HGV and Articulated Drivers
Post vacancies for HGV driver and artic driver roles covering national trunking, port drayage and international work via the ferry routes. State whether a CE or C1E licence is required.
For Irish Employers
Hire Professional Drivers in Ireland
Publish your driver vacancies on FastDriver.eu, reach candidates across the counties, elsewhere in Europe and in eligible international markets, and manage applications yourself. Ireland has a workable permit route for HGV drivers, but it turns on the licence the candidate holds, and the sections below explain exactly how.
Direct employer hiring • European and international reach • Employment permit guidance for HGV roles
A Driver Job Portal Built for Irish Employers
FastDriver.eu connects Irish hauliers, forwarding companies, port logistics operators, bus and coach companies and distribution businesses with drivers looking for work.
Publish a genuine vacancy, state the licence category, describe the routes and the shift pattern, and receive applications directly. Say whether the work includes ferry legs to Britain or the Continent, since that changes the job considerably. Browse current Irish listings at www.fastdriver.eu/jobs/ireland.
FastDriver.eu is a specialised driver job portal. It is not a recruitment agency or an employment agency, it does not employ drivers and it does not lease workers.
Your company reviews the applications, interviews the candidates, inspects the original licence and Driver CPC documents, and signs the employment contract. Where a permit is needed, your company also carries the advertising and eligibility obligations.
Advertise the Driver Roles Your Fleet Needs
Irish employers recruit across international haulage on the landbridge and direct ferry routes, national distribution, agri-food transport and passenger services. State the licence category and the shift.
Rigid and Distribution Drivers
Advertise rigid and multi drop distribution roles serving retail, hospitality and builders merchants, usually with handling and a daily return.
Bus and Coach Drivers
Publish roles for bus and coach drivers on city and regional networks, school transport, private hire and the tour coach market.
Van and Delivery Drivers
Advertise van driver and courier positions in parcel networks, grocery delivery and urban logistics around Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway.
Tanker, ADR and Agri Drivers
Reach ADR qualified and tanker drivers for fuel and chemical work, milk collection drivers for the dairy sector and tipper drivers for construction supply.
Use a job title only where it genuinely matches the role. Unrelated titles added for traffic produce applications you will only reject.
Driver Hiring Across the Irish Counties
Ireland is divided into counties, with freight concentrated on the eastern ports and the motorway corridors radiating from Dublin.
Dublin Port dominates, with Rosslare, Cork and Waterford handling ro-ro and container traffic. Ferry sailings set the timings for a large share of driver work.
Dairy, meat and beverage production generate constant temperature controlled and bulk transport, with pronounced seasonal peaks in milk collection.
National distribution centres along the main motorway corridors serve retail and e-commerce clients across the island.
International work runs either direct to the Continent or through Britain, and the route choice changes the customs handling and the hours the driver faces.
Where Irish Employers Are Hiring Drivers
Naming the county and the depot helps candidates judge the commute, which matters where public transport outside the cities is limited.
Driver Job Titles and How Candidates Search in Ireland
Irish drivers search in English, which makes vacancies here readable across the whole European candidate pool without translation.
HGV driver is the standard freight term, with artic driver used for articulated work and rigid driver for the smaller vehicles. Candidates attach the licence as C, CE, C1 or C1E.
Multi drop and distribution driver signal handling and a daily return rather than trunking, and candidates use them to filter accordingly.
Passenger roles use bus driver and coach driver, and delivery work appears as van driver and courier.
Candidates state their Driver CPC alongside the licence, and add ADR or a tanker endorsement where held. For milk collection they usually mention the round type.
Because the market works in English, the useful additions are practical: the depot, the shift pattern, whether ferry legs are involved and whether the role could support an employment permit.
Recruit Drivers Locally, Across Europe or Worldwide
FastDriver.eu operates as a European driver job portal and allows candidates in other parts of the world to discover and apply for suitable Irish vacancies.
Irish employers may receive applications from drivers based in Ireland, other EU and EEA countries, Switzerland, the wider European region, Asia, Africa, Gulf countries, North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and other eligible international markets.
EU and EEA citizens, Swiss nationals and UK nationals under the Common Travel Area may work in Ireland without a permit. Licence and Driver CPC requirements still apply.
