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What Medical Do I Need to Drive An HGV Lorry?

What Medical Do I Need to Drive An HGV Lorry?

Thinking of pursuing a career driving Heavy Goods Vehicles? Ensuring your fitness to drive is the first step of the process. Here is everything you need to know about medicals and HGV lorry driving in the UK.

Driving a lorry isn’t as easy as jumping behind the wheel. When you drive a heavy or long goods vehicle, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in the UK require you to be physically fit. Lorry drivers haul goods for up to 8 hours of driving at a time. Those heavy vehicles are tougher to steer and weigh more than your average lorry or van. The DVLA assumes that younger, healthier people are fit to drive them, but requires you to take a medical when you turn 45 to ensure you are still healthy enough to handle one.

Let’s discuss the medicals HGV drivers need to effectively prove their health.

What Medicals Do You Need To Drive A Lorry in the UK?

If you want to drive an HGV lorry in the UK and you are over the age of 45, you will need to complete a D4 Medical Form. This form allows doctors to fill in details about your health to prove to the DVLA that your fitness for HGV driving. There form covers different aspects of your health, including:

  • A vision assessment (corrective lenses are acceptable)
  • Neurological disorder checks
  • Diabetes checks
  • Heart and artery assessments
  • Psychiatric illness checks
  • Substance misuse checks
  • Sleep disorders
  • Prescription medication reviews
  • And any other medical conditions

Reviewing all of this builds an accurate picture of whether a person is healthy enough to handle a 3,500+kg vehicle.

Do I Need Medicals Before I Get My HGV License?

You will need to clear your fitness to drive a heavy goods vehicle before you apply for your provisional license, if you are over the age of 45. This means you should not get behind the wheel of an HGV without clearance from a medical facility. You can read about exactly what the DVLA requires of you in the D4 Medical Info Booklet.

The DVLA will ask you to take a medical again every five years until you are 65. After this, the medical assessment takes place annually.

How Do I Get a Medical for HGV Driving in England and Wales?

You can get a medical from Drive2Medicals, where we can even fast track your appointment. We cater to businesses and individuals seeking HGV licenses. Simply book an appointment with us to attend your own medical assessment so that you can complete form D4. Medical assessments are fast, effective, and nothing to be nervous about. You can watch our explanatory video if you need reassurance.

Essex, East Anglia, and Sussex Driver Medicals from Drive2Medicals

When you come to us for a D4 DVLA medical health check-up, we will guide you smoothly through the process. We can come to your business to perform medical checks, or you can book your appointment with us at one of our clinics. We offer free amendments should something go wrong with form processing, and our flat rate fee has no hidden costs. We even cover the eye exams so you have full peace of mind.

Think Drive2medicals for your D4 medical and join the thousands of satisfied drivers making use of our medical assessments to drive HGV lorries in the UK.

 

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