Large Goods Vehicle
Encyclopedia
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
term for any truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
with a gross combination mass
Gross combination mass
A Gross Combination Mass is the maximum allowable total mass of a fully loaded motor vehicle together with all of its trailers...
(GCM) of over 3500 kilograms (7,716 lb). There are two sub-categories: N2 for vehicles up to 12000 kilograms (26,455 lb) and N3 for all other LGVs as defined in Directive 2001/116/EC
Directive 2001/116/EC
European Commission Directive 2001/116/EC of 20 December 2001, adapts to technical progress Council Directive 70/156/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers...
.
By contrast, goods vehicles of under 3500 kilograms (7,716 lb) are referred to Light commercial vehicle
Light commercial vehicle
Light commercial vehicles is a commercial carrier vehicles with a Gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes. The formal term within the European Union is Light commercial vehicles. Vehicles which qualify in this category are pickup trucks, vans and 3 wheelers all commercially based goods or...
s and come into category N1. Confusingly though, the term 'Light Goods Vehicle' (which also has the abbreviation 'LGV') is used for these lighter goods vehicles by parts of the UK government and the term 'LGV' is used on UK tax disks for Light Commercial vehicle and the term 'HGV' is still used for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. In addition, the term 'Medium goods vehicle' is sometimes within government for goods vehicles of between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes which according to the EU are classed as 'large goods vehicles'.
European Union
It is necessary to have an appropriate European driving licenceEuropean driving licence
The European driving licence is a driving licence replacing the many driving licence styles already in use in the member states of the European Union. It has the credit card-style with a photograph and possibly a microchip. They were introduced to replace the 110 different plastic and paper driving...
to drive a Large goods vehicle in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. There are four categories:
- Category C1 allows the holder to drive a large goods vehicle with a maximum authorised mass (gross vehicle weight) of up to 7500 kilograms (16,535 lb) with a trailer up a maximum authorised mass of up to 750 kilograms (1,653 lb). This licence can be obtained at 18 years of age. and is the replacement for the HGV Class 3 in the UK, the old HGV Class 3 being any two-axleAxleAn axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
goods vehicle over 7500 kilograms (16,535 lb).
- Category C1+E allows the holder to drive a large goods vehicle with a maximum authorised mass (gross vehicle weight) of up to 7500 kilograms (16,535 lb) with a trailer over 750 kilograms (1,653 lb) maximum authorised mass, provided that the maximum authorised mass of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the vehicle being driven and that the combined maximum authorised mass of both the vehicle and trailer does not exceed 12000 kilograms (26,455 lb).
- Category C allows the holder to drive any large goods vehicle with a trailer with a maximum authorised mass of up to 750 kilograms (1,653 lb). This is effectively the new HGV Class 2 in the UK, the old HGV Class 2 being any rigid goods vehicle with more than two axles.
- Category C+E: allows the holder to drive any large goods vehicle with a trailer with a maximum authorised mass of over 750 kilograms (1,653 lb). This licence could only be obtained after 6 months experience of a Class 2 truck, but more recently the law has changed to the effect that you can now do back to back tests, i.e. Category C first then C+E the following week. This is the new Class 1 license.
UK
Drivers who passed a Category B (car) test before 1 January 1997, will have received Categories C1 and C1+E (Restriction Code 107: not more than 8250 kilograms (18,188 lb)) through the Implied Rights issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing AgencyDriver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is the organisation of the UK Government responsible for maintaining a database of drivers and a database of vehicles in Great Britain; its counterpart in Northern Ireland is the Driver & Vehicle Agency...
(DVLA) (more commonly known as Grandfather Rights).
Canada
In Canada'sCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, drivers holding a Class A licence can drive tractor-trailers where the gross weight of the towed vehicle exceeds 4.6 tonnes (4600 kilograms (10,141 lb)). Drivers holding a Class B (school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
), C (regular bus) or D (heavy truck) licence can drive trucks weighing 11 tonnes (11000 kilograms (24,251 lb)), with the towed vehicle weighing a maximum of 4.6 tonnes (Ibid.).
Example 1
A vehicle with an unladen mass of 2650 kilograms (5,842 lb), and a MAM of 4005 kilograms (8,830 lb), with a trailer MAM of 2200 kilograms (4,850 lb) will give a combined MAM of 6205 kilograms (13,680 lb) - but the Unladen Mass of the vehicle being driven (2650 kg) is greater than the MAM of the trailer (2200 kg) so is acceptable. However, a vehicle with an unladen mass of 2650 kg and a MAM of 4005 kg, with a trailer MAM of 2700 kilograms (5,952 lb) will give a combined MAM of 6705 kilograms (14,782 lb) - but because the MAM of the trailer (2700 kg) exceeds the Unladen Weight of the vehicle being driven (2650 kg), you would need a Category C+E licence to drive that vehicle.See also
- Commercial vehicleCommercial vehicleA commercial vehicle is a type of motor vehicle that may be used for transporting goods or passengers. The European Union defines "commercial motor vehicle" as any motorised road vehicle, which by its type of construction and equipment is designed for, and capable of transporting, whether for...
- Light commercial vehicleLight commercial vehicleLight commercial vehicles is a commercial carrier vehicles with a Gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes. The formal term within the European Union is Light commercial vehicles. Vehicles which qualify in this category are pickup trucks, vans and 3 wheelers all commercially based goods or...
- Light truckLight truckLight truck or light duty truck is a U.S. classification for trucks or truck-based vehicles with a payload capacity of less than 4,000 pounds...
- Longer Heavier VehicleLonger Heavier VehicleLonger Heavier Vehicles , also called super lorries, is a classification of large goods vehicle in the United Kingdom...
External links
- Lorry sizes and weights UK House of commons briefing paper
- Weights and dimensions / vehicle plating
- 88/77/EEC
- Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Licence Types