The daily walkaround check must cover: tyres (pressure, tread depth, condition), brakes (footbrake, secondary brake, parking brake), lights (all functions including indicators and number plate light), fluids (oil, coolant, screenwash), mirrors, windscreen, bodywork, and load security. All defects must be recorded in writing and reported to the operator before driving.

Key rules under EU Regulation 561/2006: maximum 4.5 hours continuous driving then a 45-minute break; maximum 9 hours daily driving (extendable to 10 hours twice weekly); maximum 56 hours per week; maximum 90 hours per fortnight; minimum 11 hours daily rest; minimum 45 hours weekly rest. Drivers must carry tachograph records for the current day plus 28 previous days.

Key loading rules: payload = GVW minus unladen weight; individual axle weights must be within limits even if the gross weight is legal; a 5-axle artic has a maximum of 40 tonnes, a 6-axle artic up to 44 tonnes; loads must be secured with rated equipment under EN 12195; curtain sides do NOT restrain loads — they are weather protection only. The driver is responsible for load security at all times.

LGVs over 7.5 tonnes must not use lane 3 (the right-hand lane) on a three-lane motorway. The motorway speed limit is 60 mph — not 70 mph. Variable speed limits on matrix signs are legally enforceable. A red X above a lane means it is closed — you must not use it. On smart motorways, if you break down: switch on hazard lights, call 999, and stay in the vehicle with your seatbelt on.

An LGV driver must carry: a valid driving licence with Category C or C+E entitlement, a Driver CPC qualification card (DQC), tachograph records for the current day plus 28 previous days, and a digital driver card if driving a digital tachograph vehicle. For dangerous goods (ADR), additional transport documents and emergency instructions must be carried.

An operator's licence (O-licence) is required for any business using goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes for hire or reward. The O-licence disc must be displayed in the vehicle windscreen at all times. Drivers must ensure their vehicle is covered by a valid O-licence. Operating without one is a criminal offence. The Traffic Commissioner grants, reviews, and can revoke O-licences.

The LGV theory test is significantly harder: 100 questions (vs 50 for cars), pass mark of 85/100 (vs 43/50), and 115 minutes (vs 57 minutes). It covers specialist topics not in the car test — tachographs, drivers' hours rules, vehicle loading and weights, operators' licences, Driver CPC, and LGV-specific road rules including lane restrictions and lower speed limits.

LGV hazard awareness questions cover: the left-turn squeeze (cyclist danger when turning left), blind spots (nearside, offside, front), rollover risk on roundabouts and bends, safe following distances (minimum 4 seconds in dry, 6+ seconds in wet at motorway speed), bridge strikes, driver fatigue, and how to respond to hazards on motorways and in urban environments.

Goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are restricted to lower speed limits: 50 mph on single carriageway roads in England and Wales, 60 mph on dual carriageways, and 60 mph on motorways. These apply regardless of national speed limit signs for cars. In Scotland, the single carriageway limit remains 40 mph for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes.

For goods vehicles over 3,500 kg, the legal minimum tyre tread depth is 1mm across at least three-quarters of the tread width around the full circumference — different from cars which require 1.6mm. The industry best practice is to replace tyres at 3mm as grip reduces significantly well before the legal minimum. Below 1mm the vehicle is unroadworthy and subject to immediate prohibition.