Practical driving assessment for heavy vehicles

When you are ready to do your driving test, contact Licensing or your local provider to book a test time.

City West and Morley Licensing Centres can only do practical assessments up to and including LR class. HC class assessments must be done at either Welshpool or O'Connor Licensing Centres. Country applicants who do not live near a regional Licensing Centre may be able to do their assessment at a police station.

If you are applying for an MC class you must book and undergo your driving assessment with an authorised provider. If you pass the assessment, you will get a Certificate of Competency. You are only entitled to drive MC class vehicles once this certificate has been presented to a Licensing Centre or agent and the new class has been added to your licence record.

What are you assessed on?

The practical assessments are thorough and cover a wide variety of heavy vehicle driving skills. For example, you will be expected to demonstrate proper use of both external mirrors. Drivers of trucks and heavy combination vehicles may be required to check the security of spare wheels, air lines and electrical connections, and ensure that any load is fastened correctly. Drivers of articulated vehicles will be required to demonstrate how to couple and uncouple semi-trailers.

You will also be asked to drive a manual gear change vehicle using the double de-clutch method. You can take the test in a vehicle with an automatic or synchromesh gearbox, but you will be issued with a licence that restricts you to driving those types of vehicles.

All driving tests must be conducted in a vehicle that meets the minimum vehicle assessment standards for the relevant class. For example, a HR practical test must be done in a vehicle that has 3 or more axles and a gross vehicle mass exceeding 15 tonnes and must be loaded to have a minimum on-road mass of 16 tonnes.

Applicants who fail the practical driving test must re-book and pay for another assessment.

Once you have passed

Once you pass the practical test and your result is recorded at a Licensing Centre or agent, your licence will be upgraded to include the new class. If your current driver's licence is not due for renewal, it is advisable to pay for a duplicate licence so that your plastic driver's licence card shows your new class.


For more information please contact us.