A C1 entitlement lets you drive a rigid vehicle between 3,500kg and 7,500kg MAM (maximum authorised mass), plus a trailer up to 750kg. Go over 750kg on the trailer and the combination must not exceed 8,250kg, or you need C1+E instead.
The standard minimum age is 18. You can drive from 18 with no restriction once you hold the licence (unlike some vocational routes that gate younger drivers to domestic use only). You must hold a full car (category B) licence first, and you need to pass a D4 medical examination with a doctor before applying - this is compulsory for all lorry categories, not optional.
Every C1 vehicle carries a manufacturer's plate (and often a Ministry plate) showing gross weight, train weight, and axle weights. You must never exceed any of these figures - axle limits matter as much as the overall total, since a legally-weighed vehicle can still have an illegally overloaded axle if the load is positioned wrongly.
C1 shows as category C1 on your licence. It's normally granted until age 70, then needs medical renewal every 3 years (or annually past 45 if issued later in life - check your specific renewal date). You also need a valid tachograph if driving for hire or reward beyond certain exemptions, and Driver CPC if driving professionally.
An overloaded or badly loaded C1 vehicle handles unpredictably, takes longer to stop, and can roll over on bends or roundabouts. Examiners test this because poor loading is a major cause of goods-vehicle crashes.
A loaded 7.5t lorry takes far longer to stop than a car. You must check the braking system every day before driving, not just when something feels wrong.
Most C1 vehicles use air or air-over-hydraulic braking systems rather than simple hydraulic ones, so you need to understand air pressure warnings too.
Brakes on a C1 vehicle are checked daily, understood as three separate systems, and any air pressure warning means stop, don't drive. Defects go through proper reporting - never ignored or 'worked around'.
Once you're driving a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes (up to 7.5t) you no longer follow car speed limits - lower goods vehicle limits apply.
A common mistake is assuming the car limit applies just because there's no lorry sign - always apply the lower goods vehicle limit for your vehicle class.
On a three-lane motorway, vehicles over 7.5t are normally banned from using the outside (right-hand) lane, except to pass a junction in some circumstances. C1 vehicles (3.5-7.5t) are not banned by this rule, but many drivers still keep out of lane three unless overtaking, since a larger vehicle takes longer to accelerate and overtake safely.
Larger, heavier vehicles need much greater stopping distances than cars, especially when loaded. Always increase your following gap in a C1 vehicle - the two-second rule is a bare minimum in good conditions and should be doubled in the wet.
Check the height of your vehicle against bridge height markings - a laden C1 vehicle can easily exceed 3 metres. Never proceed onto a level crossing unless your exit is clear, as a larger vehicle takes longer to clear the crossing.
Watch for signs restricting vehicles over a certain weight (e.g. 7.5t signs) - many town centres and narrow rural roads ban larger goods vehicles even though cars are permitted. Weight-limited bridges must also be checked before committing.
Goods vehicles are often restricted from parking on verges or footways, and loading/unloading restrictions in red and yellow route zones can apply specifically to goods vehicles, not just cars.
Fatigue kills. If you're driving a 7.5t vehicle over 3.5t for hire or reward (or certain other qualifying journeys), EU/GB drivers' hours rules and the tachograph apply. The theory test expects you to know the exact limits.
Driving a 7.5t vehicle means longer braking distances and a higher, more restricted view than a car. Scan far ahead - at least 12-15 seconds down the road - so you spot hazards early and have time to plan: ease off, cover the brake, or change position.
Large vehicles have significant blind spots at the front, rear and nearside. Cyclists and motorcyclists can vanish into these zones in seconds, especially at junctions and roundabouts. Always do a physical check (mirrors plus a shoulder check) before turning left, and never rely on mirrors alone near cyclists on your nearside.
If your vehicle breaks down or is involved in a collision, get it off the carriageway if possible. On a motorway, use the hard shoulder, switch on hazard warning lights, and exit the vehicle on the left, standing well away from the road behind the barrier. Never attempt roadside repairs on a live lane.
At the scene of a collision: stop, switch on hazard lights, protect the scene (warning triangle where safe, at least 45 metres back on a motorway), check for danger before approaching casualties, and call 999 for police/ambulance/fire as needed. Do not move injured people unless there's immediate danger such as fire.
By law you must stop if your vehicle is involved in an incident causing injury, damage to another vehicle, or damage to property/animals (excluding your own). Exchange details with anyone with reasonable grounds to ask - name, address, and vehicle registration. If you can't exchange details at the scene, you must report the incident to the police within 24 hours.
As a professional driver you should be able to produce, when asked by police: your driving licence, a valid MOT certificate (if applicable), valid insurance, and vehicle registration document (V5C). If you don't have them at the roadside you normally have 7 days to produce them at a police station.