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HGV
ARRANGEMENT
OF SECTIONS
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Driver's
licencing
- European Union
In the European Union, the LGV driver's licence is divided into four categories:
Category C1
effectively the new HGV Class 3 in the UK, the old HGV Class 3 being any two-axle
goods vehicle over 7.5 tonnes - 7,500 kilograms (16,535 lb); allows the holder
to drive a vehicle with a maximum authorised mass (gross vehicle weight) between
3.5 tonnes to 7.5 tonnes (3,500 to 7,500 kilograms (7,716 to 16,535 lb)) with
a trailer up to 750 kilograms (1,653 lb) maximum authorised mass. This licence
can be obtained at 18 years of age.
Category C1+E
allows the holder to drive a vehicle with a maximum authorised mass (gross vehicle
weight) between 3.5 tonnes - 7.5 tonnes (3,500 to 7,500 kilograms (7,716 to 16,535
lb)) with a trailer over 750 kilograms (1,653 lb) maximum authorised mass, provided
that the maximum authorised mass of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass
of the vehicle being driven, and the combined maximum authorised mass of both
the vehicle and trailer does not exceed 12 tonnes (12,000 kilograms (26,455 lb)).
Example: A vehicle with an unladen mass of 2,650 kilograms (5,842 lb), and a MAM
of 4,005 kilograms (8,830 lb), with a trailer MAM of 2,200 kilograms (4,850 lb)
will give a combined MAM of 6,205 kilograms (13,680 lb) - but the Unladen Mass
of the vehicle being driven (2650 kg) is greater than the MAM of the trailer (2200
kg) so is acceptable. However, a vehicle with an unladen mass of 2650 kg and a
MAM of 4005 kg, with a trailer MAM of 2,700 kilograms (5,952 lb) will give a combined
MAM of 6,705 kilograms (14,782 lb) - but because the MAM of the trailer (2700
kg) exceeds the Unladen Weight of the vehicle being driven (2650 kg), you would
need a Category C+E licence to drive that vehicle.
Category C
effectively the new HGV Class 2 in the UK, the old HGV Class 2 being any rigid
goods vehicle with more than two axles; allows the holder to drive a vehicle weighing
over 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kilograms (7,716 lb)) with a trailer up to 750 kilograms
(1,653 lb) maximum authorised mass.
Category C+E
the new Class 1; allows the holder to drive a vehicle weighing over 3.5 tonnes
(3,500 kilograms (7,716 lb)) with a trailer over 750 kilograms (1,653 lb) maximum
authorised mass. This licence could only be obtained after 6 months experience
of a Class 2 truck, but more recently the law has changed to the effect that you
can now do back to back tests, i.e. Category C first then C+E the following week.
UK
Drivers who passed a Category B (car) test before 1 January 1997, will have received
Categories C1 and C1+E (Restriction Code 107: not more than 8,250 kilograms (18,188
lb)) through the Implied Rights issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
(DVLA) (more commonly known as Grandfather Rights).
United Kingdom
A large goods vehicle (also LGV, formerly and informally heavy goods vehicle or
HGV), is the European Union term for goods motor vehicles (i.e. trucks / lorries)
with a maximum allowed mass (MAM) or gross combination mass (GCM) of over 3,500
kilograms (7,716 lb). There are two sub-categories: N2 for vehicles up to 12,000
kilograms (26,455 lb) and N3 for all other LGVs.
Medium Sized Vehicles:
C1 Lorries between 3500 kg and 7500 kg with a trailer up to 750 kg.
Medium Sized vehicles with trailers:
C1+E Lorries between 3500 kg and 7500 kg with a trailer over 750 kg - total
weight not more than 12000 kg (if you passed your category B test prior to 1.1.1997
you will be restricted to a total weight not more than 8250 kg).
Large Vehicles:
C Vehicles over 3500 kg with a trailer up to 750 kg.
