How to screen an HGV driver

Must-haves to check first

Decide these before you advertise. Keep the list short - every extra requirement narrows your pool.

• Correct licence category - C (rigid) or C+E (articulated) Possible knock-out
• Valid Driver CPC card (Driver Qualification Card) Possible knock-out
• Digital tachograph driver card - for vehicles fitted with a tachograph Possible knock-out
• Endorsements within your insurer's limits - confirm with a licence check later Nice to have

9 questions to ask every HGV driver applicant

Ask everyone the same core questions, in the same order, and follow up where their CV leaves a gap. That's what makes a screen fair and comparable.

1. Which licence categories do you hold - C, C+E, or both?Listen for: The category the vehicle needs. C drivers moving to C+E may be worth developing.
2. Is your Driver CPC card valid, and when does it expire?Listen for: A valid card with a date. Check it is current before any start date.
3. Do you have a digital tachograph card?Listen for: A simple yes.
4. Do you have any endorsements or penalty points on your licence?Listen for: An honest answer. You will confirm with a licence check - what matters now is openness.
5. What types of work have you done - trunking, multi-drop, tipper, tanker, refrigerated?Listen for: Experience that matches your work, or a clear willingness to learn it.
6. Are you comfortable with nights out, early starts, or weekend work?Listen for: A clear answer that matches the role - this drives retention.
7. How do you plan your hours to stay within the drivers' hours rules?Listen for: Understanding of breaks and daily/weekly limits, and planning around them.
8. Talk me through your walk-round check.Listen for: A structured check - lights, tyres, mirrors, coupling, load security - and reporting defects.
9. What would you do if you were running out of hours before you could reach the drop?Listen for: Stops legally and contacts the planner. Never drives over hours.

What not to ask

And for every role, avoid asking about:

• Age or date of birth - unless the law sets a minimum age for the task
• Health, sickness record or disability before a job offer (Equality Act 2010, section 60). The narrow exceptions include asking about adjustments for the recruitment process, and whether someone can carry out a task that is intrinsic to the job - ask about the task, not the condition
• Pregnancy, children, childcare or plans to start a family
• Nationality or "where are you from?" - instead, ask every applicant whether they have the right to work in the UK, and check documents before they start
• Religion, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, or gender reassignment

More on this in AI screening and UK law.

Screening HGV drivers at volume

If you get more HGV drivers applicants than your team can phone, the questions above are only fair if everyone gets asked them. BeCareers asks every applicant about your must-haves and these questions in a short conversation - in their own language, at any time of day - and gives you the transcript and a summary. You decide who to interview.

See also: AI screening for warehouse & logistics.