HGV Training Categories

Category C1 Licence

Vehicles weighing between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg, with or without a trailer up to 750 kg.

If you passed your car test prior to January 1997, you will already have this entitlement through grandfather rights. If not then, we can offer the training needed to get you going.

The C1 licence is slightly less common these days, as hauliers upscale their fleets to meet rising demand. However, we know that some people still need it. If you’re training to be a paramedic, own a small horsebox, work for a supermarket, own a small business or work in the removals industry, this may be the licence for you.

With a Category C1 Licence you will be able to drive an LGV of between 3,500kg and 7,500kg. You can also add a trailer of no more than 750kg. This vehicle is commonly known as a 7.5 ton, Class 3 or C1, and is typically used for making local supermarket deliveries, or removals. The training takes between 4 and 5 days, depending on experience. Once you’ve got the licence, we would expect you to be able to earn a starting salary of £20k per year, rising with experience.

Click here to view our course pricing

Category C Licence (Class 2)

Rigid Vehicles weighing above 7500kgs.

Category C driving licences are the most commonly acquired LGV licence in the UK. You could call it the ‘entry-level’ truck licence, as you will need this first if you wish to progress onto the larger, articulated C+E vehicles. The Category C licence entitles the holder to drive any rigid vehicle weighing over 7.5 tons, which accounts for a huge proportion of the UK’s current LGV fleet. When you gain this licence you also gain Category C1, which covers rigid vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tons in weight. Essentially, once you have this licence, you can drive any rigid vehicle of any size or weight which gives you a huge range of options when it comes to starting a new career.

Once you have completed your training and you have your Class 2 licence you can expect to earn up to 25k a year, if not more.

Click here to view our course pricing

Category CE Licence (Articulated Lorry)

The class ‘C+E’ licence replaced the older class I licence in 1997 and passing the ‘C+E’ test is a requirement for operating an articulated vehicle or a rigid vehicle towing a large trailer. Without the ‘C+E’ licence you are limited to towing a 750 Kg gross weight trailer.

In order to attend our LGV C+E training courses, you must have first passed your category C (rigid vehicle) LGV test. You will also need to ensure that your existing LGV Category C entitlement is still valid, and has not expired, as candidates over the age of 45 will need to renew their LGV medical examination every 5 years for their LGV Category C Licence entitlement to remain valid.

The provisional licence for a ‘C+E’ vehicle is an automatic entitlement on passing the ‘C’ licence. No further medical or theory test pass is required prior to training.

Click here to view our course pricing