The Difference Between C And C1 Licence - Easy As HGV

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HGV Licenses Or LGV Licenses – What’s the Difference?

Posted 11 October 2017 by Charlotte Haye

Shape image of many hgvs top down view

If you’ve been reading around the subject for a while, you might have noticed that the terms HGV and LGV seem to be used almost interchangeably. Which might make you ask, what exactly is the difference between an HGV license and an LGV license? Or are they the same thing? For new drivers, these kinds of questions can be a bit of a minefield, and we are here to provide some clarity, so you know exactly what kind of license you need when you start approaching training providers.

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LGV’S

The term LGV is generally used to refer to 2 different types of commercial vehicles (just to confuse you). The first is ‘Light Goods Vehicles’, which encompasses any commercial carrier vehicle with a gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes. If the weight tips over this, then it falls into the second LGV definition, which we’ll get to in a second. Light vehicles include pickup trucks, vans and even some three-wheeled commercial vehicles. You can usually drive this type of vehicle on a standard car license, under the allowance of Category B (which you will see on the back of your license).

However, the term LGV can also be used to refer to ‘Large Goods Vehicles’, which is the official EU term for a vehicle with a gross weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes. This includes vehicles such as flatbed lorry’s buttons, refrigerated trucks, curtain side lorries, box vans, drop sides, tippers, ADR, HiAb & Moffett. Any vehicle over this weight has its own license category, so if you will be driving vehicles over this weight, you need to get the right license for that type of vehicle.

HGV’S

So what about HGV’s? HGV is the term used for ‘heavy Good Vehicles’, and is often confused with the LGV license for one reason – license-wise, they are pretty much the same thing. The term HGV actually has nothing to do with licensing, but more to do with taxation. When tax discs were first introduced, all vehicles were put into different brackets to work out how much road tax they should pay. The classifications were decided based on the vehicles construction, engine, weight, type of fuel and emissions and the purpose it was used for. So the term ‘LGV’ was used as Light Commercial Vehicles, covered anything under 3.5 tonnes and included a little ‘LGV’ printed on the tax disc. This meant that the tax authority needed a new way to classify larger commercial vehicles to avoid confusion. So vehicles weighing in over 3.5 tonnes were referred to as HGV’s, and the term has spread from there.

So basically, the terms relate to exactly the same type of vehicle, but in different contexts. Not at all confusing for those of us trying to get the right license type!

License Categories

When it comes to licensing, there are a few key differences. Because there are several different kinds of commercial vehicle that can weigh over 3.5 tonnes, licensing authorises developed different categories to test the skill of drivers. You can only drive certain types of the vehicle if you hold the right license for it, meaning drivers need to choose early (unless they want to go for all of them). We’ve pulled together all of the categories and listed them below for you:

C1 –

Category C1 is the very first, a basic level of HGV training and licensing that you can achieve. This license is essentially a step up from a regular UK driver’s license and allows you to drive a vehicle of 3,500 kilograms, as long as that vehicle is under 7.5 tonnes in gross weight. There are very few limits to what the form of that vehicle can be – it can be set up as a lorry, truck or a tractor-trailer set up in which you tow a trailer. Anyone who passed their drivers test before 1997 automatically has a C1 license as well, so it’s worth checking to see if this applies to you.

C1 + E –

This license is also commonly known as a 7.5 tonne + trailer license, and pretty much does what it says on that tin. It allows the driver to operate a vehicle with a gross weight of up to 7,500kg, with an attached trailer of over 750kg authorised mass. This is provided that the maximum authorised mass of the trailer is not more than the unladen weight of the vehicle being driven and that the combined maximum authorised mass of both the vehicle and the trailer doesn’t exceed 12,000kg. Not complicated at all, right? It’s basically an upgrade on the standard C1 license, which means it can only be taken once the driver has already completed their C1 test and got the license.

C –

A category C license allows drivers to drive vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, but must not exceed 32 tonnes. Category C (or Class 2 as they are otherwise known) licenses typically cover a vehicle with a cab and trailer fixed permanently together. In other words, what we would consider a ‘standard lorry’. While you have this license your vehicle weight must not exceed 750kg. This license is a stepping stone within HGV training – a way to move on to the category C and E license. You must be over 18 to have this license.

C + E –

A category C + E license is the most comprehensive HGV license you can hold. With this license, drivers can drive and handle a drawbar or articulated vehicle. The E part of the category C and E license stands for entitlement and means that the bearer can go up to or over 750kg in weight. This particular license is also known as Class 1, allowing the driver to drive any large goods style vehicle needed, including a double trailer.

At Easy as HGV, we offer a huge range of HGV training courses to cover all of these licenses and more. As the UK’s largest provider of HGV training, we have experts on hand to guide you through every aspect of HGV driving, including which licenses you will need and how to get started. To find out more about how we can help you start your HGV journey, just get in touch with the team today.

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