What to expect at an HGV client interview and driving assessment

After passing your HGV license you are ready to get into work.

Up until this point your time and energy has been spent passing, we wanted to tell you what to expect when you attend your first assessments to get a job as a newly qualified HGV driver.

What to bring

On the day of your assessment please remember to bring your three driving cards with you:

• Your driving license with your new HGV entitlement
• Your DQC card which is your CPC
• Your Driver Card

Please also remember to bring a high vis vest and you’re driving hard boots. Failure to bring any of these can result in the assessment not going ahead.

Arriving

Typically, you arrive at the front security desk and let them know you are there for an interview and assessment.

Once you meet the interviewer firstly, they will check your three driving cards and do a license check to confirm your new entitlement and to see if you have any driving convictions.

On completion of these checks, you may be asked to sit a small, usually multiple-choice test on theory, tacho rules and driver hours. Hopefully having just passed you will fly through as this information is still fresh. It may still be worth having a little refresh before you go in to be safe.

The interview

After this it will be an interview with where the client can find out about you, ask some questions, and tell you about the driving role.

Clients mainly look for people with a can-do attitude and can demonstrate good customer service skills. In the job as an HGV driver, you are typically the main person that delivers to the customer so good customer service skills and great communicators are what the client is looking for when they interview you.

There are lots of different types of driving jobs, we talk about these in our other blogs.

After your successful interview it time for the exciting bit – your driving assessment. Here is the best advice we can give you …. remember the driver trainer who takes you out knows you are new and will judge you accordingly.

When you get to the vehicle you will do your vehicle checks and then get on the road. Remember your training and that you passed the test so there is no reason why you will not pass the assessment too.

Depending on the role you may drive on local roads, A roads or motorways.

The driver trainer assessor is mainly looking for your road position, checking you drive at the correct speed and mostly that you can understand and implement their instructions.

Remember, they want you to do well and pass 😊

When you get back to the yard you may also be asked to perform some reversing manoeuvres. This can be harder for Class 1 drivers, just remember your training and try to relax. Remember it does not have to be perfect, if you listen and follow the trainers’ instructions you will be OK.

After your drive that is usually the end of the assessment. You may find out on the day or all being well in the next few days if you have been successful.

Interviews and assessments usually take anywhere from 2-4 hours.

We wish you the very best of luck with your interviews and getting on the road, putting that training to use as a Newly Qualified HGV Driver.