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 meet growing demand. As the industry looks to attract a broader and more diverse workforce, programmes like this are creating new opportunities for women and younger people to build careers in logistics – 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 large 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 Ellie-Mae Saddington, who trained at the Normanton site and now works as a Class 1 Day Driver based in Sheffield.
Ellie-Mae joined Evri shortly after passing her standard driving test in 2021, initially working as a transit van driver for Evri ParcelShops. With limited experience at the time, she decided to apply for HGV training after seeing the opportunity for career progression. “The bigger the vehicle, the bigger the opportunities,” she said.
Ellie-Mae completed both her Class 2 and Class 1 licences through the Academy’s bootcamp programme, passing Class 2 in 2023 and Class 1 first time in 2025, qualifying her to drive larger articulated vehicles.
The Driving Academy combines online learning with practical, in-person training – a blend that proved ideal for Ellie-Mae as she worked towards her qualification.
She described the programme as “clear, supportive and easy to follow,” noting that the structure helped her stay confident throughout the process, with instructors and colleagues always on hand to offer support.
“They give you everything you need, and someone was always there if you had questions. The instructors were knowledgeable and reassuring. It felt like a proper bonding experience,” she said.
HGV driving may seem intimidating at first, but Ellie-Mae encourages others to take the leap. “It’s not as daunting as you may think. Every mile begins with the decision to take the wheel.”
She added that the role has improved her work-life balance, with more stable hours and weekends off, and urged other women not to be put off by stereotypes. “Don’t let the fact that it’s a male dominated field stop you,” she said. “Women are just as capable, and the trucking community is very welcoming.”
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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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