As from 10th September 2009, the minimum age you can drive category C and C+E (lorry), D1 and D (bus/coach) is 18 years, if you have passed the Initial Driver CPC.

There are 4 and 5 day courses available, for more information please call Abacus UK Training Ltd on 0808 101 1959 where we can discuss further.

C (Class II)
Rigid goods vehicles over 3,500kg maximum authorised mass. Entitlement holders may also draw trailers not over 750kg.

C+E (Class I)
Articulated vehicles and drawbar combinations whose semi-trailers and trailers have a gross train weight greater than those stipulated in Category C.

D1 (Minibus)
Minibuses with between 9 and 16 passenger seats towing a trailer up to 750kg

D (Bus/Coach)
Bus/Coach with more than 16 passenger seats towing a trailer up to 750kg

Yes, before you can take your practical test you need to have completed your medical, received your provisional licence and passed all your theory tests, please ask us for more details if you are unsure.

The Driver CPC is for people who want to be professional drivers.

You must have Driver CPC if you drive a lorry, bus, or coach as the main part of your job. You must do 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years to keep it.

You don’t need Driver CPC if you:

• don’t want to drive for a living, for example, you want to drive for a hobby
• drive in other certain situations, such as taking your vehicle for a pre-booked annual test (MOT)

You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving professionally without Driver CPC.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driver-cpc-exemptions-examples

If you passed your car driving test before January 1997, you received C1/D1 ‘grandfather rights’ on the back of your driving licence, and due to the change in the Ministerial interpretation of the Driver CPC regulations, drivers who have held a C1 & D1 with 101 restriction since before 10/09/2008, are now deemed to hold Lorry & Bus Acquired Rights. You would need to complete a 5 day (35 hour) Periodic Training course to acquire your DQC (Driver Qualification Card) and then complete 35 hours Periodic Training every 5 years to maintain your status as a professional driver.

If you passed your car driving test after 1st January 1997, but passed any LGV driving test before 10th September 2009, you also received Driver CPC grandfather rights, as above.

If you passed your car driving test after 1st January 1997, and didn’t pass an LGV test before 10th September 2009, then you’re required to do the Driver CPC Initial Qualification to gain Driver CPC status. This involves passing the Module 2 Driver CPC Case Study theory test, and the Module 4 Driver CPC Demonstration practical test. These tests can be taken before, after, or during your Practical driving test. However, you must have an LGV/PCV provisional or full licence, and you must pass the Mod 2 theory test before you can take the Mod 4 practical test.

https://www.gov.uk/become-lorry-bus-driver/getting-qualified

We have very competitively priced training packages. Call our team on 0808 101 1959 for costs and details.

Medical and Theory fees need to be paid on acceptance onto the training course. You will receive a training starter pack with all online study materials needed to pass the combined theory and hazard perception tests.

A non-refundable 10% deposit will be needed to guarantee your training date and all remaining driver training fees need to be 4 weeks before training commencement. We also have a finance option available, click here to find out more.

No, there is no guaranteed pass in driver training. We do guarantee that you will receive excellent instruction and ensure you will have no shocks on the day of the test.

A typical HGV Cat C (Class 2) driver can earn up to £485 on average a week. HGV Cat C+E (Class 1) drivers can earn up to £600 on average a week. This can increase with experience.

There are more than 60,000 job vacancies across the UK and growing each day so there’s a great chance of finding a role that suits you.

In the UK, right now there is a shortage of licensed, qualified HGV drivers. This is having an impact on the haulage industry as well as the UK economy and it currently shows no sign of improving.

The UK is currently 35,000 HGV drivers short and it is predicted that by 2020 there will be a shortfall of 150,000 drivers.

With the average age of HGV drivers being 48, much older than the national average, and only 2% under the age of 25 many drivers are coming up to retirement while not enough young drivers are coming through to replace them.

Everyone worries about starting a new career, whatever industry they’re in. A recent study in the UK found that there is currently a shortage of around 35,000 HGV Drivers; on top of that the Road Haulage Association (RHA) recently estimated that within the next 5 years there will be a shortage of around 48,000 within our industry. This means there has never been a better time to join this industry and become a fully qualified HGV Driver.