In these ‘difficult economic times’ as Gordon Brown is so fond of saying, the haulage industry is one sector of the economy that seems to be bucking the trend.

With last month’s inflation rates at 3.8% - the price of everything is going up but most people’s salaries are not. Poor old public sector workers have had to make do with a paltry 2.6% pay rise this year…below the rate of inflation…so they’re actually worse off than a year ago.

This is not true for HGV drivers. Demand for qualified drivers has meant that salaries for drivers are continuing to rise, over and above the rate of inflation. A salary survey carried out in May 2008 shows that HGV driver wages have increased this year by 7.8% - over double the inflation rate.

It is very rare (unless you’re a Premiership footballer), to see your salary not only keep track with inflation but actually beat it hands down! Qualified HGV drivers have only one thing to say about this….

‘Credit crunch? What credit crunch?’

AdvantageHGV Training & Jobs - 1st in the UK for HGV Training and Information

AdvantageHGV can reveal that the DSA is seriously considering reducing the age you can try for your HGV licence from 21 to 18. With the new ‘Drivers CPC’ coming into force in September 2009, drivers will have to complete an extra 35 hours of training before gaining their HGV licence. This extra training may make it possible for trainees as young as 18 to take their HGV test.

AdvantageHGV Commercial Director James Clifford had this to say on the matter:

‘The new Drivers CPC will ensure that all new HGV drivers are trained to the best possible standard. The DSA now believes that the additional training will make it possible for younger drivers to take the course. This is great news for the industry - with HGV drivers still in chronic short supply - dropping the licencing age to 18 will have a positive effect.’

AdvantageHGV - the UK’s largest single trainer of HGV drivers - is geared up for the change, said Clifford:

‘We have over 1,000 trucks at our disposal and we’re more than ready for an influx of 18-20 yr old drivers queuing up to get their licences in late 2009. HGV drivers continue to earn above average salaries - so a career as a driver could be very lucrative for teenagers!’

AdvantageHGV Training & Jobs - 1st in the UK for HGV News and Information

It’s official - AdvantageHGV is now the UK’s largest provider of HGV training courses, the company trained it’s 2000th driver last week, meaning they now train more drivers than any other single school across the country.

‘AdvantageHGV was set up with one thing in mind’, said Commercial Director, James Clifford, ‘we aimed to be the UK’s most popular and most efficient HGV training provider. The fact that we have achieved this aim in just one year, is a testament to the skills and service level that Advantage provides. Our HGV training packages are second to none, we offer a guided, fully supported course that ensures our trainees the best chance of success  and with our pass rates now at 74% - we’re achieving that!’

Clifford was also keen to explain the company’s new job search tool:

‘AdvantageHGV have another claim to fame - our phenomenal HGV jobs board is now the single largest jobsite for commercial driving positions. With over 7,000 live positions on the site at any one time, our newly qualified drivers won’t have to wait long before landing a well paid HGV job.’

Visit AdvantageHGV’s new jobs board at:

http://www.advantagehgv.co.uk/hgv_jobs.php

Shell tanker drivers, who recently went on strike over pay, look closer to achieving their target of a £40,000 a year salary. The tanker drivers, who all have an HGV C+E licence, feel that their job should be highly paid.

The HGV driver industry currently offers some of the best wages to work ratio in the UK. Fuel tanker drivers can expect to earn at least £32,000 a year - and all they need is an HGV C+E licence and an ADR (Hazardous Goods) certificate. Both of these qualifications, available from AdvantageHGV, can be obtained in 6-8 weeks - with a well-paid driving job available shortly afterwards.

The Shell dispute only highlights how important HGV drivers are to our economy, and those who carefully and professionally drive 200,000 litres of petrol across Europe, should be rewarded.

AdvantageHGV Training & Jobs - 1st in the UK for HGV News & Information

The latest stats from the DVLA show that more and more people are applying for their provisional LGV / HGV licence, with a view to training to become a professional driver.

Industry figures reveal that the chronic driver shortage shows no signs of letting up. With an estimated 80,000 HGV vacancies in the UK alone (6,000 of those jobs can be viewed here:  www.advantagehgv.co.uk/hgv_jobs.php), training to become an HGV driver is still the career of choice for 1000’s of people.

Driver’s unions have recently campaigned to give HGV drivers a minimum wage of £36,000 - and companies such as DHL are considering these proposals. In fact, the wages of a qualified HGV driver have continued to rise way above inflation, year on year for the past 10 years.

