Road freight transport (driver)

Road freight transport is the driver programme where you learn to drive a lorry and transport goods safely and efficiently across the country and over borders. You become part of the logistics that get goods from A to B — everything from groceries in the shops to building materials on site arrives because someone drives it.

§What do you do in everyday life?

You plan and drive your routes, load and secure goods correctly and keep track of paperwork and regulations along the way. A large part of the job is responsibility: for a heavy vehicle, for others on the road and for getting the goods delivered on time and in good condition. Every day you check that the lorry is in order before you set out.

• 01You get an independent job with freedom behind the wheel.
• 02You learn to drive and maneuver heavy vehicles safely.
• 03You learn to secure load correctly so nothing slips or breaks.
• 04You get paid during your training, because you are apprenticed.
• 05You encounter new places and people, and no two days are quite the same.
• 06There is great demand for skilled drivers in the transport sector.

§How do you get started?

The education alternates between school periods at a vocational school and practical work at a transport business, where you drive with an experienced driver and learn the trade in practice. During this time you obtain the necessary driving licenses and qualifications to drive trucks commercially. You can begin after primary school or switch to the trade later.

§The way forward

As a driver you can specialise in certain types of transport, e.g. long-distance, tanker or special transport. With experience you can become a fleet supervisor, dispatcher or work with logistics and planning — or eventually run your own haulage business.

“The freedom behind the wheel and the feeling that society depends on goods getting through — that is the driver's daily life.”