How much does HGV training cost in the UK?

There is no single UK price. The training course is the large part of the bill, and each school sets that price itself. In 2026, centres commonly advertise about £1,200 to £2,800 for a Category C course (Class 2, a rigid lorry), about £1,000 to £2,200 to add Category C+E (Class 1) if you already hold Category C, and about £2,200 to £4,000 to train from a car licence straight to Category C+E. A quote can sit outside those ranges. London and the South East are often toward the top of them.

Those are typical advertised course prices, not a tariff. They are only comparable when two quotes include the same things. Official DVSA test fees are fixed. A medical is extra unless the quote includes it. Professional drivers also need the Driver CPC tests that sit alongside the licence.

What a training quote usually includes

A useful quote is a written list, not a “from” price. It should show the category, one-to-one hours, training address, VAT, and anything not in the headline: the medical, theory and hazard perception, Driver CPC part 2 and part 4 if you need them, part 3a, part 3b, the vehicle, the retest price, and the deposit and cancellation terms. Course paperwork often still calls part 2 and part 4 Module 2 and Module 4.

Category C1, between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, is a different and often cheaper course. Do not compare it with a Category C or C+E quote.

Official test and licence fees

These are the fees GOV.UK publishes for booking with DVSA through the official service. They are the same for the lorry categories, including C1, C and C+E. They are not the training course. If a school includes a test, the quote should say so, and it should match these fees unless the school is adding its own booking charge on top.

Booked once each on a weekday, the six fees come to £270, or £304 if part 3b and part 4 are in the evening, at the weekend or on a bank holiday. That is the test bill only. Do not add a fee the course price already includes. An unofficial booking site can charge more than DVSA. If an approved test provider runs part 3a, GOV.UK says that fee may be up to £40. Provisional HGV entitlement is free: send DVLA form D2 with the D4 medical. DVLA says the licence should arrive within three weeks, and it can take longer.

Medical examination

There is no national price for the D4 medical. Your GP, sometimes with an optician for the eyesight section, or a private driver-medical firm, fills in the form and sets the fee. Private clinics often advertise about £50 to £120. The quote should say whether the medical is included.

Theory test and hazard perception

Lorry theory is two bookings: multiple choice at £26 and hazard perception at £11. You need the provisional entitlement before you can book them, and you need to pass the theory tests that apply before the practical test. A school may charge to book them, and revision material is often extra.

Driver CPC parts 2 and 4

You need initial Driver CPC if driving an HGV is the main part of the job. Part 2 is the case-study theory test. Part 4 is a practical demonstration of loading, safety and vehicle checks, not the on-road drive. Quotes often still say Module 2 and Module 4. Part 4 tuition is often a few hours, inside the course or on top of the test fee. These tests are the initial qualification. The 35 hours every five years is periodic training after that. Some non-commercial driving does not need full Driver CPC. Check GOV.UK before you skip part 2 and part 4: without them you will not qualify for most professional jobs. Weekday fees without those two parts are £192. A Driver CPC card is £25 only for a non-UK licence, and £25 to replace a lost card.

Category C (Class 2) courses

Category C is the rigid lorry over 7.5 tonnes, still called Class 2. Courses are often advertised as about four to six days. More one-to-one hours usually cost more than a shorter course or one shared between learners. The lower end of the £1,200 to £2,800 range is often tuition before VAT, the medical and tests. An all-in price sits higher.

Category C+E (Class 1) courses

Category C+E is the articulated combination, still called Class 1. If you already hold Category C, the upgrade is shorter. Centres commonly advertise it at about £1,000 to £2,200. You still take the C+E practical tests. If you already hold initial Driver CPC, you do not sit part 2 and part 4 again. The quote should say whether part 3a, part 3b and the vehicle are included.

Training straight to Category C+E

You can take C+E without passing Category C first, if your provisional entitlement allows it. Applying for Category C provisional entitlement also gives provisional C+E. Direct courses are often about eight to twelve days, commonly advertised at about £2,200 to £4,000. Passing C+E normally adds the rigid categories too. Check what is printed on your licence. Compare a direct price with Category C plus a later upgrade, including a second practical test and vehicle hire. Going direct removes one practical test. It does not remove the medical, theory, or Driver CPC parts 2 and 4.

Practical test day, vehicle hire and retests

The lorry on test day almost always belongs to the school. Ask whether that vehicle is included for part 3a, part 3b and part 4, and what a second booking costs. Each failed part is booked again at the DVSA fee in the table: another £115 for a weekday on-road test, another £55 for a weekday part 4, before extra tuition and vehicle hire. Ask whether “one retest included” means one attempt at each part or only one part. One failed on-road test plus a day’s training and the lorry can add several hundred pounds, which is why the retest line belongs in the quote before you pay a deposit.

