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A HGV (heavy goods vehicle) training broker is a company that sells training courses on behalf of HGV training providers. By definition, a HGV training broker does not directly provide any driver training services to the customer. Instead, the company acts as a middleman, selling the training course to the customer and passing the booking through to an HGV training provider. The HGV training broker will make a commission for providing this service. Courses sold by HGV training brokers can be booked directly with training schools, cutting out the middleman and often saving money for the customer.

Business model
Overview

HGV training broker companies usually require very little infrastructure to set up. Due to the fact that HGV driver training services are outsourced, there is no requirement for the broker company to own training vehicles or equipment, or occupy large premises to facilitate parking of these vehicles or training exercises. Many HGV training broker companies operate from relatively small offices, requiring only basic services such as an internet connection and phone line.

HGV training brokers primarily advertise their services online through their own websites. With no requirement for physical training premises, a broker can offer UK-wide coverage through a network of contracted training schools. Brokers often advertise as having a very large number of training locations: some as many as 100. In reality, these training locations are not owned by the broker, and are simply locations of training schools who will receive course bookings.

Owing to the relative simplicity of setting up this type of business, and the potentially large commissions available, HGV training brokers have developed a bad reputation in the transport industry.

Pros and cons

The centralised nature of the broker allows large corporations to streamline their booking process for HGV training courses, having one point of contact instead of multiple contracts nationwide.

For individuals and local businesses there is little or no benefit of booking with a broker. The courses provided through the broker can be booked directly with the local training provider, often at a lower price due to avoiding the broker's commission. Furthermore, when booking with a broker the customer will usually have no choice over which training school will deliver their training.

Controversies
The HGV training industry is loosely regulated, meaning it is very easy for companies to make false claims in their advertising, impose unfair terms on customers, or even fail to deliver courses altogether. HGV training brokers' business practices have been heavily criticised for not being transparent and using misleading wording in adverts to give the impression that they are a genuine HGV training school.

Examples
The following companies outsource HGV training courses to 3rd party training schools:


 * Easy As HGV
 * Specialised HGV Training
 * HGV Driver Training Centre
 * LGV Training Company
 * New Wave Driving School
 * HGV Training Network
 * HGV Training Prices
 * HGV Training Cost