I qualified in 1993 in the Army where I drove extensively over a two year period in the UK and US driving left and right hand military vehicles, obviously on left and right sides of roads. I would like to use my licence to gain employment but I have never driven professionally as a civilian. I have worked various jobs over the years but I would like to earn better money as there is a perceived shortage of drivers. I am late thirties and fit and strong in good health. I have read lots of post on thIs really useful forum but none specific to my needs. This is not a dreamy pondering ‘I wonder’ type of question. I really would like to get into work asap.
Hi mate,
Is it just C1+E you’ve got, no ‘C’ entitlement?
If so, and if you’re looking for work ASAP, I’d personally ring round the agencies in your area, explain your situation, and I’d be surprised if you weren’t driving in less than a week, but this would probably be 7.5 tonne work as there’s not much C1+E going on from what I can see. How’s your mechanical knowledge? Maybe pop in to a few of the local recovery firms as I’m pretty sure a lot of that would be C1+E?
What are your eventual aims? And where are you located?
Welcome btw 
To drive proffesionaly you will need to obtain the Drivers CPC, assuming you haven’t done so already.
I’m not sure what you would need to do it the initial way, wether it would be theory, HP, Mod 2 and Mod4, but you could also go down the periodic route I believe by doing 35 hours in the classroom to achieve this, someone more knowledgable will be able to confirm!
Do you have code 107 next to the C1E on your licence 
You will need to do the driver CPC before you can drive commercially, as you passed the HGV test in 1993 you have the choice of doing either the initial driver CPC mods 2 and 4 or 35 hours of periodic training.
By the way the driver shortage, if it exists at-all, doesn’t seem to be country wide, there may be a shortage of drivers in certain areas but there doesn’t appear to be a shortage in all areas, it may be worth doing some research in your local area before going too much further with your plans to become a HGV driver.
Take your Category C license. If I’m right that would then give you CE which means you can drive 44 tonne artics. You’ll find that because so many in the forces get their Cat C that there are lots of people going for those jobs. Having CE (old Class 1) opens the door to more work, more money and in my opinion better work too as it gets you away from local multidrop that a lot of Class 2 Cat C seems to be.
Conor:
Take your Category C license. If I’m right that would then give you CE which means you can drive 44 tonne artics.
Incorrect
Taking C when already holding C1E does not give CE as CE is higher than C1E
Thanks rog, and for all the other comments too. Yes I have 107 on my C1+E part on my licence, and thanks for the addditional comment on the CE part which has no entry, just a line. I passed on 27/04/1992.
Also thanks Javiatrix, nickw88 and tachograph, all good info, cheers to u all.
Mac Lee:
Thanks rog, and for all the other comments too. Yes I have 107 on my C1+E part on my licence, and thanks for the addditional comment on the CE part which has no entry, just a line. I passed on 27/04/1992.
107 code restricts you to a total plated combination MAM of 8250 kg so the following would be legal …
The weights shown are the plated weights in kg for firstly the vehicle then the trailer
7500 + 750
6250 + 2000
5000 + 3250
4250 + 4000
those are a few examples for C1E with 107 code
ROG:
Conor:
Take your Category C license. If I’m right that would then give you CE which means you can drive 44 tonne artics.Incorrect
Taking C when already holding C1E does not give CE as CE is higher than C1E
I can confirm that, I passed my car test in 1987 and was given C1 & C1E (107) by right, as was the way in those days. Many moons later having held cat C for 5 years, but not taking CE, the C1E (107) is still there on pre '97 grandfather rights.
Does make me wonder which test the OP took in the army but, whatever, good luck with the job hunting - that C1 category on a pre '97 licence was my foot in the door
DearBoy:
ROG:
Conor:
Take your Category C license. If I’m right that would then give you CE which means you can drive 44 tonne artics.Incorrect
Taking C when already holding C1E does not give CE as CE is higher than C1EI can confirm that, I passed my car test in 1987 and was given C1 & C1E (107) by right, as was the way in those days. Many moons later having held cat C for 5 years, but not taking CE, the C1E (107) is still there on pre '97 grandfather rights.
Does make me wonder which test the OP took in the army but, whatever, good luck with the job hunting - that C1 category on a pre '97 licence was my foot in the door
Anyone who got their car licence prior to January 1997 has C1 and C1E (107). The C1E is a 7.5t vehicle with a trailer. The 107 code restricts the overall weight for the vehicle and trailer combination to 8250Kg as Rog has pointed out. If the driver took a test in a C1 with a trailer the 107 could be removed.
Taking cat C would then give you a licence to drive a C vehicle with a trailer up to 750Kg - this is NOT a CE (44 ton). Getting the C does not remove the C1/C1E from the licence nor does it let you have an E to go with your C!
Hopefully I made sense 
ROG:
Conor:
Take your Category C license. If I’m right that would then give you CE which means you can drive 44 tonne artics.Incorrect
Taking C when already holding C1E does not give CE as CE is higher than C1E
Thanks Rog, I wasn’t sure but given the amount of rubbish you see going on it wouldn’t have surprised me if it did. Is that the same if you’ve got someone who hasn’t got the 107 restriction on and has previously had to take an E category test?
Mac Lee:
I qualified in 1993 in the Army where I drove extensively over a two year period in the UK and US driving left and right hand military vehicles, obviously on left and right sides of roads. I would like to use my licence to gain employment but I have never driven professionally as a civilian. I have worked various jobs over the years but I would like to earn better money as there is a perceived shortage of drivers. I am late thirties and fit and strong in good health. I have read lots of post on thIs really useful forum but none specific to my needs. This is not a dreamy pondering ‘I wonder’ type of question. I really would like to get into work asap.
First you need DCPC,and the Trainer or other Driver there may have a Solution.