For third country nationals the route for driving roles is the General Employment Permit. It requires the Labour Market Needs Test, a minimum annual remuneration, and compliance with the rule that more than half of the company's existing employees are EEA nationals, subject to narrow exceptions.
The licence question is what actually decides these applications. A permit turns on the candidate holding a valid CE or C1E licence, and permits may be granted to holders of mutually recognised CE or C1E licences from a short list of jurisdictions outside the EEA. At renewal an Irish CE or C1E licence must be submitted, so plan the exchange from the first day of employment rather than in the final months. Check the current list of recognised jurisdictions with the Road Safety Authority. Drivers can check their own position through our driving licence eligibility guidance.
FastDriver.eu can provide process guidance and document coordination when a candidate needs support. It does not make government decisions and cannot promise an approval.
Licences, Driver CPC and Driving on the Left
State the licence category, and raise one practical point early with any incoming candidate.
Ireland drives on the left. A driver arriving from continental Europe or from most international markets will be changing side as well as changing country, and that belongs in the interview and the familiarisation plan.
Freight roles use C and CE, with C1 and C1E for lighter rigid vehicles. Passenger transport uses D and D1, with DE and D1E where a trailer is drawn. Delivery work sits in category B.
Professional drivers in the C and D categories need the Driver CPC, which corresponds to code 95 and is maintained through periodic training. A digital tachograph driver card is required for in scope work and ADR training for dangerous goods.
For a third country candidate, establish at interview which licence they hold, whether it is one of the mutually recognised CE or C1E licences, and how and when they will obtain the Irish licence needed at renewal.
Experience requirements are set by operators. International work looks for ferry and customs familiarity, agri-food for hygiene and temperature discipline, while distribution fleets often take newly qualified drivers. FastDriver.eu can present candidate information, but verifying original documents remains the employer's responsibility.
How FastDriver.eu Supports Irish Employers
Job Publication
Publish driver vacancies in English with the licence category, county, shift pattern and permit position set out clearly.
Vacancy Promotion
Where a Labour Market Needs Test applies, a specialist job board can serve as the additional online platform the test requires alongside the public employment service and EURES. Confirm the current requirements before relying on any single platform.
Direct Applications
Applications reach your team directly, with no agency between you and the driver.
Candidate Discovery Support
Support in reaching drivers who match your licence and route requirements, without any promise of a specific candidate.
Permit and Visa Guidance
Guidance on the General Employment Permit route, the licence recognition question and the renewal requirement.
Relocation Coordination
Coordination of travel, arrival, PPS number and residence registration steps when an international candidate is hired.
Flexible Employer Options
Employer options can be arranged around single vacancies, seasonal peaks or larger recruitment rounds, and are agreed separately with your company.
Posting a Driver Vacancy in Ireland
Precise adverts fill faster, and where a permit may follow, the advert itself becomes evidence in the application.
Give the company name, the county and the depot the driver reports to, and say whether the work is local, national or international.
State the vehicle type and licence category, the Driver CPC position, and whether ADR or a tanker endorsement applies.
Say how many drivers you need and what experience you expect, and mention that driving is on the left.
Describe the shift pattern honestly, including nights out and ferry legs, and set out pay and benefits against the minimum the permit route requires.
Confirm the start date, and if a permit may follow, keep copies of every advert and note the date the advertising began.
Your company sets and honours the final employment terms.
Hiring a Driver in Ireland
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Submit your requirement
Tell us the role, the county, the licence category and how many drivers you need.
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Publish and promote
The vacancy goes live in English and is promoted to relevant candidates, alongside any advertising the Labour Market Needs Test requires.
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Review the applications
Applications arrive directly for your team to assess.
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Interview and check
You interview, inspect the original licence and Driver CPC, and establish the licence recognition and exchange position.
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Hire your chosen driver
Your company issues the employment contract under Irish employment law.
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Permit and arrival steps if needed
Where a permit is required, the application follows within the window after advertising, then any visa, arrival and residence registration. Support can be agreed separately.
Employer Checklist for Irish Driver Vacancies
Work through these before publishing. The licence question decides more than anything else on this list.
