Hiab is a manufacturer of loader cranes. In UK yards and job ads, “HIAB” is used for the machine in general: a lorry loader, also called a lorry-mounted crane. Training sold as a HIAB course is lorry loader training. The brand on the crane does not, by itself, decide which course you need.
There is no DVLA category called HIAB, and no single statutory card you must hold before you touch the controls. The legal duty is to be trained and competent for the equipment you use. A card is how most employers and sites check that. Which card they accept is their rule, or their customer’s, not a national licence.
What the law actually requires
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 require adequate training for people who use work equipment. A loader crane is lifting equipment, so the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 also apply to the machine and to the lift. Those duties sit with the employer, and with anyone in control of the work. They are not discharged by a driving licence.
Competence can be shown in more than one way. In practice, construction sites and principal contractors usually want a recognised card for the category of loader, and they can refuse you without it. That is a site rule. It is widely applied. It is not the same thing as a statute that names one card.
The ALLMI card
ALLMI, the Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers, runs the scheme most people mean by a HIAB ticket. ALLMI says holding its card is not a legal requirement, and that being trained and competent is. It also says the card is what many sites ask to see. The operator course is described on ALLMI’s operator training page.
| ALLMI route | Who it is aimed at | What ALLMI says |
|---|---|---|
| Novice | No experience of operating a lorry loader. | A minimum of two days, then a written and a practical exam. |
| Experienced | Candidates ALLMI treats as already experienced. | One day, then the same exams. |
| Conversion | You already hold a card and need another attachment or a higher capacity. | Further training and assessment before that category is added. |
| Refresher | The card is coming to the end of its five years. | Refresher training and reassessment. The five years is ALLMI’s rule. |
Those lengths are ALLMI’s, for its own syllabus. Another provider can arrange the training differently and still leave the employer able to show competence. If the site has asked for an ALLMI card, a different certificate may not get you through the gate. Ask the employer or the site which one they want before you pay.
Capacity and attachments
The card states categories. They cover the loader’s rated capacity and the attachment, such as a hook or a brick grab, and they distinguish remote control and some specialist mounts. A hook pass does not cover a grab. A card limited to a lower capacity does not cover a larger loader. ALLMI says the category printed on the card is not itself a legal requirement. It also says its categories are the industry system, and that BS 7121-4 refers to them. Moving to another loader of a type you already hold still needs familiarisation. The card is not a blanket permission for every crane on the fleet.
Slinging is a separate course
ALLMI says the operator course does not qualify you as a slinger or signaller. A hook attachment introduces basic principles only. If you will sling loads, the employer has to decide what extra training that work needs, and a site may still ask for the slinger category on the card even where the slinging is simple and has been taught in-house. Do not assume “HIAB trained” includes slinging.
The lorry and the crane are separate
Driving the vehicle on the road needs the right entitlement, usually Category C or C+E, and Driver CPC where driving is the main part of the job. A lorry loader course does not add those to your photocard. Some people take the loader course because someone else drives. Confirm that before you book. HGV licence categories explains C and C+E.
ALLMI says its operator course, and its slinger course, may count towards Driver CPC hours if the training provider is approved for that and you ask for it when you book. Its instructor, appointed person and similar courses do not. Periodic Driver CPC is a separate approval. Ask for it in writing if you need the hours.
Choosing a course
Search lorry loader training. LearnHGV lists it under HIAB because that is the word people use. Confirm you are booking a lorry loader, not a different crane, and confirm the category.
- Which card will I receive, and will the site or the customer accept it?
- Is this novice, experienced, conversion or refresher, and which capacity and attachment will I be assessed on?
- Where is the loader I will train on, and is the exam included?
- Does the price include slinging, or is that a separate course?
- If I need Driver CPC hours, is this provider approved to record them?
LearnHGV does not take the booking. How to spot an HGV training broker and what the listing labels mean cover who delivers the training and what a LearnHGV mark does not prove. A listing is not an ALLMI accreditation.
FAQs
Is there a HIAB licence?
No. HIAB is a brand name for a loader crane, and people use it for lorry loaders in general. There is no DVLA HIAB licence. The law requires you to be trained and competent. Sites often ask for an ALLMI card for the capacity and attachment you will use. That card is an industry scheme, valid for five years under ALLMI’s own rules.
Do I need an HGV licence for lorry loader training?
You need the right lorry entitlement if you will drive the vehicle on the road. The loader course does not add Category C or C+E to your driving licence. If someone else will drive, say so when you book. Slinging is a further course, not part of the basic operator ticket.