7.5 tonne driver jobs and cover
7.5 tonne drivers hold category C1 and drive vehicles from 3,500 kg up to 7,500 kg: box lorries, curtainsiders and city delivery vehicles.
The job
A 7.5 tonne driver drives a vehicle between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg. That is the size of lorry used for city and town deliveries, for trade counters, for parts runs, for removals and for small-load haulage where an artic would be too big. It fits down narrow streets and into yards that a larger lorry cannot enter.
Because the vehicle is smaller, the job is closer to van work than to artic work. The driver makes many drops in a day, often in built-up areas, and handles the load by tail lift, pallet truck or hand. Parking, loading restrictions and customer access all need thinking about, and route planning is part of the day.
The vehicle is still a lorry. It needs a lorry licence and the Driver CPC, and a tachograph where the drivers’ hours rules require one. A van driver who wants to move up to 7.5 tonne work needs the C1 entitlement before we can book them, and we check for it at registration.
Sectors that use this role
Related roles
Licence and tickets
Category C1 covers vehicles between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg maximum authorised mass, with a trailer up to 750 kg, according to GOV.UK. A driver who passed a car test before 1 January 1997 may already hold C1 rights, which show on the licence.
A 7.5 tonne driver needs the Driver CPC unless an exemption applies, which means 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years, recorded on the Driver Qualification Card.
A digital tachograph driver card is needed in a vehicle fitted with a digital tachograph. The booking tells you whether the vehicle has one.
Sources: GOV.UK, Driving licence categories; Driver CPC; Digital tachographs (checked 1 October 2026).
Drivers’ hours
A 7.5 tonne vehicle is over 3.5 tonnes, so it normally comes under the main drivers’ hours rules: 9 hours of driving in a day, which can go up to 10 hours twice a week, 56 hours in a week and 90 hours in any two weeks, with a 45 minute break after no more than 4 hours 30 minutes of driving. Some vehicles are exempt from those rules and fall under the GB domestic rules instead, and the booking tells you which apply. The working time rules add a limit of 10 hours in any 24 hours when night work is done, and for goods vehicles night time is 00:00 to 04:00.
A day of multi-drop work can add up quickly, so we ask about recent hours before we book a driver.
Sources: GOV.UK, Drivers’ hours rules; Drivers’ hours: working time rules (checked 1 October 2026).
Shifts
- Days
- City and town deliveries through the day, home each night. Start times are set by the customer.
- Nights
- Overnight deliveries to shops and depots, before the streets fill. Night work has its own working time limit, set out under drivers’ hours.
- Tramping
- Uncommon on smaller vehicles, but some long-distance parts and parcel runs keep a driver out for a night.
- Weekends
- Saturday and Sunday deliveries to shops, trade customers and homes.
Pay basis
Pay is an hourly rate set per booking. It depends on the vehicle, the shift pattern and the client. We do not publish rates on this site.
The National Living Wage is the legal floor for workers aged 21 and over, and no booking pays below the legal minimum wage. You are told the rate before you accept a shift.
Checks we run
DVLA licence check
We check that C1 (or higher) is on the licence, with endorsements and expiry, using the check code you give us.
Driver CPC
We ask to see the Driver Qualification Card and check the training record.
Digi card
Where the vehicle has a digital tachograph, we check your driver card is in date and in your name.
Right to work and references
Right to work is checked before the first shift, and references cover your recent driving.
The full list of checks is on the compliance checks page.
Questions about 7.5 tonne work
- Do I already have C1 on my car licence?
Possibly, if you passed your car test before 1 January 1997. Look at the licence for C1 in the categories list. If it is not there, you need a separate lorry test.
- Do I need the Driver CPC for a 7.5 tonne lorry?
Yes, unless an exemption applies. GOV.UK says you need the full Driver CPC to drive an HGV as the main part of your job, and a 7.5 tonne lorry is an HGV.
- Can I drive a van on a C1 licence?
Yes. Category C1 licences include the ordinary van category, B, so a C1 driver can drive vans up to 3,500 kg as well.
- Is 7.5 tonne work always in towns?
Often, but not always. The vehicle also suits parts runs, removals and small loads between depots, and the booking states the area.
Book a 7.5 tonne driver
Give us the vehicle weight and body type, the round, the start time and whether a tail lift is fitted. We come back on who can cover it.