Evri Driving Academy opens its doors to external candidates
- For the first time, members of the public can apply to train as HGV drivers through Evri’s Driving Academy.
- The Academy has supported internal driver progression for many years, including 113 HGV licences achieved in 2025 alone, and is expanding at a time of ongoing national HGV driver shortages.
- The programme provides Category C and C+E training, offering a new route into a high-demand career in logistics.
Evri, the UK’s premier parcel delivery company, is now accepting applications from external candidates for its heavy goods vehicles (HGV) licence training programme. Evri’s Driving Academy, which has supported internal driver progression for many years, helped drivers achieve 113 new HGV licences in 2025 alone and is now opening the scheme to outside applicants at a time when the UK faces a critical shortage of HGV drivers. The Road Haulage Association estimates the country needs 60,000 new drivers each year for the next five years to keep up with demand, making this programme a rare opportunity for younger drivers to gain highly sought-after skills and build a career in one of the UK’s most in-demand sectors.
The Driving Academy operates from sites in Normanton, Avonmouth and Hemel Hempstead and offers structured training for Category C (Class 2) and Category C+E (Class 1) licences – the qualifications required to drive heavy goods vehicles and articulated lorries. The programme provides a new route into professional HGV driving for those looking to progress or change careers.
One driver who has progressed through the Academy is Matthew Gilbert, who completed his training through the Avonmouth operation. Matthew passed his Class 2 licence in January 2025 and went on to achieve his Class 1 licence shortly after in June, which qualifies him to drive larger articulated vehicles.
Before joining the Academy, Matthew worked as part of the ParcelShop office team, supporting day-to-day operations and drivers. Applying for the programme allowed him to fulfil a long-held ambition. “I’ve always wanted to obtain my HGV licence ever since I was a little boy, so I decided it was time to fulfil that dream,” he said.
Matthew completed the training through the Academy’s intensive course and praised the support he received throughout. Although stepping into the cab of a lorry was initially nerve-wracking, Matthew said the quality of training quickly built confidence. “My trainer was fantastic,” he said. “The level of training I was given made me feel comfortable very quickly. Driving a lorry is actually easier than you’d think once you get used to it.”
After completing the programme, Matthew joined the transport team in Plymouth as a Class 1 Day Driver. He later took on additional responsibilities as a Class 2 Driving Assessor and has since been promoted to Transport Supervisor.
Matthew described HGV driving as a rewarding career and said he would fully recommend the Academy to others, adding that the opportunities available following qualification had exceeded his expectations.
“The Academy helped me get my HGV licences and it has opened so many doors for me within the transport industry,” he said. “I’d definitely recommend it.”
I never imagined I’d be sitting behind the wheel of a heavy goods vehicle, but I achieved my own Cat C licence thanks to the Evri Driving Academy. I’m proud that we’re building a workplace where everyone can thrive, and with the right training and support, you can achieve more than you think. The programme is designed to help anyone, regardless of background, step into a career in logistics, and I’d encourage all aspiring drivers to take that step.”
Lyn Warren, Chief Human Resources Officer at Evri
The Evri Driving Academy offers structured training and guidance for aspiring HGV drivers. External candidates can find out more and apply via https://www.evri.com/careers/join-our-driving-academy. Completing the programme is a great way to get your foot in the door, with opportunities to join Evri’s HGV team throughout the year.
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Media enquiries
For any enquiries relating to Evri Group or its companies; Evri, DHL eCommerce UK, UK Mail and Coll-8, please contact: prteam@evri.com
About Evri
Evri Group brings together Evri, DHL eCommerce UK – which in 2026 will be rebranded Evri Premium, a network of DHL - customs clearance and logistics specialist Coll-8 and business letters leader UK Mail, to create the UK’s premier parcel delivery company. The combined Evri Group will deliver more than 1 billion parcels and a further 1 billion business letters annually.
Evri, the core operating brand, currently delivers around 900 million parcels a year, and is on a mission to be the most convenient way to send, receive and return parcels, without costing the earth.
Working with everyone from Europe’s top retailers, marketplaces and pre-loved sites to gift-givers, the roots of Evri can be traced back to Yorkshire in 1974. The business has grown over the last five decades and now has a team of 12,000+ employees and 30,000+ couriers, as well as a growing network of more than 10,000+ ParcelShops and Lockers and 500+ state-of-the-art hubs and depots. Following its acquisition of Coll-8, an Irish independent customs clearance and logistics specialist, and merger with DHL eCommerce UK, Evri Group continues to enhance its international capability and enable world trade.
Evri has close to 4 million independent 5-star Trustpilot reviews, an average courier rating of 4.6/5, reflecting a strong commitment to customer experience.
For more info: www.evri.com/news-and-corporate