UK lorry licences are issued by category code, but almost nobody in the industry uses those codes in conversation. Job adverts ask for "Class 1" or "Class 2". Your licence says "C+E" or "C". They're the same thing, and mixing them up is the single most common reason people book the wrong course.
HGV licence categories at a glance
| Category | Known as | What you can drive | Typical work |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | 7.5 tonne | Vehicles 3,500–7,500kg, plus a trailer up to 750kg | Small removals lorries, horseboxes, catering and utility vehicles |
| C1+E | 7.5 tonne + trailer | A C1 vehicle with a trailer over 750kg, up to 12,000kg combined | Horsebox and trailer, plant and event work |
| C | Class 2 / rigid | Any rigid goods vehicle over 3,500kg, plus a trailer up to 750kg | Supermarket rigids, tippers, refuse, local multi-drop |
| C+E | Class 1 / artic | A Category C vehicle with any size trailer, including articulated units | Trunking, container work, supermarket artics, general haulage |
Weights shown are maximum authorised mass (MAM). Always check the exact entitlements printed on the back of your photocard licence.
Category C1 — the 7.5 tonne licence
C1 covers goods vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg. If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997 you almost certainly already hold C1 without ever taking a lorry test — check category C1 on the back of your licence before paying for anything.
If you passed after that date, C1 is a separate test. In most cases it isn't worth taking on its own: the training and test costs are close to Category C, the pay is lower, and Category C covers 7.5 tonne vehicles anyway. Unless you specifically need a horsebox or a niche 7.5t role, go for Class 2 or straight to Class 1.
Category C — Class 2, the rigid licence
Category C is any rigid goods vehicle over 3,500kg, towing a trailer of up to 750kg. It's the traditional first HGV licence and it opens up a large slice of UK driving work: supermarket store deliveries, tipper and muckaway, refuse and recycling, builders' merchants, brewery and beverage drops, and most local distribution.
Full detail, including what training involves and what it costs, is on the Class 2 HGV licence page.
Category C+E — Class 1, the artic licence
C+E lets you pull any trailer behind a Category C vehicle, which in practice means articulated lorries and drawbar outfits. It's the top goods entitlement, it automatically includes everything Category C allows, and it's what the majority of better-paid trunking, container and general haulage roles ask for.
You can train for C+E directly from a car licence — you don't need to hold Class 2 first. See the Class 1 HGV licence page for the training route and pricing.
Rigid, articulated and drawbar — what the words mean
- Rigid: cab and load body on one chassis. It bends nowhere. Needs Category C.
- Articulated ("artic"): a tractor unit coupled to a semi-trailer on a fifth wheel, so the combination pivots in the middle. Needs Category C+E.
- Drawbar: a rigid lorry towing a full trailer on a drawbar. Also needs Category C+E when the trailer is over 750kg.
- LGV vs HGV: the same thing. LGV (large goods vehicle) is the official term used on DVSA paperwork; HGV is what everyone actually says.
Which category should you train for?
For most people coming from a car licence, Class 1 (C+E) is the better value decision: the course is longer and costs more up front, but you only pay for one medical, one set of theory tests and one Driver CPC, and you end up with the entitlement that unlocks the widest range of jobs. Taking Class 2 first and upgrading later means paying for two courses and two sets of practical tests.
Class 2 makes sense if you specifically want local, home-every-night rigid work, or if your employer only runs rigids. And if you already hold Category C, the Class 2 to Class 1 upgrade is the cheapest way up.