Look Smart, Be Smart: Hi Vis For Haulage Work

There are plenty of things you need to keep in mind when you take on a career doing haulage work. Delivery times and expectations, timing breaks and rerouting if needs be – all on top of the basic need to keep an eye on the road and operate your vehicle safely.

With all this to keep your mind busy, it can be easy to lose sight of the importance of the clothing you wear, but hauliers actually face a lot of risks on the job, so a good hi vis jacket can be a crucial tool to allow you to work with ease and safety.

Read on to learn a little about some of the best jackets on the market.

Why Hi Vis?

HGV drivers face a lot of situations where they need to make sure they can be seen. While your giant truck will probably be enough to ensure no one misses you while you’re at the wheel, it’s important to stay safe when you’re out of the cab too.

Haulage work requires tasks like loading, unloading, stopping for breaks and sometimes even performing some roadside maintenance. All this means you’ll need a good quality jacket accessible whenever you need to leave the safety of your vehicle.

Top Tip: Visibility is also crucial if a job takes you to an active building site or any high-activity area.

Now, on to a look at some of the best coats available.

Dunlop Parka

Quilted padding and elasticated cuffs keep this jacket warm whatever the weather, and its adjustable hood can help keep you dry in even the fiercest rain. Add VizLite strips to maximise visibility and choose a fluorescent yellow colour and you’ve got the perfect piece of outerwear for working hauliers.

Proforce Class 3

This heavy-duty coat with storm cuffs and a storm flap is perfect for doing haulage workin the harshest and most inclement of climates. Even better, it’s part of a wider range of clothing and footwear, meaning you can put together a whole wardrobe of high-quality workwear from one supplier.

Jubilee Coat

This one is a little lighter, ranked at the highest level of breathability (EN471 class 3). Storm cuffs mean it is able to deal with rainfall, and its variety of deep and spacious pockets mean it’ll suit any hauliers who need to carry a lot of small objects or equipment.

Dikies Coat

This final offering is also the perfect purchase for anyone doing haulage work. Its knitted cuffs and drawcord hood are both concealed, while a heavy-duty two-way zip keeps it securely fastened.

This is of course just a tiny sample of all the great hi vis jackets on offer out there – online and in retail stores. Every driver will have their own preference, while considerations like budget and the type of haulage workyou do will also inform your decision. We hope this list has been helpful in narrowing the choices down, but remember, which product you choose is far less important than making sure you have one in the first place. 

Author Plate

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage work with available drivers, and is now the fastest growing Freight Exchange in the UK.