Distribution, construction sites or international haulage
An HGV driver supplies supermarket chains, carries gravel and concrete to building sites, collects milk from farms or links Switzerland with the rest of Europe. Each speciality has its own vehicles, hours and constraints, particularly in Alpine valleys.
The CFC for heavy vehicle drivers
The Swiss route is the three-year CFC for heavy vehicle drivers, which includes the C and CE licences, vehicle technology and load securing. Experienced adults can also obtain it through validation of prior learning, explained on our page about training in Switzerland.
CE category, ADR and special vehicles
Towing a heavy trailer requires category CE. Transporting dangerous goods also calls for the ADR certificate, while crane trucks and concrete mixers often require in-house training at the construction company or the building materials supplier.
OACP card and 35 hours of training
Professional transport of goods above 3.5 tonnes requires the OACP certificate of professional competence, valid for five years and renewed after 35 hours of courses. In the canton of Vaud, issuing the card costs 35 francs, not counting the price of the courses.
Ban on night and Sunday driving
Trucks over 3.5 tonnes may not drive between 10 pm and 5 am, or on Sundays and public holidays, unless an exemption applies. This rule shapes Swiss schedules: very early departures, evening returns and few long night journeys.
The 40-tonne limit and the RPLP toll
In Switzerland, the total weight of a road combination is limited to 40 tonnes, and the performance-related heavy vehicle fee (RPLP) is calculated on kilometres and weight. The driver records journeys with the on-board recording device.
OTR 1 ordinance and the tachograph
The drivers' ordinance, known as OTR 1, sets driving time, breaks and daily rest. Checks are frequent, particularly at the Erstfeld heavy vehicle control centre in the canton of Uri, on the Gotthard route.
Hauliers, retail chains and building materials
Planzer, Galliker, Camion Transport and the Migros and Coop fleets recruit regularly, as do building materials suppliers. Tipper trucks and mixers serve sites run by a construction site manager in Switzerland, with days dictated by the concrete schedule.
German and Italian on Alpine routes
A driver based in Geneva or Valais often crosses German-speaking Switzerland or Ticino. Being able to understand unloading instructions given in German, read diversion signs and talk with a dispatcher in Zurich helps avoid costly mistakes.
Driver shortage and retirements
The road haulage sector has reported a shortage of drivers for several years, linked in particular to retirements. Reliable candidates holding CE and ADR negotiate their conditions more easily, especially in Central and Eastern Switzerland.
Wage floors by canton
Geneva, Neuchatel, the Jura, Basel-Stadt and Ticino impose a legal minimum wage, but an experienced CE driver normally earns considerably more. The amount varies with the speciality, overnight allowances and salaries paid in Switzerland.
Cross-border and non-European drivers
Hauliers in Basel, Geneva and Ticino hire many cross-border workers holding a G permit. For third-country nationals, federal quotas target qualified specialists, and a driver position is rarely approved by the cantonal authority.
Your route to a truck driving job in Switzerland
- Ask the cantonal road traffic office whether your foreign C or CE licence can be exchanged directly or requires a check drive.
- Obtain or have validated the OACP certificate of professional competence and, if needed, the ADR certificate for dangerous goods.
- Prepare a Swiss CV with photo listing categories, tonnages, trailer types, international routes and years of accident-free driving.
- Contact regional hauliers and distribution centres directly, then add agencies specialising in transport.
- Get ready for a practical driving test, often requested before hiring to assess manoeuvring, coupling and load securing.
- Attach your employment references and stay reachable, as urgent vacancies are often filled within a few days.
Pay benchmarks and costs for a truck driver
| Item | Benchmark | Variables |
|---|---|---|
| Legal minimum in Basel-Stadt | 22.20 CHF gross per hour (2026) | Just a floor, actual pay is higher |
| Legal minimum in Ticino | 20.00 to 20.50 CHF gross per hour (2026, indicative) | Company's sector |
| Actual salary of a CE driver | Indicative, well above the minimums | Speciality, ADR, overnight stays, region |
| OACP qualification card | 35 CHF in the canton of Vaud | Course fees not included |
| OACP continuing training | 35 hours every five years | Price depends on the school, sometimes paid by the employer |
| C or CE licence taken in Switzerland | Indicative, several thousand francs | Number of lessons, exams, possible ORP support |
What Swiss hauliers ask for
- Driving licence with C, CE or C1 categories clearly legible
- Valid OACP qualification card or European code 95
- ADR certificate for transporting dangerous goods
- CV with photo stating the vehicles and trailers driven
- Employment references from previous hauliers
- B or L residence permit, or G permit, and identity document
- Criminal record extract, particularly for transport under customs bond
Mistakes that cost a truck driver the job
- Letting the OACP certificate expire by not completing the 35 hours of continuing training, which immediately bars professional transport.
- Being vague about driving times at interview, when Swiss recruiters look closely at compliance with rest rules.
- Underestimating the night and Sunday driving bans by offering availability that is incompatible with the law.
- Accepting work for a foreign company carrying out cabotage in Switzerland, which is prohibited and penalised during checks.
- Leaving out experience of mountain passes, snow and chains, which is decisive for employers in Graubunden or Valais.
Heavy goods vehicles in Switzerland: candidates' questions
Is a French C licence enough to work as a truck driver in Switzerland?
A cross-border worker can drive for a Swiss company with a French licence. A resident must exchange it at the cantonal office within twelve months. According to the canton of Vaud, since March 2022 a valid European code 95 no longer has to be converted into a Swiss card.
Can trucks drive at night in Switzerland?
In principle no: heavy vehicles are banned from driving between 10 pm and 5 am and on Sundays. Exemptions exist, for example for some transport of perishable foods, and the employer must obtain them before planning the journey.
How long does the CFC for heavy vehicle drivers take?
The initial training lasts three years in a training company, with vocational and inter-company courses. It is aimed at young people leaving compulsory school, but adults can also obtain it through an adapted pathway or validation of prior learning.
What career progression is open to an HGV driver?
Positions as transport planner, driver trainer or fleet manager become accessible with experience. The federal diploma as logistics specialist or continuing training in the sector makes this move easier, particularly in large German-Swiss companies.