With a Europe wide change in the rules to becoming an HGV driver (from Sep 2009 new drivers will have to complete an extra 35hrs of training), new recruits are flocking to the market. Companies such as AdvantageHGV, the UK’s largest provider of driver training courses, are bracing themselves for a ‘booking frenzy’ in the months immediately before the new rules kick in.

So, with £36,000 a year fast becoming a reality for an HGV driver and with over 80,000 jobs showing no signs of being filled in the immediate future - Summer 2008 is the year to train as an HGV driver.

James Clifford, head of Commercial Director at AdvantageHGV, had these final words to say on the subject:

‘With the fast approaching new EU laws on HGV driver training, the days of the 5 day course will soon be numbered. We advise anyone thinking of trying for their licence to book a training course ASAP - as soon it will take twice as long and cost twice as much!’

Advantage HGV Training & Jobs - 1st in the UK for HGV News & Information

The new HGV & commercial driver’s jobsite from AdvantageHGV now has over 4,000 live HGV jobs online.

Sourced from haulage operators, agencies, small businesses and government departments - the jobs board at www.advantagehgv.co.uk/hgv_jobs.php  now contains more direct HGV employment opportunities than any other website.

The simple, easy to use interface has proved a hit with HGV drivers. Simply select your licence and than chose where you want to work - it’s as easy as that. AdvantageHGV director Gary Benardout said:

‘Advantage’s new HGV jobs board has taken our HGV Training offering to another level. We now train and find our drivers jobs when they’ve got their licence - this is a first for the industry. And best of all - it’s free! Free for drivers to search for jobs, free for employers to advertise their jobs and free to receive updates on jobs in your area, as and when they occur’.

Keep checking for more from the AdvantageHGV website - as developments in the pipeline include: An HGV video guide to training; full 100 question theory test modules; jobs ‘wanted’ section and much, much more.

Advantage HGV Training & Jobs - 1st in the UK for HGV News and Information

Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s is planning to open its new 500,000 sq ft distribution facility this summer. The centre, based in Selby, Yorkshire will generate over 500 jobs in the HGV and distribution sectors, proving once again that HGV drivers will be in exceptionally high demand.

Sainsbury’s smaller facilities at Matby and Skelton are predicted to close when the Selby depot opens. There are no predicted job losses - as HGV drivers will move to Selby - where they’ll still need another 500 to run the new site!

With HGV Training centres across Yorkshire, Advantage HGV can train drivers in just 5 days. So if you live in that part of the world and fancy a well paid Sainsbury’s driving position - get in touch.

Advantage HGV Training & Jobs - 1st in the UK for HGV News & Information

Another new report details how the HGV industry is set to grow and grow, with more HGV training courses needed than ever before.

HGV haulage within the European Union (EU) is set for constant expansion until 2030, according to a detailed report written for the European Commission. It predicts that 2005’s EU HGV total haulage of 2,464 gpkm (one billion tonnes carried over one kilometre) will rise to 2,770 by 2010 3,061 by 2015 3,321 by 2020 3,546 by 2025 and 3,717 by 2030. HGV haulage will command the lion’s share of this business, growing from 72.6% in 2005 to 75.4% by 2030.

The study - carried out by the National Technical University of Athens, Greece - also predicts there will be growth for the freight volumes carried by rail and inland waterways, reversing a recent contraction in rail freight. Rail and inland waterways will grow by 1.4% and 1% per year respectively from 2005 to 2030.

But the amount of freight per unit of GDP in the EU will fall because of factors such as transport productivity. “The projection shows freight activity per unit of GDP declining from 0.225 tonne-km per €0.05 of GDP in 2005 to 0.199 tonne-km per €0.05 of GDP,” notes the report, adding that this represented “a gradual decoupling of freight transport from GDP growth”.

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Culina Logistics has begun a recruitment drive for its new warehouse in Suffolk, due to open in August 2008. The company wants shift managers, team leaders, HGV drivers and general warehousing operatives to work at the 191,000ft2 facility in Haverhill. Culina says 650 new jobs will be created at the 12.4-acre site when fully operational - including 100’s for HGV drivers.

It will operate 24-hours a day, have space for 75 HGVs and trailers, and provide chilled storage and distribution services for retailers across the UK. Richard Berry, head of human resources at Culina, says: “The new site is making excellent progress. “We’re looking for people who share our vision of providing high-quality, customer-focused service.”

Advantage HGV Training & Jobs - 1st in the UK for HGV Training and Information