Fundamental Insights for New Qualified LGV Drivers

Fundamental Insights for New LGV Drivers

Overview

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Driving isn’t something you ever really complete learning: you can, and should, continue learning from your experiences all through your driving career. Keep thinking about how you drive and how you see other people drive, to discover ways to enhance your skills. Accept feedback from others – passengers, co-workers, your employer and other people who see how you drive. They may notice bad behaviour that you haven’t realised you have got or be able to recommend things you could do better or differently.

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Regular driver development sessions can enable you to stay up to date and stop bad habits: Speak to an authorized driving instructor about this. If you’re driving professionally, your Driver CPC (CertiďŹ cate of Professional Competence) periodic training will also help you refresh your skills.

“ Every new job includes a learning curve. No matter how good you are training, there are always challenges to overcome. So it’s not unusual to start your new career with a few nerves and vulnerabilities.

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To help new LGV drivers, here are some fundamental insights that can ease the nerves and ensure your initial few months on the road are as smooth as possible.

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1. Safety First

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Always consider safety as your first priority.

It might appear obvious, but too often it’s tempting to take a risk rather than taking the time to check out a tricky situation. For example, backing into a clumsy space when you’re rushed for time can leave you tempted to give it a go without checking appropriately.

You may get it right, but it pays to get out of the cab and have a look before making the manoeuvre. Better to be a minute or two late than having to explain why you’ve damaged the truck, or worse.

2. Proper planning

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Appropriate planning is important to the success of your journey as an LGV driver.

Plan everything to the smallest detail. That way the chances of you being caught unaware are reduced. Plan the entirety of your journey from your routes, to rest stops, to refuelling. There are trucking applications you can download that will enable you to plan your journey. Proper planning will reduce the probability of your journey going awry.

3. Take care of yourself

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It’s imperative to remain healthy and alert, which implies eating well. It’s very simple to get into the rut of eating high priced, low quality food from service stations. But this kind of diet saps the energy you will need to stay alert on long drives and exhausts your money as well. The answer is to start eating well and try to continue this throughout your career. With in-cab facilities such as mini-fridges, slow cookers and portable grills, with some thought, you can simply knock up a great-tasting, healthy meal at a fraction of the cost of the service station.

4. It’s good to talk

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It’s essential to stay in touch with the traffic office. The person organising your pick-ups and drop-offs is on your side. By building a decent relationship with them, your work will run a lot smoother. Always try to be prompt but if there is any delay, call ahead and keep everybody informed. If you’ve built up a good relationship with the traffic office, they will help smooth over any issues with the clients and everyone will appreciate you telling them what’s happening, rather than just turning up late.

Conclusion The best start is to get high-quality LGV training.

LGV Training Courses equip you with all the skills you need to build your conďŹ dence and knowledge to take on any challenge in this rewarding career. You’ll never stop learning but with the correct start, the road really will open up for you.

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THANKS! Any questions?

You can ďŹ nd us on: Website: https://www.hgvtraining.co.uk/ Email: info@hgvtraining.co.uk Phone: 0333 060 3096

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