How did you become a HGV driver?

I kick-started my career through a mechanical engineering apprenticeship in 2013. This was through Delphi diesel systems, a high-volume manufacturing company making fuel systems for commercial vehicles, where I remained for the first nine years of my working life. Over that time, I held several roles from apprentice crafts woman to qualified craftswomen, then engineer and quality engineer, all of which taught me a lot of valuable skills.

I decided to apply for a role with CCF because I was seeking a new challenge. At the time, it had been about 12 months since getting my HGV driving licence and I really enjoyed driving around in a truck. You often hear people talk about choosing a job you love, so it was a no-brainer to give it a go as a career. 

Tell us about your day-to-day role

My core responsibility is delivering goods to the site accurately and efficiently. My day will start in the yard where the lorry is loaded by the warehouse team, I then strap and secure the load – typically there may be between two and four drops loaded. Once I arrive at the destination, and depending on the specific site, I’ll use either the Moffett or a forklift to unload the goods. On an average day, it’s likely I’ll have two-runs to complete so after the first, I’ll return to the yard to be loaded again. 

What I love about my role is being able to see different areas across the southwest. Being a regional driver means I also cover at different branches when other drivers are off, this keeps me inspired and interested. I also love the feeling of freedom I get from driving trucks. 

What’s your favourite thing about working for CCF?

Everybody I have had the pleasure of coming across during my time at CCF has been welcoming and friendly. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first four months with CCF and am looking forward to a long future with the company. The progression opportunities within CCF are also a huge plus for me. It’s exciting to think of how my career might progress in the future. 

How could someone else get into this field?

I believe apprenticeships are an amazing way to learn while gaining real-world experience. My engineering qualifications were gained via an apprenticeship which I really enjoyed and it was the best route for me. Although I wasn’t part of CCF’s apprenticeship scheme, I would highly recommend it to anyone because an apprenticeship is a brilliant opportunity to develop professionally, and CCF is a great company to work for.

If you’re interested in finding a new career opportunity at CCF, please have a look at our list of current vacancies.