Large Vehicles with trailers:
C+E Vehicles over 3500 kg with a trailer over 750 kg.
Minibuses:
D1 Vehicles with between 9 and 16 passenger seats with a trailer up to
750 kg.
Minibuses with trailers:
D1+E Combinations of vehicles where the towing vehicle is in subcategory
D1 and its trailer has a MAM of over 750 kg, provided that the MAM of the combination
thus formed does not exceed 12000 kg, and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed
the unladen mass of the towing vehicle.
Buses:
D Any bus with more than 8 passenger seats with a trailer up to 750
kg.
Buses with trailers:
D+E Any bus with more than 8 passenger seats with a trailer over 750
kg.
Exempted
large goods vehicles
Holders of a full category B (car) driving licence may drive any of the large
vehicles listed below:
• goods vehicle propelled by steam eg large vehicles with coal or wood burning
engines
•
road construction vehicles used or kept on the road
solely for the conveyance of built-in road construction machinery (with/without
articles or materials used for the purpose of that machinery)
•
engineering plant vehicles (designed/constructed
for the purpose of engineering operations)
•
works trucks (primarily designed for use in private
premises or in the immediate vicinity eg dumper trucks/forklift trucks)
•
industrial tractors (tractors used mainly for haulage
work off the public road, the vehicle must not have an unladen weight exceeding
7370kgs and have a design speed not exceeding 20mph)
•
agricultural motor vehicles which are not agricultural
or forestry tractors (primarily used off the public road eg crop sprayer/combine
harvester)
•
digging machines (vehicles which are limited to
travel on public roads only for the purpose of proceeding to/from sites - used
for trench digging or any kind of excavating or shovelling work eg vehicles with
digging buckets/shovels)
•
goods vehicle which is not used on public roads or,
if it is so used during any calendar week:
i. is used only in passing from land in the occupation of a person keeping the
vehicle to other land in the occupation of that person
ii. is not used on public roads for distances exceeding an aggregate of 9.7 kilometres
in that calendar week
" goods vehicle, other than an agricultural motor vehicle, which is used only
for purposes relating to agriculture, horticulture or forestry:
i. is used on roads only in passing between different areas of land occupied by
the same person
ii. in passing between any two such areas does not travel a distance exceeding
1.5 kilometres on roads
•
goods vehicles used for no purpose other than the
haulage of lifeboats and the conveyance of the necessary gear of the lifeboats
which are being hauled
•
goods vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1960,
used unladen and not drawing a laden trailer
•
articulated goods vehicles not exceeding 3.05 tonnes
unladen weight
•
goods vehicle in the service of a visiting force
or headquarters as defined in the visiting forces and international headquarters
(application of law order 1965 (a))
•
goods vehicle driven by a constable for the purpose
of removing or avoiding obstruction to other road users or other members of the
public, for the purpose of protecting life or property (including the vehicle
and its load) or for other similar purposes
•
goods vehicle fitted with apparatus designed for
raising a disabled vehicle partly from the ground and for drawing a disabled vehicle
when so raised (whether by partial superimposition or otherwise) being a vehicle
which
i. is used solely for dealing with disabled vehicles
ii. is not used for the conveyance of any goods or load other than a disabled
vehicle when so raised and water, fuel, accumulators and articles required for
the operation of, or in connection with, such apparatus or otherwise for dealing
with disabled vehicles
iii. has an unladen weight not exceeding 3.05 tonnes
•
mobile project vehicles - having a maximum authorised
mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes and constructed/adapted to carry not more than 8 persons
in addition to the driver and carries principally goods or burden consisting of
i. play/educational equipment and articles required in connection with the use
of such equipment
ii. articles required for the purposes of display or of an exhibition, and the
primary purpose of which is used as a recreational, educational or instructional
facility when stationary
Drivers must be aged 21 and have held a category B licence for at least 2 years.
A mobile project vehicle may only be driven on behalf of a non-commercial body.
However, drivers who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 are not subject
to these conditions.
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