Heavy Vehicle Licensing, Classes and What You Can Drive
The classes by mass and configuration
Class 5 is about combinations, so the exam tests gross laden weight (GLW) of a rigid vehicle versus gross combined weight (GCW) of a vehicle plus trailer or trailers. The classes build up:
- Class 1: light vehicles up to 4,500 kg GLW or GCW.
- Class 2: medium rigid vehicles above the light threshold up to 18,000 kg GLW.
- Class 3: medium combinations up to 25,000 kg GCW.
- Class 4: heavy rigid vehicles over 18,000 kg GLW.
- Class 5: heavy combinations over 25,000 kg GCW.
A Class 5 licence lets you drive Classes 1–4 as well, but not a motorcycle. The key is the combination's GCW, not the trailer's unladen weight alone.
What you can drive
Class 5 covers a rigid truck towing one or more trailers where the total GCW exceeds 25,000 kg. That includes common truck-and-trailer units and articulated combinations within legal mass and dimension limits. You must still comply with road user charges, overdimension permits and load limits; the licence class does not make an overweight combination legal.
Worked example
A rigid truck has a GLW of 16,000 kg and tows a trailer with a laden mass of 10,000 kg. The GCW is 26,000 kg, which is over 25,000 kg, so the driver needs Class 5. If the same truck towed only 8,000 kg, the GCW would be 24,000 kg and Class 3 would cover the combination. If the rigid truck itself had a GLW of 20,000 kg, the driver would need Class 4 even with no trailer; adding a trailer that pushes GCW over 25,000 kg would then require Class 5.
Traps
Do not use the trailer's solo weight as GCW; add the laden rigid vehicle and all laden trailers. Do not assume Class 4 covers a heavy combination. Do not forget that a higher class generally covers lower classes but not motorcycles.