Tipper driver jobs and cover
Tipper drivers haul aggregates, soil, muck away and demolition waste to and from sites, in rigid and articulated tippers.
The job
A tipper driver hauls loose bulk material: sand, stone, soil, aggregates, recycled material and demolition waste. The lorry has a body that tilts hydraulically, so the load slides out at the tip or on site. The driver loads at a quarry, a pit or a stockpile, is weighed, sheets the load and delivers it.
Tipping is the skilled part of the job. The driver tips on firm, level ground, away from overhead cables and people, raises the body in a controlled way and lowers it before moving off. On site the driver follows the banksman’s signals and the site’s marked routes, and on soft ground takes the time the conditions need.
The work runs on cycle times. The number of loads in a day depends on the gap between pit and site and on the wait at each end, so a driver who loads and tips efficiently is worth having. Sites set the hours and the routes, and some add their own induction and card requirements.
Sectors that use this role
Related roles
Licence and tickets
A rigid tipper needs category C, which is Class 2, or category C1 if it weighs no more than 7,500 kg. An articulated tipper, or a tipper trailer behind a tractor unit, needs category C+E, which is Class 1.
A tipper driver also needs the Driver CPC, which is 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years, unless the work qualifies for an exemption that the client confirms. The vehicle carries a tachograph, and the driver carries a digital tachograph driver card.
The booking says what the site asks for, which can include a site induction, protective equipment and a card such as CSCS. CSCS says people on site for a non-construction occupation, such as drivers delivering materials, should not be expected to carry one. CPCS and NPORS cards are for plant operators.
Sources: GOV.UK, Driving licence categories; Driver CPC; Digital tachographs; CSCS, Which jobs need a CSCS card (checked 1 October 2026).
Drivers’ hours
Tipper work for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes normally falls under the main drivers’ hours rules, with a tachograph: 9 hours of driving in a day, which can go up to 10 hours twice a week, and a 45 minute break after 4.5 hours of driving. Some vehicles are exempt or fall under other rules, and the booking says which applies.
Short cycles and waiting at quarries and sites both use up working time, so we ask about recent hours before we book a driver.
Source: GOV.UK, Drivers’ hours rules (checked 1 October 2026).
Shifts
- Days
- Early starts from the quarry or depot, so that loads reach site in the morning. Start times are set by the site or the quarry.
- Nights
- Road and utility works that are done at night need loads delivered then. Night work follows the working time rules.
- Tramping
- Long-distance aggregate and plant moves can keep a driver away for a night or more, where the booking says so.
- Weekends
- Saturday working on sites that trade through the weekend, agreed per booking.
Pay basis
Pay is an hourly rate set per booking. It depends on the vehicle, the site and the shift, and early starts and weekends can be rated differently. We do not publish rates on this site.
The National Living Wage is the legal floor for workers aged 21 and over, and no booking pays below the legal minimum wage. You are told the rate before you accept a shift.
Checks we run
DVLA licence check
We check the category C or C+E entitlement, endorsements and expiry with the DVLA.
Driver CPC and digi card
We ask to see the Driver Qualification Card and the tachograph driver card, and check both.
Site cards
We ask about CSCS and other cards and check that the ones the site needs are in date.
Tipper experience
We ask which tippers you have run and what loads you have carried.
Right to work and references
Right to work is checked before the first shift, and references cover safe working on sites.
The full list of checks is on the compliance checks page.
Questions about tipper work
- What is the difference between a rigid tipper and an artic tipper?
A rigid tipper has the body on the lorry’s own chassis and needs category C. An artic tipper is a tractor unit pulling a tipping trailer and needs category C+E. The booking says which vehicle the job uses.
- What is a weighbridge ticket?
A ticket that records the weight of a load at the quarry or the tip. The driver collects it and hands it over with the load, and the operator uses it for charging and records.
- Can I do night tipper work?
Yes. Some road and utility works are done at night, and the loads go out then. Tell us at registration that you take nights, and we match bookings to that.
- Will I need to sheet the load?
Some loads are covered before they leave the quarry. The operator’s procedure says when, and we pass it on. DVSA’s guidance says a driver who did not load the vehicle should not proceed with a load they have any doubts about.
Book a tipper driver
Give us the tipper type, the quarry or pit, the site, the start time and any cards the site needs. We come back on who can cover it.