Have I got this right:
Class 1 was an Artic
Class 2 was a Drawbar
Class 3 was a Rigid
Or am I wrong as I have a feeling tippers may have been class 2 (for some strange reason) and class 3 were ‘smaller’ rigids.
Class 1 was Artic
Class 2 was Rigid 17.5 ton + i.e 8 wheel tipper
Class 3 was Rigid over 7.5 ton upto 17 ton this would include Drawbars, this is why the older drivers have grandfather rights allowing them to still drive a drawbar on a rigid licence it shows on the new licence as restriction 102 
You Could sit your test from the onset in an artic and get rights to drive the others, even if you didnt hold a car licence, but that all changed back in 1997 I think.
I know now you have to sit one at a time 
class1 = artic
class2 = six or eight wheeler rigid
class3 = four wheeler rigid
IS it just me or does anyone else feel old now hes said that■■?..
And then there was the Class 4.
A very rare breed, indeed. It was the ‘small’ artic.
If you had passed the Class 1 test you were also allowed the Class 4 entitlement.
If you can imagine a current 7 and a half tonner in artic form, - low cab, small wheels and tyres, trailer usually only about 20 - 25 ft. long.
Many years ago, the Scammel units (3 wheelers) of this classification were referred to as “mechanical horses”.
jammymutt:
IS it just me or does anyone else feel old now hes said that■■?..
I’m 40 in just over a years time but now feel ten years older as a result of that question!!
im 37 and now feel like 57 due to that question. 
but those were the days. pass your class 1,2 or 3 and get a little brown book ( a real hgv licence). not modern lgv rubbish
re , the old class 4,s. i have seen lots of them in the past few days. it must be the new fashion.
Deesider:
:.
Many years ago, the Scammel units (3 wheelers) of this classification were referred to as “mechanical horses”.
Sad thing is i’m only 26 and i know exactly what he’s talking about!
I thought that Class 1 was artic, class 2 is rigid vehicle of over 7.5 and upto 32 tont, and class 3 is the current c1 (ie, 7.5t for those who passed their test after 1997) ■■
class 3 was a 2 axle rigid
class 2 was a rigid with more than 2 axles
class 1 was artic.
and weight limits were much lower them days, was,nt it 32 ton max till 1985 ish 
and remember, no power steering, no abs brakes ,no aircon, no bloody sat nav, no leccy windows, no radios , no i-shifts. no sleeper cabs.no syncromesh .no motorways. and all you got for christmass was a stick and a wheel.
and you had to start work at 1 am and be ready to leave the yard at 3 am. you needed two hours to do your pre checks and get the coal lit and the steam pressure built up.
call ourselves drivers, weve got it easy 
But I did my cat c (class 2) test in a 4 wheel rigid?
dave:
class 3 was a 2 axle rigid
class 2 was a rigid with more than 2 axles
class 1 was artic.and weight limits were much lower them days, was,nt it 32 ton max till 1985 ish
and you had to start work at 1 am and be ready to leave the yard at 3 am. you needed two hours to do your pre checks and get the coal lit and the steam pressure built up.
call ourselves drivers, weve got it easy
You should think yourself lucky, some of us only got an orange for christmas, oh what I would have given for a stick and a wheel.
leehellcat:
But I did my cat c (class 2) test in a 4 wheel rigid?
Most people do, the current class C is any rigid truck over 7.5t (although the minimum test vehicle has to be over 12t)
leehellcat:
But I did my cat c (class 2) test in a 4 wheel rigid?
lee, cat c is a combination of the old class 2 and 3.
the powers that be decided that there was no point in people having to take two tests on rigids. so they scrapped class 2 and 3 and came up with cat c.
dave:
class 3 was a 2 axle rigid
class 2 was a rigid with more than 2 axles
class 1 was artic.and weight limits were much lower them days, was,nt it 32 ton max till 1985 ish
and you had to start work at 1 am and be ready to leave the yard at 3 am. you needed two hours to do your pre checks and get the coal lit and the steam pressure built up.
call ourselves drivers, weve got it easy
You were lucky 
We use to have to drive 26 hours every day, we wernt allowed to stop to load and we used to get thrashed to within an inch of our lives with a sylvester if we asked for wages.
These young uns dont know they are born
zimmer frames at the ready
Eee - when I were a lad, we ‘ad to walk 6 miles every mornin’ up th’ big ‘ill t’ bakery for a loaf o’ bread! Drippin’ butties f’ tea!
leehellcat:
I thought that Class 1 was artic, class 2 is rigid vehicle of over 7.5 and upto 32 tont, and class 3 is the current c1 (ie, 7.5t for those who passed their test after 1997) ■■
Don’t forget that these classes refer to HGV’s and vehicles up to 7.5t have never been classified as such.
mrpj:
leehellcat:
I thought that Class 1 was artic, class 2 is rigid vehicle of over 7.5 and upto 32 tont, and class 3 is the current c1 (ie, 7.5t for those who passed their test after 1997) ■■Don’t forget that these classes refer to HGV’s and vehicles up to 7.5t have never been classified as such.
7.5t could be driven by anyone that held a car licence in them there olden days
Before the Brown coloured hardback HGV Licence was the original Black one, this is mine in 1971.
Inside the front cover was listed the HGV classes.
Inside the back cover were conditions and restrictions. Nnote that Class 4 vehicles could be driven by 17 -21 year olds.
And this photo is of a couple of Class 4 vehicles, Scammell Scarab units.
