1️⃣ General Definitions
- 👨🔧 Professional driver: A person whose main occupation is driving vehicles used to transport goods or people.
- 🚗 Motor vehicle: A motor-powered vehicle intended to transport people, goods, or tow other vehicles. Does not include special vehicles.
- 🚜 Special vehicle (SV): A self-propelled or towed vehicle designed for special services (such as agricultural vehicles) and exempt from certain technical rules due to its characteristics or dimensions.
- ⚡ Alternative fuels: Replace fossil fuels and help reduce pollutant
emissions:
- 🔋 Electricity (batteries)
- 🌱 Biofuels and synthetic/paraffinic fuels
- 💨 Hydrogen or fuel cell
- 🔥 Compressed/liquefied natural gas (includes biomethane)
- 🛢️ Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
2️⃣ Vehicle Definitions
- 🚐 Adaptable mixed-use vehicle: A motor vehicle for transporting people and goods (up to 9 seats), with space that can be adapted for seats or cargo.
- 🚛 Van: A motor vehicle with at least 4 wheels, intended for transporting goods, with an integrated cab. Maximum 9 seats.
- 🚚 Truck: Similar to a van but with a separate cab and more than 4 wheels.
- 🚛 Tractor unit: Designed to haul a semi-trailer.
- 🛻 Trailers:
- 🔗 Full trailer: At least 2 axles (one steering), vertical coupling.
- ⚙️ Center-axle trailer: Axles near the center of gravity, fixed coupling.
- 🚛 Semi-trailer: Transfers part of its weight to the towing vehicle.
- 🚛 Vehicle combinations:
- 🛤️ Road train: Motor vehicle + trailer.
- 🔗 Articulated vehicle: Motor vehicle + semi-trailer.
- ❄️ Temperature-controlled vehicle: Equipped to transport goods at a controlled temperature (walls ≥ 45 mm with insulation).
3️⃣ Vehicle Categories (European Regulation)
Classification by transport purpose:
| 🔠 Category | 🚗 Type | 📦 Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| M | Motor vehicles | Transport of people |
| N | Motor vehicles | Transport of goods |
| O | Trailers and semi-trailers | Transport add-ons |
🔢 Subcategories of Category N:
- 📦 N1: MAM ≤ 3,500 kg
- 🚛 N2: MAM between 3,500 kg and 12,000 kg
- 🚚 N3: MAM > 12,000 kg
4️⃣ Vehicle Masses ⚖️
- 🚫 Tare or unladen mass: Vehicle weight without load or passengers but with full equipment and fluids.
- 👤 Mass in running order: Tare + driver weight (75 kg) and a passenger if applicable.
- 🧳 Loaded mass: Total weight of the vehicle with occupants and cargo.
- ⚙️ Axle mass: Weight transmitted to the ground by the wheels on the same axle.
- 📏 Maximum authorized mass (MAM): The legal maximum weight allowed to circulate.
- 🔗 Combined MAM: Legal maximum weight of two coupled vehicles.
5️⃣ Other Important Definitions 🧠
- 🚢 Multimodal or intermodal transport: Use of two or more modes of transport (road, rail, ship, etc.) without handling the cargo, and a maximum of 150 km by road (except articulated vehicles with 5–6 axles, which may exceed this to reach a terminal).
- 🛣️ Combined transport: When road is used at the beginning or end (or both) and a main segment ≥ 100 km is by rail, inland waterway, or sea.
📌 Updated Recommendations (2025) 🆕
- Electric and hybrid vehicles are gaining regulatory priority. 🟢
- Heavy vehicles (N3) must comply with the latest Euro VI emissions directives. 🌍
- ⚠️ Trailers and combinations have stricter speed limits on motorways and dual carriageways (generally 80–90 km/h maximum).
🔍 Source: DGT and the updated syllabus for the C License exam. 🚛
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