If i apply for a provisional LGV license can i drive in uk and france if someone is with me who is over 21?

Question

i have been asked to drive a lgv truck to south of France but i dont have class c license and i was wondering if it was possible to drive it with a provisional license with someone over 21 with full class c license, i have full uk driving license passed march 1999

Answer 1

Joe you can drive an LGV on L plates on the motorway as to get the provisional entitlement you have to have at least a full car license. Also yogi class c is only for a ridgid not articulated or wagon and drag with a trailer weighing over 750 kg. You have to pass a medical to even get provisional c on your license.

Answer 2

You don't say what weight the LGV is. If you are talking about some sort of articulated vehicle like a 40footer or a wagon and drag then no! You have to be at least 21 yourself to pass your LGV or HGV as it used to be known.

If its an articulated tractor unit on its own (the big bit at the front with the engine and steering wheel) then you'll need to remove the fifth wheel coupling, thats the almost circular bit at the back of the tractor unit thats usually covered in grease and connects the tractor unit to the trailer.

If we're talking about a rigid bodied vehicle with more than two axles then the same applies - you'd need an HGV/LGV licence of at least a provisional entitlement and a qualified HGV/LGV holder greater than 21 years old sitting next to you.

Recently in this country and parts of Europe they have introduced personalised driver record cards to go into the new digital HGV/LGV tachographs. These do away with the old traditional tachograph charts, which were typically circular in design with an egg/cam shaped hole in the middle that slotted over the cam under the tacho/speedo head. Now your driving information is recorded forever on a chip in the driver card and a printed readout can be obtained by the Police if you are stopped. The point being that you will then accumulate a driving record similar to the hours recording system that pilots have always used, thereby giving an indication of your driving experience. This with a view to preventing drivers taking out provisionals like yourself if their experience doesn't add up to x amount of years/months etc. The law may already have changed in Europe to accommodate this, but the above still applies in this country.

Similarly with two axle vehicles above 7 1/2 tonne. However many trucks of this sort of weight denomination are not easily distinguishable to an untrained eye. The give away between a 7 1/2 tonne and slightly bigger taking you over the HGV/LGV classification is the amount of wheel nots present. You will not find more than 6 or 7 wheel nuts on a non HGV/LGv motor where as an HGV/LGV will typically have 9 or 10 even on what looks like the same size wheels. Send me an e-mail giving me the Gross vehicle weight of the vehicle you intend to take and I'll tell you for definate what you need.

Once you got past all of that you'll need insurance and I shudder to think what that's gonna be at your age? Personally, to avoid the hassle I'd get it shipped into Europe?