20/08/2026
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN HGV DRIVER
05:15 — shift starts.
Checks done. Paperwork sorted. Coffee in the cab.
Today’s run is a supermarket delivery into **Thurrock**.
You collect the load and head down to the RDC.
When you get there, the yard is already busy. Tesco lorries, outside hauliers, suppliers and drivers all waiting for bays.
You book in and park up.
Then you wait.
Sometimes it’s 30 minutes.
Sometimes it’s 2 or 3 hours.
Sometimes even longer.
So you heat some food up, make a drink, check your phone and ring home.
After a few hours on the road, sitting still in a warm cab after eating can make you tired.
You might close your eyes for a bit, but you’re still waiting for that call.
Driver, bay 42.”
Then you’re back up.
Reverse onto the bay.
Hand the keys in.
Wait for the trailer to be unloaded.
Collect your paperwork.
Pull off the bay and head back out.
A delivery that looks simple on paper can take hours longer than expected.
And once you leave the RDC, you might still have a long drive back.
That’s the side of HGV driving a lot of people don’t see.
The waiting.
The long days.
The delays.
Eating in the cab.
Trying to stay alert.
And still getting the job done safely.
Drivers, what’s the longest you’ve ever waited at an RDC?
Let us know in the comments.
RecruitNest
recruitnest.co.uk
