Had it been anyone else I would question this more, but talking to someone I had always believed to be in the know I was told.
a 7.5 tonner with a trailer over a certain weight is a C+E, fine I knew this but he then said a small class C HGV driven with a small trailer was a C1+E, this if you conceder its Maximum Authorised Mass makes sense, but surely an HGV is an HGV.
Anyone know ?.
Well I’m by no means expert, but if you ask me any thing plated over 7.5t is a Cat. C, and if it’s pulling a trailer over 750kg it’s a C+E.
I guess he could mean a Cat. C vehicle could be replated to 7.5t and driven on a C1+E licence with a heavier trailer, cos it’d have a larger train weight■■? Or would the trainweight go down on replating?
Sorry, but your friend who knows is wrong 
Medium Sized Vehicles
Lorries between 3500kg and 7500kg with a trailer up to 750kg. Category C1
Medium Sized vehicles with trailers
Lorries between 3500kg and 7500kg with a trailer over 750kg - total weight not more than 12000kg (if you passed your category B test prior to 1.1.1997 you will be restricted to a total weight not more than 8250kg). Category C1+E
Large Vehicles
Vehicles over 3500kg with a trailer up to 750kg. Category C
Large Vehicles with trailers
Vehicles over 3500kg with a trailer over 750kg. Category C+E
from thedvla website
In one way it made sense, as if the MAM for C1 + E is not exceeded then that would make sense, but if it was plated as say 8 tons then it surely must be an HGV regardless of trailer weight.
It was just knowing what a moron the law can be it was more than possible.
I don’t know if this muddies the waters, but when I did a day’s ‘class’ for the theory test last year, there were 2 council workers there too who were going to have to do c+e lessons. This is because they work on the markets cleaning up and drive 7.5 tonners with trailers (the kind with cages on to throw cardboard/dead cauliflowers/o.a.p’s in) and so had to take the ‘big’ class test . . . if I remember right the council were paying - I wonder if they still do that job on award of the c+e entitlement?
iirc (if i remember correctly) from when i had this problem last year lol
as stated a cat c1 licence = 7.5t
cat c1+e ( on a pre 97 licence) = 7.5t + trailer no more than 750kgs
to upgrade licence to tow more than 750kgs you world be required to take the Cat c+e test to allow you to tow up to a mam of 12t on a cat c1+e licence (7.5t)
basically just take the test ( cat c+e) ( about £86) iirc is what i was told as i questioned the fact that to get cat c+e was £blooming expenisive
also iirc when you apply to dvla for your provisional licence that covers you up to 12t mam( for training purposes)
and iirc a class c (7.5t +)licence is still restricted to that 750kgs towing limit unless you have completed the relavant cat c+e test to tow above that