Updrive Recruitment connects skilled HGV and van drivers with the hauliers, distributors and logistics firms who rely on them. We're a transport-minded team based in the Midlands, and we do recruitment the way it should be done: quickly, honestly and properly checked.
"Recruitment run by people who've worked in transport."
Updrive was started by people from the transport industry who'd spent years on the other side of the phone, waiting on agencies that over-promised and under-delivered. We knew there was a better way to do it.
Today we look after two groups of people. Drivers get honest conversations, fair rates and work that's actually there. Operators get reliable, fully checked drivers who turn up briefed and ready to go.
Drivers
Jobs that suit your life
Employers
Cover you can count on
Compliance
Checked, every time
Whether you drive for a living or run the trucks, Updrive has you covered.
Permanent jobs
Long-term roles with established operators, nights out or home daily.
Temp & agency work
Flexible shifts paid weekly, with holiday pay on every hour.
Temp-to-perm
Try a company first, then make it permanent when it feels right.
Short-notice cover
Sickness, holidays or a surprise load: ring in the morning, driver by the afternoon.
Permanent recruitment
We source, screen and reference-check. You only pay when you hire.
Peak & contract staffing
Planned driver teams for busy seasons, new contracts and depot openings.
Plenty of agencies can send a name. We'd rather send the right person, and still be the ones you ring next time. That comes down to a few simple habits.
Tachos, drivers' hours, trailer types, RDC booking-in slots. We speak the language because we've worked in it.
Drivers and clients each get a named consultant who knows them, not a call centre.
Licence, CPC, digi card and right-to-work checks on every driver, every time. No shortcuts.
Rates up front, honest job descriptions and early warning if something changes.
0 min
for drivers to apply
0 hr
callback promise
0 days
a week on call
£0
fees for drivers
Fill in our two-minute form, or just give us a ring. A CV helps but isn't essential.
Your consultant calls to talk about the work you want, where and when.
We check your licence, CPC, digi card and right to work in one quick visit.
You get the job details, site address and a contact name. Keys in, off you go.
Our office is in Derby, right in the middle of the country's busiest freight corridor. That puts the M1, A50, A38 and the "golden triangle" warehouses on our doorstep, with tramping and trunking work running the length of mainland Britain.
Local day work Tramping & trunking routes
Out on Monday, home Friday. Mostly general haulage and pallet work on curtainsiders, with modern, well-kept units and a traffic office that actually picks up the phone.
Hub-to-hub trunking with drop-and-swap trailers. Same route most nights, minimal handballing and you are home every morning.
Local and regional deliveries to retail and trade customers. Tail-lift work, 8–12 drops a day, back at base every evening.
Straight talk.
No surprises.
These are the standards we hold ourselves to, for drivers and clients alike. You're welcome to hold us to them.
Rates up front
Drivers know the rate before saying yes. Clients know the charge before booking.
Honest job details
If it's handballing, multi-drop or nights out, everyone knows in advance.
We pick up the phone
Early starts and late finishes included. Transport doesn't keep office hours.
Paid on time
Weekly pay, clear payslips and someone to ring if anything looks wrong.
Ready when you are.
One phone call. Real people. Work lined up fast.