How course length changes the price

You are paying for an instructor and a lorry, so more hours usually cost more. A five-day advert might be four days of driving plus a test, or it might include classroom time. Ask how many hours are one to one, and whether the test day counts as training. The same hours one day a week can cost as much as an intensive block, sometimes more, because the school is holding diary time.

Intensive and fast-track courses

An intensive week does not skip the medical, the provisional entitlement or the theory passes. DVLA says the licence should arrive within three weeks, and it can take longer. The practical test still needs a DVSA appointment. Ask which dates are booked, and what happens to the price if a test moves.

Payment plans

Some centres take instalments themselves. Others introduce a finance company. Ask for the total payable, the deposit, the number of payments, and whether the agreement is with the school or a lender. Ask what you still owe if you cancel, defer or fail. A lower weekly payment can cost more than paying the course fee directly.

Skills Bootcamps and other funded routes

In England, Skills Bootcamps are free courses of up to 16 weeks. GOV.UK says you can apply at 19 or over with a full car licence. Providers can add criteria, and a place is not guaranteed. The published offer includes the provisional licence, including the medical, and the Driver CPC tests, with one re-sit per test. You apply through a provider. The scheme is for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland fund training separately. Some employers pay and then recover the cost if you leave early: read any clawback terms. A Jobcentre can advise if you are out of work.

Why the cheapest advertised price can rise

The gap is usually missing pieces, not a mystery surcharge. Before you treat the lowest advert as the best price, check whether any of these are still to pay:

• VAT. A price of £1,500 plus VAT is £1,800.
• The medical, theory, hazard perception, or Driver CPC parts 2 and 4.
• Part 3a, part 3b, or the vehicle on test day.
• A booking or admin fee on top of the DVSA fee.
• A “from” price that applies to a shorter course, a shared vehicle, or a deposit rather than the course you need.
• Retest training and vehicle hire, which are invisible until you fail.
• Travel or accommodation if the cheap course is a long way from home.
• An intermediary’s margin, if the business taking payment is not the business providing the lorry and instructor.

How to compare two quotes

Fill in the same boxes for both quotes: category, one-to-one hours, training address, VAT, medical, theory tests, part 2, part 4, part 3a, part 3b, the vehicle, the retest price, dates and cancellation terms, who trains you, and who you pay. Add anything left out, using the DVSA fees above. Do that twice: once for a first attempt, and again if the on-road test has to be retaken. A £1,495 Category C price and a £2,400 “all in” price are not comparable until those boxes are filled.

Questions to ask before you pay a deposit

Ask these in writing. A clear reply is part of the quote.

1. Will your business deliver my practical training, or will another training provider do it? If someone else will deliver it, what is their name and training address?
2. How many one-to-one hours are included, and where does my course take place?
3. Which DVSA tests are included at the official fee, and is VAT included?
4. Is the medical included? Are the multiple-choice and hazard perception tests included?
5. Are Driver CPC part 2 and part 4 included, both the training and the test fees?
6. If I fail part 3a, part 3b or part 4, what do I pay for the new test, extra training and the vehicle?
7. What is the deposit, when is the rest due, and what are the cancellation terms?
8. If I pay in instalments, what is the total payable, and is the agreement with you or with a lender?

Please confirm the category, the training address, how many one-to-one hours are included, which DVSA tests and the medical are in the price, whether VAT is included, and the cost of a retest. Will your business deliver the practical training itself?

Brokers and intermediaries

Some businesses sell the course and arrange for another company to supply the lorry and instructor. That can be a proper booking service. It can also mean the price includes the seller’s margin, and that your contract is with a different business from the one that trains you. Before you pay, you need the delivering school’s name, the training address, and the full price. How to spot an HGV training broker goes through the checks. LearnHGV does not take the booking or add a fee. You agree the price with the business you contact.

London, the South East and other regions

There is no official London rate. Prices in London and the South East are often toward the top of the ranges above, and some sit above them. A lower price in another region is only cheaper once you match the hours, tests, medical and retest terms, then add travel and any nights away. If the test is tied to that yard, a retest means going back.

Comparing providers on LearnHGV

LearnHGV lists training providers so you can compare them and contact the centre yourself. Profiles show different levels of checking and verification. The definitions are on the verification page, and what the listing labels mean shows how a profile displays them.