Company and role
- Registered with Revenue and the Companies Registration Office; EEA employee ratio checked; county and depot; role title in English
Vehicle and licence
- Vehicle type; category B, C1, C, CE, D1 or D; Driver CPC; tachograph driver card; ADR where relevant; licence recognition and Irish exchange plan
Experience and routes
- Experience expected; local, national or international work; ferry legs and customs handling; driving on the left
Schedule and pay
- Shift pattern; nights out; pay against the permit minimum; benefits and vehicle allocation
International candidates
- Labour Market Needs Test advertising completed and evidenced; application filed within the window; valid CE or C1E licence; Irish licence obtained before renewal
Complete each section before your vacancy goes live.
Employer Responsibilities in Ireland
The Irish employer is responsible for the following.
The renewal condition is the one that catches hauliers out. A permit granted on a mutually recognised CE or C1E licence runs for a limited period, and at renewal an Irish CE or C1E licence has to be submitted. Build the exchange and any testing into the driver's first year rather than discovering it at renewal.
FastDriver.eu does not issue any government approval.
FastDriver.eu cannot guarantee applications, candidate availability, candidate suitability, interview attendance, hiring outcomes, licence recognition, employment permits, visas, processing times or continued employment.
Misleading vacancy content may be removed from the platform.
This page is general information for employers and is not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is FastDriver.eu?
A specialised driver job portal used across Europe. Irish employers publish driver vacancies and receive applications directly from candidates.
Is FastDriver.eu a recruitment agency?
No. It is a job portal, not a recruitment or employment agency, and it does not lease workers. Your company employs the driver directly.
Which Irish employers can use the platform?
Legally operating transport and logistics companies, hauliers, forwarders, fleet operators, bus and coach operators, delivery and courier businesses.
Can we recruit drivers from other EU countries?
Yes. EU and EEA citizens, Swiss nationals and UK nationals under the Common Travel Area may work here without a permit. Licence and Driver CPC requirements still apply.
Can we hire HGV drivers from outside the EEA?
Yes, through the General Employment Permit, provided the candidate holds a valid CE or C1E licence and meets the other conditions. The licence is the decisive point.
Which non-EEA licences are recognised?
Only a short list of jurisdictions has mutual recognition for CE and C1E licences. Check the current list with the Road Safety Authority before advertising to candidates from a particular country.
What happens at renewal?
An Irish CE or C1E licence must be submitted. A permit granted under a recognised foreign licence is valid for a limited period, so the exchange should be planned from the start of employment.
What is the Labour Market Needs Test?
The requirement is to advertise the vacancy with the public employment service and on EURES, plus an additional online platform, before applying. Keep copies of every advert as evidence.
Can FastDriver.eu be the additional online platform?
A specialist job board can serve that purpose, but the Department sets the requirements and can change. Confirm the current position before relying on any single platform for your test.
Is there a deadline after advertising?
Yes. The permit application must be made within a defined window after the vacancy was advertised, so do not let the file sit once the advertising period ends.
What is the 50:50 rule?
More than half of the company’s existing employees must be EEA nationals at the time of the application, subject to narrow exceptions such as a start-up with no other employees.
Is there a salary requirement?
Yes. A minimum annual remuneration applies to the General Employment Permit. Check the current figure before drafting the offer, since it is reviewed periodically.
Does driving on the left matter for incoming candidates?
It genuinely does. Ireland drives on the left, so a driver from continental Europe or most international markets is changing side as well as country. Raise it at interview and plan the familiarisation.
Who verifies driving licences and documents?
Your company does. The platform may collect candidate information and assist with document coordination, but inspecting the originals is the employer’s responsibility.
What does it cost to use FastDriver.eu as an employer?
Options depend on the number of vacancies, the promotion level and the support you need. Terms are agreed with your company in advance.
How do we start hiring?
Submit the employer enquiry with your company details and driver requirements, or post the vacancy directly. Your team then reviews the applications and selects the driver.
Start Hiring Professional Drivers in Ireland
Submit a driver requirement or publish a vacancy, and reach qualified candidates across the counties, elsewhere in Europe and in eligible international markets.
Irish employers recruit, select and employ their chosen drivers directly.
Last Updated: August 27, 2026
This content is reviewed and updated periodically to maintain accuracy and relevance.
