Heavy vehicle licence classes and what you can drive
What the exam tests
This domain checks that you can match a vehicle's gross laden weight (GLW) and configuration to the correct licence class, and that you know the conditions attached to a heavy-vehicle licence. The examiner expects precise answers because driving outside your class is an offence and can affect insurance.
The class ladder
- Class 1 covers cars and light vehicles up to 4,500 kg GLW, with limited trailer allowances.
- Class 2 covers rigid vehicles from 4,501 to 18,000 kg GLW, and combinations where the towing vehicle is in that range and the towed vehicle is 18,000 kg or less.
- Class 3 covers rigid vehicles from 18,001 to 25,000 kg GLW, and matching combinations.
- Class 4 covers heavier rigid vehicles and truck-and-trailer combinations in the upper heavy band.
- Class 5 covers the heaviest vehicles, including combinations over 25,000 kg GLW.
A higher class lets you drive vehicles in all lower classes. To move up, you normally need a full Class 1 licence, a medical and eyesight check, the heavy-vehicle theory test, and a practical test. A learner must display L plates and be supervised by someone holding the full class for that vehicle.
Worked example
A driver holds a Class 2 licence and wants to drive a 12,000 kg truck towing a 10,000 kg trailer. The combination weighs 22,000 kg, which is over 18,000 kg, so at first glance Class 2 seems insufficient. But the Class 2 combination rule looks at each unit: the towing vehicle is 4,501–18,000 kg and the trailer is 18,000 kg or less, so the driver is legal. If the trailer were 20,000 kg, a higher class would be needed.
Traps
- Judging a combination only by its total weight instead of the towing and towed weights.
- Assuming a Class 1 licence covers a heavy trailer.
- Forgetting that licence conditions still apply.
- Confusing GLW with the weight actually loaded on the day.