What is the minimum age can you drive an HGV vehicle?
The minimum age you can drive an HGV/LGV has been reduced from 21 to 18 years if age. This means you can drive a cat C+E vehicle (class 1) at 18. It is, in part an attempt to attract younger persons into the transport industry. The average age of the professional HGV/LGV driver currently is 50. The transport industry needs new blood and this a way of addressing that issue.
There are three categories of HGV/LGV licence entitlement. The table below shows the different categories and relevant information.
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Category C1 - Minimum age 18These are vehicles that weigh more than 3.5 tonnes but do not exceed 7.5 tonnes (G.V.W.). A trailer may be towed as long as it does not exceed 750 KG (G.V.W.). If you passed your car test before 1997 you will have gained C1 automatically. |
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Category C - Minimum age 18Cat C is required to drive vehicles weighing over 7.5 tonnes and not exceeding 32 tonnes. Category C, (known formerly as class 2) is best described as a rigid vehicle. The cab and trailer are permanently fixed together. Without cat E entitlement, any trailer weight must not exceed 750kg (G.V.W.) To attain category C+E, you must first acquire cat C. |
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Category C+E - Minimum age 18If you want to drive articulated or draw bar vehicles, then you must gain category C+E. The letter E represents trailer entitlement. Having cat C+E (formerly known as class 1) means you can drive any type of Large Good Vehicle. |
What Next?
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