Love being behind the wheel? For those who enjoy driving, there are plenty of opportunities to make a living in the fast lane. So, what jobs involve driving?
Careers in driving can take you all over the country, allow you to meet new people or work alone, as well the possibility of earning a sufficient income.
So grab your car keys and take to the open road…?
Hold the brakes! Many jobs that involve driving need you to first obtain specific qualifications or legal requirements, such as a taxi licence or courier vehicle insurance.
It’s a good idea to research different types of driving jobs to find out if it’s right for you and if you need any specific entry requirements.
Here, are five examples of jobs that involve driving:
Courier Driver
Description:
A courier is a person or service that delivers parcels, letters and other goods to customers. You could be a delivery van driver, use a car, or ride a motorcycle. Couriers may work for a courier service or be self-employed – most are self-employed and get paid per delivery.
Duties:
- receiving pick-up points and delivery addresses from the depot
- Sorting parcels, routes, and delivery schedules
- delivering goods to its destination
- signing for packages and getting packages signed for when delivered
- keeping a record of day-to-day deliveries
Entry Requirements:
- The correct courier vehicle insurance, Goods in Transit, and Public & Employers Liability.
If you work for a courier service, your company will most likely provide you with a vehicle as well as obtaining the correct courier motor insurance products.
If you’re a self-employed courier driver, you’ll need your own vehicle and to get your own car courier insurance.
Hours:
Variable and depends on seasonality. Check out these tips for surviving Christmas as a courier driver.
Salary:
£14,500 – £30,000 average per year
Bus / Coach Driver
Description:
Bus / coach drivers transport passengers on journeys – these can be local, national or overseas travels. Options include working for local bus companies, holiday tour operators, long distance services, or community transport such as school buses or transporting the elderly.
Duties:
- taking passenger fares
- providing / checking tickets and passes
- driving safely and sticking to a timetable
- assisting passengers who may be having difficulty getting on / off the bus
Entry Requirements:
- Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) licence
- Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), also known as a Driver Qualification Card (DQC)
Hours:
Variable
Salary:
£14,500 – £25,000 average per year
Scrap Car Collection
Description:
Scrap car collection drivers travel nationwide to pick up vehicle that are no-longer used. Although mostly local, some employees can be instructed to drive a wide radius to pick up a vehicle.
Duties:
- Paying the price of stationery scrap vehicles
- Signing of official documentation
- driving safely and sticking to a timetable
- assisting colleagues with the transport of vehicles
Entry Requirements:
- Hard Working
- Entrepreneurship
- Available for long working days
Hours:
Variable
Salary:
£15,000 – £22,800 average per year
Taxi Driver / Chauffeur
Description:
Taxi drivers / chauffeurs pick up passengers and drive them to their selected destination for a charge. Drivers may work for a taxi-firm or be self-employed, such as Uber drivers, and you may be booked in advance, use official taxi ranks or pick up passengers on the go (this depends on your licence).
Duties:
- receiving new journeys via the phone, radio or an app
- assisting passengers with luggage / heavy items
- keeping the vehicle clean and safe
- driving safely to destinations, taking the quickest route
- taking payments and logging them
Entry Requirements:
- Taxi driver’s licence ( from the licensing unit of your local council)
- The correct taxi insurance for your vehicle
Every local council has its own conditions, but typically a driver must:
- Have a full UK / EU driving licence (held for at least a year / 3 years in London)
- pass a criminal records check
- pass a medical
- aged over 18 (often 21 in many areas, including London)
- pass a geographical test (the ‘knowledge’ in London)
Hours:
Variable
Salary:
£14,000 – £30,000 average per year
Forklift Driver
Description:
Forklift drivers load and unload goods. You will typically work on a site that has goods going in and out, such as a warehouse, factory, construction site, or airport.
Duties:
- daily equipment and safety checks
- loading and off-loading goods
- using radio to keep in touch with other employees
- manually handling goods when required
- stacking goods and moving them around
- picking and packing orders
- completing delivery notes and stock control
Entry Requirements:
- Forklift licence – employers usually arrange training for this.
- A Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS)card may be needed (job dependent)
Hours:
40 – 48 hours a week
Salary:
£17,000 – £28,000 average per year
Racing Driver:
Description:
Fancy yourself the next Lewis Hamilton? Perhaps it has been your dream job since the school playground. Racing drivers are athletes that compete in motor races at top speeds.
Duties:
- traveling across the country / overseas to compete in races
- daily practice and training
- keeping in peak physical condition
- attending sponsored events
Entry Requirements:
- The correct racing licence from the Motor Sports Association (MSA)
- Assessments from the MSA
Hours:
24 /7. It takes dedication and commitment – with the elite drivers eating, breathing and sleeping the sport!
Salary:
- £150,000 to £30 million per year (top racing drivers)
- Amateurs unlikely to be paid
Unfortunately, becoming a professional racing driver is extremely difficult (and expensive). Most people get into Motorsports at a very young age (but we’d thought it’d be a very cool driving job to mention)!
There you have it: a list of jobs which require a driving license, a car and sometimes more. Some of these driving jobs pay well, others pay excellently, even if they’re virtually impossible to get into.
Are you currently in a driving job? What do you love or hate about it? Tell us in the comments.
Be the first to comment on "Money for Miles: What Jobs Involve Driving?"