How Much Do HGV Drivers Earn in the UK? (2026 Rates)

It is the question every driver asks and the one most agencies dance around. So here is a straight answer, based on what Class 1 work actually pays across Essex, Suffolk and the East Anglian ports right now.

The short answer

A Class 1 (C+E) driver on agency work in this region can expect up to £25 per hour depending on the job, the shift and the client. Across a standard five-day week that puts a good week comfortably into four figures.

At BWN we guarantee a minimum of £1,000 for a five-day week. That works as a minimum of £200 per shift across five shifts, Monday to Friday. If a shift runs short you still get your £200. If it runs long, the hourly rate applies and you earn more. Best of both.

What changes the number

• →Shift type — nights and weekends typically pay more than days.
• →Work type — container, fridge, curtainsider, low loader and ADR all sit at different rates. ADR and low loader work pays a premium because fewer drivers hold the tickets.
• →Tramping — nights out usually carry an additional allowance on top of the hourly rate.
• →Experience and tickets — a clean licence, a digi card in date and ADR will always open better-paid work.
• →The client — some operators simply pay better than others. A good agency knows which ones.

The bit that quietly costs drivers money

Two things eat into driver pay more than the headline rate does, and neither gets talked about enough.

First, break deductions. Plenty of agencies pay you from when you start driving, then knock your breaks off the end. Over a week that is real money gone. We pay from tacho card in to tacho card out. No break deductions. What you are on duty for is what you get paid for.

Second, payment timing. Waiting three or four weeks to be paid is common and it is miserable. We pay every driver weekly, whether you are PAYE or invoicing as a limited company.

Ltd company or PAYE?

Both work. If you operate through your own limited company we pay your invoice weekly, with VAT on top if you are VAT registered. If you would rather be PAYE, that is straightforward too. Some clients only take PAYE drivers, but we have a large number of Ltd-friendly clients, so it rarely limits what work you can get.

Which route suits you depends on your own circumstances, and it is worth a proper conversation rather than a blog post. Give us a ring and we will talk it through honestly.

What good pay actually looks like

A headline hourly rate on a job advert tells you very little. What matters is the rate, plus how your hours are counted, plus when the money lands, plus whether the work is actually there week after week. A brilliant rate on two shifts a week is worse than a solid rate on five.

“I've been driving Class 1 for years and dealt with plenty of agencies. They're honest about the job before you start, answer the phone when you need them and the pay has always been right.”