National Lorry Week Promotes Lorry Driving Careers

The first-ever National Lorry Week sponsored by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) was apparently a huge success, according to organisers of the event. The RHA hopes it now becomes an annual event that goes a long way toward promoting lorry driving careers. Things went very well this year considering the fact that the observance had never been held before. National Lorry Week 2015 ran October 26-31.

RHA chief Richard Burnett told HGV UK that the week was organised to ‘raise the profile’ of the haulage industry and to promote a better image among the general public and make the government aware of its responsibility to assist in the success of the industry moving forward. Both the haulage and transport industries are in desperate need of some sort of government intervention to address the ongoing driver shortage.

Burnett went on to explain that the media coverage of the week-long observance was extraordinary. More than 30 independent and regional radio stations covered National Lorry Week in one form or another while the BBC’s Chris Evans even devoted his entire morning programme to it on Tuesday 27^th. The Sunday press also covered it extensively on the weekend.

“We were delighted at the turnout for our parliamentary event”, Burnett remarked. “It presented us with the perfect opportunity to talk to MPs about the incredible job the industry does in delivering daily life and, of course, the problems that we as an industry face; in particular, the fact that we are currently between 45,000 and 50,000 drivers short.”

In addition to the media and government exposure, Burnett says companies across the UK opened their yards to the public throughout the week. Some offered tours to individual visitors and school groups; others took their lorries to sporting events where they parked and promoted lorry driving as a career.

A Worthwhile Career

Lorry driving is fast becoming a lost art in the UK. But for those who still do it, it is a worthwhile career that pays well and offers opportunities to travel locally, regionally, and internationally. Those who love the job say they would not want to do anything else. This is the kind of message that needs to get out through events like National Lorry Week.

Anyone thinking about lorry driving as a career needs to know what it takes to obtain a licence. The first thing to understand is that you do not need to go to university for a two- or four-year programme. At any good school, such as the HGV Training Centre, you can complete your training and get your licence in a matter of weeks. Getting started today means you could be working by the new year.

The second thing to know is that you only need a car licence and reasonably good health to begin training. The HGV Training Centre provides everything you need at one affordable price. We also offer financing on all of our courses. Be sure to ask about it when you call.

Sources:

1. HGV UK – http://www.hgvuk.com/?p=18856