I’m Alan Jones, a UK Class 1 HGV ADR driver and ex-Royal Engineers combat plant operator and mechanical engineer (POM) with over 20 years in and around heavy vehicles including Plant. I’ve gone from 7.5-tonne work up to class 1 tramping, ADR, tankers, covering hazardous waste, fuel, aviation and bitumen work. These days I’m on a bitumen tanker for a well-established outfit where the standards are high and the margin for error is small. I’m straight to the point: either you do it properly, or you don’t do it at all.
HGVguide.com is my way of putting that experience to work. I’m here for new and working drivers who want straight talk on money, hours and rest rules, training decisions, and how to build a life around the job instead of letting the job swallow everything. I’m also careful with money – some would probably say tight. I’ve spent years figuring out personal finance, how to read payslips, using tax relief, make sense of night-out money and know when overtime is worth it and when it isn’t. A lot of what I share is about helping drivers keep more of what they earn, not just chasing big headline numbers. I’m independent – I’m not selling test slots or reselling test dates, and I’m not tied to any training provider or pushing a school. I want you to see the full picture so you can make better choices and protect both your head and your wallet.
I’m an introvert who chooses where my energy goes. I’m intentional and self-aware – I think things through, weigh my options, and I’m not afraid to walk away when something isn’t right. If I show up, I show up properly: present, committed, and tuned in, with enough sense to step back, unplug and notice what’s good in front of me. I live between dreaming and doing, with big ideas backed up by consistency and real work. I’m here to help, not to judge. Ask what you need to ask – I genuinely don’t believe in “stupid” questions.
I’m Alan Jones, a UK Class 1 HGV ADR driver and ex-Royal Engineers combat plant operator and mechanical engineer (POM) with over 20 years in and around heavy vehicles and Plant.
I’ve gone from 7.5-tonne work up to class 1 tramping, ADR, tankers, covering hazardous waste, fuel, aviation and bitumen work. These days I’m on a bitumen tanker for a well-established outfit where the standards are high and the margin for error is small.
I’m straight to the point: either you do it properly, or you don’t do it at all.
HGVguide.com is my way of putting that experience to work. I’m here for new and working drivers who want straight talk on money, hours and rest rules, training decisions, and how to build a life around the job instead of letting the job swallow everything.
I’m also careful with money – some would probably say tight. I’ve spent years figuring out personal finance, how to read payslips, use tax relief, make sense of night-out money and know when overtime is worth it and when it isn’t.
A lot of what I share is about helping drivers keep more of what they earn, not just chasing big headline numbers.
I’m independent – I’m not selling test slots or reselling test dates, and I’m not tied to any training provider or pushing a school. I want you to see the full picture so you can make better choices and protect both your head and your wallet.
I’m an introvert who chooses where my energy goes. I’m intentional and self-aware – I think things through, weigh my options, and I’m not afraid to walk away when something isn’t right.
If I show up, I show up properly: present, committed, and tuned in, with enough sense to step back, unplug and notice what’s good in front of me.
I live between dreaming and doing, with big ideas backed up by consistency and real work. I’m here to help, not to judge. Ask what you need to ask – I genuinely don’t believe in “stupid” questions.
