Truck licence categories

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name the four truck categories and the vehicles each covers.
• You can state the minimum ages, including the lower age with Driver CPC.
• You can explain why a medical report is needed and when.
• You can set out the order of steps from car licence to full CE.
• You can explain the learner rules for truck permits.

What you need to know and understand

• C1: goods vehicles over 3,500 kg and up to 7,500 kg MAM, with a trailer up to 750 kg. Minimum age 18.
• C1E: a C1 vehicle with a trailer over 750 kg, combined MAM up to 12,000 kg. Minimum age 18.
• C: goods vehicles over 3,500 kg with no upper limit, with a trailer up to 750 kg. Minimum age 21, or 18 with Driver CPC.
• CE: a category C vehicle with a trailer over 750 kg, such as an articulated lorry. Minimum age 21, or 18 with Driver CPC.
• You must hold a full category B licence before applying for a truck learner permit.
• Truck categories are in the higher medical group, so every learner permit application needs a medical report (form D501).
• C and C1 learner permit holders cannot tow a trailer, and must be accompanied by someone who has held a full licence in that category for at least two years.

Picking the right category

Start with the work you want to do. Delivery trucks and horseboxes often sit in C1. Rigid trucks such as tippers, refuse trucks and box trucks over 7,500 kg need C. Articulated lorries and drawbar combinations need CE. A C1 licence does not cover a heavier rigid truck, so if you expect to move up, many drivers go straight for C.

Category D and D1 cover buses and minibuses. They are separate categories with their own tests.

• Category B: up to 3,500 kg MAM
• Category C1: over 3,500 kg up to 7,500 kg
• Category C: over 3,500 kg, no upper limit
• Add E (C1E or CE) for a trailer over 750 kg

Medical fitness for heavy vehicles

Truck drivers must meet a higher medical standard because a crash involving a heavy vehicle is far more serious. A doctor completes a medical report covering things like eyesight, heart conditions, diabetes, epilepsy and sleep disorders. A condition does not always rule you out; the licence may be issued for a shorter period or with review. You must tell the NDLS if your health changes in a way that could affect your driving.

The route from car licence to CE

1. Hold a full category B licence.
2. Pass the truck theory test for the category you want. If you plan to drive professionally, also start the Driver CPC tests.
3. Get a medical report and apply to the NDLS for a C1 or C learner permit.
4. Take lessons with an RSA Approved Driving Instructor and practise with an accompanying driver who has held that category for two years.
5. Pass the driving test for C1 or C and get the full licence.
6. For a trailer category, hold the full C1 or C first, then get a C1E or CE learner permit and pass that test.

Common mistakes

• Training for C1 when the jobs you want need C. Check the MAM of the trucks you will drive.
• Forgetting the medical report. Your learner permit application will not be processed without it.
• Towing with a C or C1 learner permit. It is not allowed.
• Assuming a supervisor with a car licence can accompany you. They must hold a full licence in the same truck category for at least two years.

Test yourself: Truck licence categories

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Irish Driving Licence Categories