We can get you fully qualified in just one week*! No experience necessary**.
Licence Category Training Courses Available:
🟢 C – Rigid lorry over 7.5 tonnes in weight (rigid)
🟢 C+E – Lorries over 7.5 tonnes towing a trailer (artic)
As part of the driver training delivered by TTS, the trainee will also undertake the Module 4 test (Driver CPC Practical Demonstration), which is a mandatory part of the LGV driver qualification process. This is included in the course price.
In any country throughout the world, transport and logistics is a huge contributor to the economy and to employment, but because we live on an island, almost everything that comes into, goes out of, or that moves around Northern Ireland, travels by road, so we are heavily reliant on the road transport industry.
On top of this, the sector is currently experiencing a shortfall of qualified drivers, which the Road Haulage Association estimates is somewhere in the region of 100,000 drivers across the UK.
While this statistic makes for very worrying reading for the sector, it is good news for anyone that is qualified to drive goods vehicles because drivers are in high demand. There are lots of job vacancies to be filled and a strong likelihood of long-term job security. The driver shortage has also been the catalyst for a significant rise in truck driver salaries so there’s never been a better time to get qualified!
Transport Training Services provides driver training for both commercial vehicles and passenger carrying vehicles, including licence classifications C, C+E, D1 and D.
TTS is more than just a driving school. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the registered charity, Transport Training Board for Northern Ireland, TTS has a genuine, longstanding interest in facilitating best practice and the highest levels of compliance for the industries that we serve.
We are recognised as an industry-leading training provider, supporting the Northern Irish transport industry with trusted career development.
Our focus is never simply on passing tests, but on providing class-leading expertise, purpose-built facilities and modern teaching methods to deliver relevant skills for the 21st century.
The TTS training centre is equipped with a fleet of modern training vehicles and a dedicated vehicle manoeuvring area, plus we have a team of highly experienced driving instructors. We have also invested in a driving simulator, so if you are nervous about getting behind the wheel, you can practice virtually first!
Provided you have completed all of the pre-requisites for the driver training course, we can have you qualified within a week!
*If you wish to attain category C+E the training will be in stages. Category C can be achieved within one week as the first phase. Training takes place Monday to Friday, with the practical test taking place on the last day of the course.
** Full car licence is required as a pre-requisite
A large goods vehicle (LGV) is otherwise known as a truck, lorry or heavy goods vehicle (HGV).
Large goods vehicle driver training is required by anyone wanting to acquire a driving licence to drive a category C or C+E vehicle, or in other words, to become a truck driver.
All aspiring professional commercial drivers that wish to operate in road transport are required to complete specific driving tests, which depend on the classification of licence that they wish to achieve.
TTS provides commercial vehicle driver training for the following classifications of lorry driving licence:
C – Rigid lorry over 7.5 tonnes in weight (formerly called Class 2)
C+E – All lorries over 3.5 tonnes in weight towing a trailer over 750kg (formerly called Class 1, also called Artic)
There are also C1 and C1+E licence categories but TTS does not currently offer training for these licence types.
LGV drivers include drivers of goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes (C1 and above), also known as truck drivers or lorry drivers and formerly known as heavy goods vehicle drivers (HGV).
Firstly, you must pass a driving test upon completion of the LGV driver training course before you are fully qualified.
The types of vehicles you can drive post-qualification depends on the licence that you have acquired. TTS provides a range of commercial vehicle driver training for the following classifications of lorry driving licence:
C – Rigid lorry over 7.5 tonnes in weight (formerly called Class 2)
C+E – All lorries over 3.5 tonnes in weight towing a trailer over 750kg (formerly called Class 1, also called Artic)
There are also C1 and C1+E licence categories but TTS does not currently offer training for these licence types.
The ‘groups’ or ‘categories’ of driving licences have changed a few times over the years. Driving licence categories changed in January 2013 and also several times before that. Before June 1990, the types of vehicles you could drive were known as ‘groups’. These are now known as ‘categories’. Some people still refer to the old classification for trucks. What was known as the HGV class 1 is now officially known as Category C+E and HGV Class 2 training is now Category C.
It is no secret that the transport and motor industries are both facing skills shortages within their workforces. 68% of all large good vehicle driving licence holders in NI are aged 45+ and the Road Haulage Association estimates that there is a shortfall of large good vehicle drivers of up to 100,000 across the UK. In short, there are not enough qualified professional drivers to meet the demand currently.
While these statistics make for very worrying reading for the sector, it is good news for anyone that is qualified to drive heavy goods vehicles because drivers are in high demand so there are lots of job vacancies to be filled and good likelihood of long-term job security.
There are currently significant skill shortages within driving roles in the transport industry, both in Northern Ireland and further afield. In terms of career progression there are many opportunities for qualified and experienced LGV drivers. Some advancement opportunities are as follows:
Also, because driver shortages are common across the world, you could have the opportunity to live and work abroad after you qualify or later in life.
Any career which demands a high level of training and competence will be rewarded with a professional salary to reflect the hard work and effort undertaken to become qualified, and of course the salary earned will be determined by experience and expertise.
