Seeking a better work-life balance is not often given as a reason for becoming an HGV driver, but as the arguments rage over why there is a shortage in the industry one recent recruit insisted it was the best move he ever made.
Matteo Aprigliano said changing career was scary but he had now found a job he loved and was much more motivated.
The former chef is in his early 30s and found a job as a delivery driver for a food wholesaler following his training with Driver Hire.
He is now encouraging others considering leaving their current role to also make the leap and not look back.
Aprigliano said: “One of the main things that attracted me to HGV training was the work-life balance.
“Working for a chef, you do long, hard days, always 12 hours or more. In my driving role now, I work 6.30am to 3.30pm, sometimes finishing even earlier! It’s given me more time for myself and my family.
“I also switched careers because I wanted to work on my own and to be in charge of my own destiny.
“In a kitchen, if one person slacks off, the whole team suffers. Now, I work hard and I’m rewarded for it – there’s no one standing in my way.”
Aprigliano’s comments followed those of another HGV driver, 32-year-old Shane, who swapped a career in banking for a life on the road.
“I think there needs to be more focus around the positives of truck driving,” Shane said.
“It’s actually a good place to work. Coming from an office background, I think it offers someone the opportunity to see the country a little bit, which is great.”
Aprigliano said the HGV training was challenging, but it was worth it to leave his former career after 10 years working in kitchens.
“You have to push yourself out of your comfort zone and go for it – that way you can find a career you truly love, and one which works for you and your lifestyle,” he said.
Both drivers’ comments followed research by Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, which claimed HGV driving jobs could become “extinct” within four years because so many drivers were exiting the industry.
Drivers then contacted MT to say the exodus was being caused by poor pay and conditions, which prompted hauliers to respond saying they were being hammered on rates and operating on wafer thin margins.
The RHA said its research showed the UK needed 40,000 new HGV drivers every year for the next five years just to keep up with demand and to account for current attrition rates and an ageing workforce.
