With Christmas looming and the UK in the grip of a crippling shortage of lorry drivers, one training school in Croydon is working round the clock to put new recruits behind the wheel in time to avert the crisis.

After just five days of intensive coaching from veteran truck instructors, Melvin, Rob and Oliver must pass their test on Croydon’s roads featuring some notorious roundabouts and the dreaded reversing test as recently failed by Sir Keir Starmer.

Trainees looking for a career change come from all walks of life. John is leaving the Church of England and his rural Devon parish to get behind the wheel of what he calls his “big boy’s toy”. With a fifty fifty pass rate there are winners and losers as the great British public steps up in their country’s hour of need.