehicles you would be operating. If you already have a full car licence, you can start the process by contacting us at HGV Training Centre. You will need to pass a routine medical exam, apply for a provisional entitlement, and prepare for and take the HGV theory test. The theory test is a 100-question multiple-choice exam intended to test your knowledge of highway safety and hazard avoidance.

After you have passed your theory test, you will undergo several weeks of classroom and behind-the-wheel training at one of our 45+ facilities located around the UK. We will even send one of our trainers with you when it’s time to take your final road test. Our goal is to help you succeed as a commercial lorry driver.

Sources:

BBC – https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-26682326