Prepare your bus or truck for the driving test
Ensure your truck, heavy goods vehicle (HGV) or bus is ready for the driving test.
On the day of your driving test it’s critical that your documentation is in order and your truck or bus meets all of the safety requirements. Otherwise, your test won’t go ahead and you will lose your fee.
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In order to take the practical driving test, you have to meet a number of requirements.
You must have:
- a valid learner permit which you need to bring to your driving test appointment.
You must:
- supply a vehicle for the driving test
- be insured to drive it
- display valid, original insurance and motor tax discs
- have L-plates fixed to the front and back.
The vehicle must meet the minimum requirements for the category, be roadworthy and, if applicable, display a valid Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Test (CVRT) disc.
The right vehicle for the category of test
There are a number of different categories of truck and bus licenses. You can only take your driving test in a vehicle which meets all the requirements of the driving licence category for which you are taking the test.Rigid trucks:
- with passenger accommodation for not more than eight persons
- with a design gross vehicle weight of at least 12,000 kg
- with a length of at least eight metres and a width of at least 2.4 metres
- capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h
- fitted with anti-lock brakes
- equipped with a gearbox having at least eight forward ratios and providing for a manual selection of gears by the driver
- with recording equipment (tachograph)
- a cyclops mirror must be fitted where required.
The cargo compartment shall consist of a permanently mounted cube-shaped closed box body, which is at least as wide and as high as the cab.
The vehicle must be presented with a real total mass (the actual weight of the vehicle including any load if necessary) of at least 10,000 kg, having due regard for safety, stability, manufacturer’s guidelines and legal limits.
Light trucks or large vans:
- with passenger accommodation for not more than eight persons
- with a design gross vehicle weight of at least 4,000 kg but not more than 7,500 kg
- with a length of at least five metres and capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h
- fitted with anti-lock brakes
- with recording equipment (tachograph).
The cargo compartment shall consist of a permanently mounted cube-shaped closed box body, which is at least as wide and as high as the cab.
A combination of a Category C1 test vehicle and a trailer:
- with a design gross vehicle weight of at least 2,000 kg
- with combined length of at least eight metres and capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h
- with combined design gross vehicle weight of not more than 12,000 kg
- the gross vehicle weight of the trailer must not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle.
The cargo compartment of the trailer must consist of a permanent, closed box body which is at least as wide and as high as the cab, and have a length of at least 2.4 metres. The closed box body may also be slightly less wide than the cab, provided that the view to the rear is only possible by use of the external rear-view mirrors of the motor vehicle.
In every case, irrespective of the weight of the trailer unladen, the trailer must be presented with a load of 30 four-inch (100 x 220 x 450mm) solid concrete building blocks, to ensure that it meets minimum real total mass requirements for the test(real total mass is the actual weight of the trailer including the necessary load), having due regard for safety, stability, manufacturer’s guidelines and legal limits of the combination.
Either (a) an articulated vehicle, or (b) a combination of a category C test vehicle and a trailer of at least 7.5 metres in length.
Both the articulated vehicle and the combination must:
- have passenger accommodation for not more than eight persons
- have at least four axles
- have a design gross vehicle weight of at least 20,000 kg
- have a length of at least 14 metres, a width of at least 2.4 metres and be capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h
- be fitted with anti-lock brakes
- be equipped with a gearbox having at least eight forward ratios and providing for a manual selection of gears by the driver
- have recording equipment (tachograph)
- have a cyclops mirror fitted where required.
The cargo compartment shall consist of a permanently mounted cube shaped closed box body which is at least as wide and as high as the cab.
The articulated vehicle or the combination must be presented with presented with a real total mass(real total mass is the actual weight of the combination including any load if necessary) of at least 15,000 kg having due regard for safety, stability, manufacturer’s guidelines and legal limits of the combination.
Bring your vehicle combination’s certification, available from a weighbridge facility, to your test. This certification must:
- be dated within the past 12 months.
- set out the unladen weight of the tractor unit and trailer together.
- show the date the vehicle was weighed.
- include the registration number of the tractor unit and the trailer mark of the trailer.
A list of weighbridges is available from your local authority
Buses:
- with passenger accommodation for more than 16 persons
- with a length of at least 10 metres, a width of at least 2.4 metres and capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h
- fitted with anti-lock brakes
- with recording equipment (tachograph).
Minibus:
- with accommodation for more than 8 persons but not more than 16 persons
- with a design gross vehicle weight of at least 4,000 kg
- a length of at least five metres and capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h
- fitted with anti-lock brakes
- with recording equipment (tachograph)
A combination of a category D1 test vehicle and a trailer with:
- a design gross vehicle weight of at least 1,400 kg
- capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h
The cargo compartment of the trailer must consist of a permanent, closed box body which is at least two metres wide, two metres high, and have a length of at least 2.4 metres.
The combination must have a gross vehicle weight of not more than 12,000 kg and the gross vehicle weight of the trailer must not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle.
In every case, irrespective of the weight of the trailer unladen, the trailer must be presented with a load of 30 four-inch (100 x 220 x 450mm) solid concrete building blocks, to ensure that it meets minimum real total mass requirements for the test (real total mass is the actual weight of the trailer including the necessary load), having due regard for safety, stability, manufacturer’s guidelines and legal limits of the combination.
A combination of a category D test vehicle and a trailer:
- with a design gross vehicle weight of at least 1,400 kg
- with a width of at least 2.4 metres
- capable of a speed of at least 80 km/h.
The cargo compartment of the trailer must consist of a permanent, closed box body which is at least two metres wide, two metres high, and has a length of at least 2.4 metres.
In every case, irrespective of the weight of the trailer unladen, the trailer must be presented with a load of 30 four-inch (100 x 220 x 450mm) solid concrete building blocks, to ensure that it meets minimum real total mass requirements for the test (real total mass is the actual weight of the trailer including the necessary load), having due regard for safety, stability, manufacturer’s guidelines and legal limits of the combination.
Any of the following categories of truck can be used for the CPC practical truck or artic test:
- Category C - Truck
- Category C1 - Light truck or large van
- Category CE - Articulated truck
Any of the following categories of bus can be used for the CPC practical bus test:
- Category D - Bus
- Category D1 - Minibus
Helpful checklists
Read our Preparing for your driving test and Checklist for your practical driving test booklets:
Checklist for your driving test (English) pdf | 1432 KB Checklist for your driving test (Irish) pdf | 977 KB Preparing for your driving test (English) pdf | 11192 KB Preparing for your driving test (Irish) pdf | 1940 KB