Becky Hinshelwood 26th April 2022

5 Myths About the Future of HGV Driving

HGV drivers are in a fantastic position right now.

If you’re lucky enough to have the correct HGV training, you can take advantage of a national shortage of skilled professionals, capable of managing trucks and lorries. In fact, this shortage has prompted a massive increase in the number of high-paying jobs available to HGV pros.

Unfortunately, while the benefits available for HGV drivers are potentially huge, many would-be experts miss out on their opportunity to join the industry because of misinformation.

Myths about the future of the HGV industry means employers are struggling to find staff members, as potential drivers worry about future job opportunities or income.

To help you understand the realities of a future in HGV driving, let’s debunk some of the myths floating around the industry today.

Myth 1: HGV Trucks will Become Obsolete

Think HGV driving jobs might become inaccessible as HGV trucks grow obsolete? Think again. It’s true that the technology in the automotive industry is evolving at an incredible rate, and new vehicles are appearing all the time, but that doesn’t mean we’ll see a shortage of HGV vehicles any time soon.

While in an ideal world there would be more economical and less time-consuming ways to transport goods around the world, no-one has thought of a better alternative to the HGV truck yet. Ultimately, bulky pieces of equipment, large amounts of stock, and other products in need of transportation will always rely on HGV trucks.

The only difference you might see to your HGV lorries and trucks may be in the technology you find within them. Perhaps in the future we’ll have more intelligent assistants in our trucks, or access to hybrid fuel options to minimise diesel costs.

Myth 2: HGV Driving is a Career for Men

This is one of the most outdated ideas still circulating in the HGV environment, and it couldn’t be less true. While it’s true there are a lot of male HGV drivers out there, this doesn’t mean the future of the industry is going to be dominated by males. Increasing demand for skilled drivers mean better working conditions and opportunities for all employees – no matter their gender.

More and more women are finding opportunities in the HGV driving landscape, and many love the freedom and unique experiences the jobs have to offer. Both men and women alike can achieve high rates of pay, excellent benefits, and a range of job opportunities in both local and international environments.

While there may still be a handful of more discriminatory companies out there, the majority of big employers in the HGV world right now are making direct efforts to improve the diversity of their team by hiring a higher number of women.

Myth 3: Bots will One Day Replace Drivers

This is a myth that doesn’t just influence the HGV driving landscape. Since we began to see more machines and artificial intelligence in the modern workplace, countless professionals have worried about losing their jobs to the robots. In fact, a number of roles have been taken over in the manufacturing industry already.

While it’s true that autonomous vehicle research is underway, the good news for HGV drivers is there still needs to be a significant amount of additional research and development before we can even consider allowing a truck to “drive itself”.

As a technology, autonomous vehicles are still in the very early stages, and the majority of the companies focused on developing these tools are focusing mostly on smaller vehicles and passenger cars. It could be decades before standard cars can be driven by bots – never mind HGV vehicles.

It’s also worth noting that even if autonomous vehicles do become an option one day in the future, they’re likely to be very expensive to own and operate, making them inaccessible for the majority of companies. If, by some miracle, the technology became more affordable, it would be unlikely for an HGV to become “completely autonomous”, as this would require entire road networks to be completely updated throughout the country.

At the very most, we may see an increase in driver assistance tools and AI bots which help us to drive more safely on the roads.

Myth 4: Automation will Lead to Lower Wages

Similar to bots, automation applications and tools have already had a major impact on a range of industries, particularly the manufacturing and engineering sectors. However, it’s worth noting that while automation is becoming more common, it’s not leading to negative side effects for employees.

Rather than reducing earning opportunities or replacing human beings in their roles, automated elements are simply getting rid of the repetitive tasks that take up a professional’s time. For future HGV drivers, this could mean you spend less time doing boring, mundane things in your role, and more time enjoying the parts of your job that you love.

Automation, if it does emerge more heavily in the HGV environment, could help you to feel safer on the road, or make you more productive. You could even find the right technology helps to make your days more efficient, and less stressful.

Myth 5: Getting Qualified will be Harder

Becoming an effective HGV driver does require specific training and qualifications. As the roads continue to evolve, the qualifications you need to get to stay behind the wheel could evolve. For instance, new regulations and guidelines have been introduced in recent years to help make drivers more aware of bicycles and protect other people on the roads.

However, even if extra regulation is introduced, it wouldn’t be for the purpose of making training harder or more complicated for people trying to get into the industry.

In fact, as shortages continue, the government and other groups are working hard to make training as accessible as possible.

With EasyasHGV, you can rest assured you’ll continue to get the most straightforward training possible to suit your needs.

Final Thoughts

There are tons of exciting things happening in the HGV environment today. Some change is inevitable, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The reality is that the opportunities for HGV drivers are likely to only get better going forward. Make sure you take advantage by starting your training with EasyasHGV today.

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