According to Jobted, the average salary for a Truck Driver is £30,200 gross per year (£2,010 net per month), which is £600 (+2%) higher than the UK’s national average salary. A Truck Driver can expect an average starting salary of £24,200. The highest salaries can exceed £60,000.
Truck driver salaries have been reported to have risen significantly at some organisations and many are offering ‘signing on’ bonuses due to the driver shortage.
The best way to ascertain the salary that you could achieve once you are fully qualified is to search job listings to see what salaries companies in your local area are offering.
Although there are minimum ages set out by the government to drive heavy goods vehicles, you can train to be a lorry driver before these ages (as long as you have taken a number of necessary steps to complete the training).
The minimum ages per LGV licence category is outlined by the government.
For category C1, the minimum age is 18, but for categories C1+E, C and C+E the minimum age is 21. However, there are a number of exceptions. Please visit NI Direct for full details.
There are two routes to becoming a professional commercial vehicle driver. If you are between 18 and 24, you could qualify for a driving apprenticeship (provisional licences aren’t available for under 18s). Find out more about our Large Goods Vehicle Driver Apprenticeship here. If you do not qualify under the terms of the ApprenticeshipsNI scheme, which is funded by the Department for the Economy, you can complete LGV driver training at the TTS driving school.
There are a number of pre-requisites to be achieved before driver training can be carried out. Please read the guidelines here before applying to complete a course with us.
There are a number of pre-requisites to be achieved before driver training can be carried out at TTS. Please read the below guidelines before applying to complete a course with us.
Before you can participate in any driver training with TTS you must first complete the following steps:
We understand that the requirements can be confusing, so our experienced team is on hand to answer any questions that you have. Please contact us on 028 9082 5653 if you need any assistance. Before calling please be prepared with the following information:
The DVA has lots of information on its NI Direct website about how to apply for your LGV provisional driving licence.
You can book the LGV theory test online here.
And there is a link to information on the practical driving test for lorry drivers here.
There are 6 centres in Northern Ireland where a Theory Test can be completed – for more details and direction, please go here.
If you have any special requirements or need additional help to complete the Theory Module there is more information on the options available for you here.
To acquire a licence the driver needs to complete all of the stages listed below:
As part of your training course, TTS will book your practical test for you.
Please be aware that some LGV training providers do not offer module 4 as part of their packaged prices and you are not a fully qualified LGV driver until this module has been completed. As part of any driver training course completed at TTS, you will be able to complete Module 4 if required.
We understand that the requirements can be confusing, so our experienced team is on hand to answer any questions that you have. Please contact us on 028 9082 5653 if you need any assistance. Before calling please be prepared with the following information:
Once you have your completed medical form (DLM1 – available from all DVA MOT centres which should be completed by your GP), send it off to the DVA in Coleraine – the address will be on the form.
If there are no delays, the DVA will take anywhere between 3 and 12 weeks to process your Provisional Licence application.
Once you have your provisional licence, you can book your theory test online. Availability of theory tests is variable, but usually you’ll be able to get a test within two to three weeks, and sometimes much sooner.
Once you have passed all of the relevant theory tests get in touch with TTS to arrange your practical training.
TTS delivers driver training in blocks of five days, which can include both the driving test and the CPC test if required. Our trainers work with a maximum of two drivers per day and you will usually be out on the road from approximately 9.00 am to 4.00 pm most days. We can also accommodate one-to-one tuition either in the morning or afternoon driving session (although this may not be possible on test days depending on the test schedule).
Provided you have completed all of the pre-requisites for the driver training course, we can have you qualified within a week! You complete training with us from Monday to Friday, finishing with the practical driving test on the Friday afternoon.
All professional commercial drivers that operate in road transport, including bus, coach and lorry drivers, are required by law to complete Driver CPC training. Having up-to-date CPC training is a condition of having a valid PCV/PSV or LGV driving licence.
Absolutely not! Whilst the transport industry has traditionally offered employment opportunities for predominantly male roles, it is currently working hard to attract more female talent.
TTS is keen to encourage course participants from all sectors of the population and is very active in encouraging more women and people of all ethnicities and minority groups to consider a career in the retail motor and transport industries.
Check out our Women in Wheels NI page for more information about career opportunities for women in transport.
TTS is more than a driving school. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the registered charity, Transport Training Board for Northern Ireland, TTS has a genuine, longstanding interest in facilitating best practice and the highest levels of compliance for the industries that we serve.
We are recognised as an industry-leading training provider, supporting the Northern Irish transport industry with trusted career development. Because our sole attention is on the transport and retail motor sectors in Northern Ireland, we have a real depth of knowledge, backed by over 50 years’ experience.
Our focus is never simply on passing tests, but on providing class-leading expertise, purpose-built facilities and modern teaching methods to deliver relevant skills for the 21st century.
The TTS training centre is equipped with a fleet of modern training vehicles and a dedicated vehicle manoeuvring area, plus we have a team of highly experienced driving instructors. We have also invested in a driving simulator, so if you are nervous about getting behind the wheel, you can practice virtually first!
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