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CAREERMASH (EN)FROM TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS →

Lorry Driver

A lorry driver, or HGV driver, transports goods over short or long distances, keeping shops, factories and businesses stocked. It suits independent, reliable people who like being on the road, don't mind time alone and can handle long hours and the responsibility of a large vehicle.

Lorry Driver

12

Transport & Logistics

AI IMPACT
AI EXPOSURE TODAY12
20-YEAR SCENARIO
NOT A FORECAST57%
THE DOOR · ENTRY DIFFICULTY TODAYB
STARTING PAYnot published
MOAT NOT YET CLASSIFIEDA real score, but the moat is not yet classified. No claim either way.

THE DOOR: ENTRY DIFFICULTY TODAY, graded A (easy) to E (extremely hard). A Careermash rule-of-thumb index built from our AI exposure index and the job's moat class. It is not a forecast and not a count of job openings.

AI EXPOSURE TODAY is a Careermash index from 0 to 100 of how exposed this job's everyday tasks are to AI today. We estimate it by matching published research on how people use AI to this job, usually by keyword or subject area, and we lower it where the work is protected (for example by physical, personal or legal requirements). It is not a direct measurement of how much people in this job use AI.

AI exposure is low for this work today
AI exposure today for this job is low on our index (12), an estimate rather than a measurement. We have not yet classified what, if anything, structurally protects it, so we make no claim either way about a moat. Learn the tools, and build the judgement that stays human.

The role

The work is planning and driving routes, loading and unloading or overseeing it, doing vehicle checks, keeping to delivery schedules and following strict rules on driving hours and breaks. Concentration, patience and good road sense matter, along with the discipline to keep paperwork and logs in order and to drive safely whatever the conditions.

Hours can be long, early or overnight, sometimes with nights away from home, and a lot of the day is spent alone behind the wheel. Pay is usually a steady wage that rises with experience and the type of licence, and there is strong demand for reliable drivers.

By law you need the right category of HGV (LGV) licence and a Driver CPC qualification, gained after passing medical, theory and practical tests, and you usually must be over a minimum age with a full car licence first. Many haulage firms help fund the training.

Daily responsibilities

  • Plan and follow delivery routes
  • Carry out safety checks on the lorry
  • Load, unload or oversee the cargo
  • Drive safely and to schedule
  • Keep to legal driving hours and breaks
  • Complete delivery paperwork and logs
  • Report faults, delays or incidents