I’m looking at switching to a different career and as part of it I need to get my HGV license… anyone on here gone and got theres? If so, how’d you go about it? All advice welcome 🙂

Get medical & provisional, pass theory and hazard perception, pass practical for rigid, pass practical for artic. Costs a couple of grand or so. What career is it? Where you based?

How quickly can it be done? I work in the travel industry and we’ve recently partnered up with Dragoman (an overland tour operator) and I’m thinking of getting out from behind the desk and driving one of their trucks around the world 😛

there’s no money in it, but you visit some amazing places (here’s their website to check it out, if you’re interested dragoman

Couple of weeks.

Ah – how heavy are the trucks? And when did you pass your car test? How many passengers?

Did mine through work. Just rigid though, did a four day intensive course with test on Friday. Loads of training agencies about.

I’m seeing a flaw in my great escape plan (apart from my wife of course!)… I’m guessing I’m going to need a UK drivers licence right? I have a valid Aussie one, which I can easily transfer to the UK, would this be OK??

Trucks are non-articulated, licensed to carry 24 people (I think). They’re older style diesel Mercedes trucks like this:

whats wrong with my punctuation

Now it gets complicated – you might need a bus licence rather than a truck licence.

How long have you been resident in the UK?

been here almost 4 years, have never got around to converting my Aussie license to a UK one. Looking at the DLR website I’m fine as long as I do it within 5 years of getting here.

12 months only. Look Here

I can only ‘legally’ drive a vehicle on my Aussie licence for 1 year, but I do have 5 years to exchange it for a UK one, off the same direct.gov site:

If you are resident in GB and provided your full licence remains valid, you can drive small vehicles for 12 months from the time you became resident. To ensure continuous driving entitlement a GB licence must be obtained before this period elapses, by exchanging your licence for a GB one. If you do not do this you must stop driving although you may apply to exchange your licence at any time within five years of becoming resident.

The page I linked to was specific to Australia. Different rules.

Phone the DVLA and ask them. Or drop into one of their regional offices.

\

I’d get your Britsh car license sorted asap!

Then as was pointed out by smee, you need to check the vehicles you will be expected to drive.

I would guess your on the cusp of PSV rather than LGV. But the weights might change that.

Depending on your license and job……and i will get into troube for this! PSV is an easier one to get.

Home

They reckon HGV in 5 days!
But i’d like to see that.

Our lot get folk through HGV in 3 days normally. The most difficult bit is fixing folks general driving faults first.

They reckon HGV in 5 days!
But i’d like to see that.

four day intensive course with test on Friday

Now I can’t prove I did this Elmo, but I’ve no real reason to lie about it, have I?

“HGV license, anyone here got there’s?”

licence & theirs 🙄

So youre going to do a bit of training pass a test, then go and ask to drive a truck/bus full of live humans round the world, with absolutely no experience of handlinmg people, the truck in all weather conditions,

Think again young man, do the traioning , and hopefully get a job driveing nights or local deliveries, gain experience to get the insurance down then after about 3 years do what you hope to do.

Nay probs with the handling people bit, I’m good with live humans 🙂 Dragoman have an intensive 3 month leaders course that you have to pass (based on their farm in Suffolk), you learn all the mechanical and truck handling skills you need. Then you go off on a few trips as an assistant for 6 months before you get the chance to lead your own trip 🙂

And I ain’t that young 😉

4 Day intensive course for me to, with test on a Friday.
You are learning how to control the vehicle and brush up on your highway code, as you can already drive and should have some road sence!!!! 🙄

Hi psychle, my cousin did this with a company called Overlander I think, he needed a PSV not an HGV as you are carrying people, I think he took his test in a bus!!