Charlotte Haye 22nd January 2020

The LGV Professional Licence: Explained

Did you know that there is no such thing as just 1 drivers licence? There are hundreds of different licences depending on what you want to drive, including a range for professional driving, or driving of larger vehicles. Today, we want to look at what the LGV licence is, how it works and how you earn one.

What is the LGV Licence?

You might already know that there are a variety of different driving licence categories – many of them are listed on the back of your pink driver’s licence. These categories describe which kinds of vehicle you are allowed to drive, and typically split them up based on vehicle weight and size. These categories cover everything from motorcycles and cars to the largest commercial vehicles on the road. Generally, if you are able to drive a car, you have a Category B licence.

The LGV licence is a class of professional driver’s licences (as opposed to general ones), and they allow you to drive a vehicle that falls under one of 4 different categories. For reference, LGV can mean either ‘light goods vehicle’ or ‘large goods vehicle’ depending on who you talk to, but the distinction really doesn’t mean anything when it comes to learning and licences. The 4 categories of LGV licences are:

Category C+ E: This is the highest of the LGV licence classes, and allows you to drive the largest and heaviest HGVs and construction equipment on the road. So not surprising that this is a highly sought after licence! It lets you drive vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of over 7.5 tonnes, with trailers heavier than 750kg.

Category C: this is the most commonly held licence for LGV drivers in the UK, and qualifies you to operate vehicles including tipper trucks, bin lorries, articulated lorries and the heaviest of box trucks.

Category C1 + E: This is considered a lower-class of licence in LGV terms, as it does somewhat restrict what you’re allowed to drive. This covers vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, with trailers of 750kg or more. This might include, for example, a large cargo van with a utility trailer, or a small tipper truck built on a standard truck chassis.

Category C1: The C1 is the base LGV licence, and is usually passed up in favour of one of the other licences. The C1 licence allows you to drive transit vans and small box trucks, and doesn’t allow you to tow a trailer behind your vehicle.

What’s Involved in LGV Licence Training?

LGV training covers all of the physical skills and knowledge necessary for drivers to drive safety and properly on the road. This is essential, as driving an LGV is not the same as driving a car or motorcycle – it’s in a completely different league and requires different skills. For example, there are specific skills like:

Making turns properly
Reversing trucks and trailers
Manoeuvring large vehicles in tight spaces
Appropriate accelerating and braking techniques
Appropriate use of mirrors and other safety equipment

Beyond that, LGV training also aims to give drivers the knowledge they need to pass their Driver CPC – the first step to doing any professional driving. That means understanding both the theory of driving an LGV and being able to pass a practical demonstration exam – with 2 tests for each skill.

How Does the LGV Test Work?

The LGV licence tests work in a similar fashion to the Driver CPC tests – with 3 sections to pass, split into 2 parts;

Theory: Drivers must demonstrate a knowledge of safe driving theory. This is usually the first test the driver takes, as soon as they receive their provisional entitlement in the post. Since the provisional entitlement usually takes a few weeks to come through, students can learn and revise for the theory portion during this time, and be ready to take it right away. The theory tests involve a multiple choice section and a case studies section, where you must look at a series of issues drivers regularly experience and answer questions on them.

Practical: The final stage of the process is to demonstrate that you actually can operate and drive an LGV safely. You will be asked to demonstrate all of the pre-driving checks for the first part of the test, and then you will go on a short drive with an examiner to asses your skills.

Driving an LGV professionally can be an incredibly rewarding experience, and opens you up to a lot of opportunities in the future. But the first step is choosing your licence type and getting yourself qualified. That’s where we come in. At Easy as HGV we specialise in helping aspiring drivers get the training, knowledge and support they need to pass their licence tests and get a job in the industry. If you would like to know more, just get in touch with us today.

Charlotte Haye

Take the first step towards your dream HGV driving career. Contact Us

Call free 0800 970 8447

Get a Quote

Why choose Easy As HGV?

We're Local

Great Value

Speedy & Helpful

Trusted