HGV Theory UK Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (11–20)

Question 1

During a descent, a driver uses the 'cadence braking' technique because the vehicle is NOT fitted with ABS. Which description best defines cadence braking?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Repeatedly applying and releasing the brake pedal at a rhythm that keeps wheels at the threshold of locking. Cadence braking manually replicates the lock-release cycle that ABS performs automatically — by releasing before full lock-up and reapplying, the driver maintains some steering ability and maximises braking friction on slippery surfaces.

Question 2

You are driving a double-deck PCV through a town and approach a street with a 4.5 m height restriction sign. Your vehicle's normal unladen height is 4.35 m. What should concern you about proceeding?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Roof-mounted air conditioning units or raised pantographs could take the real height above 4.5 m. The 4.35 m figure is the base body height; ancillary equipment mounted on the roof — such as HVAC pods, aerials, or emergency hatches — adds to this and could take the total above the posted restriction, so the driver must know the full equipped height of their specific vehicle.

Question 3

You are loading a curtainsider trailer with pallets of tinned goods. The total weight is within the gross vehicle weight limit, but all the pallets are loaded at the rear of the trailer. What is the primary risk of this loading arrangement?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

The rear axle(s) will be overloaded while the front axle(s) or drive axle may be underloaded, reducing traction and steering control. DVSA guidance requires load to be distributed so that no individual axle exceeds its rated limit and the drive axle retains sufficient weight for traction; concentrating load at the rear can lift drive-axle weight, causing wheelspin and loss of directional control.

Question 4

A 6-axle artic has a gross train weight of 44 tonnes. The front (steer) axle limit is 7.5 t, the drive bogie limit is 11.5 t per axle, and the tri-axle trailer bogie limit is 10 t per axle. What is the maximum permissible total weight those trailer axles can legally carry?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

30 tonnes. A tri-axle trailer bogie is limited to 24 tonnes under UK law (three axles at 8 t average in a close-coupled group), but where axles are spaced to attract the 10 t individual limit the group limit still caps at 24 t — however three axles each at 10 t would be 30 t, which reflects the three-axle group limit applicable when axle spacing qualifies; DVSA Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 set the tri-axle bogie maximum at 24 t for closely spaced axles, so 24 t is the correct answer — wait: three separate axles each at 10 t = 30 t only applies if spacing exceeds 1.3 m between each, making the answer 24 t for a close-coupled tri-axle bogie.

Question 5

What is the maximum legal tyre tread depth requirement across the central three-quarters of the breadth for a tyre fitted to a goods vehicle over 3,500 kg?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

1 mm around the entire circumference. The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 set a minimum of 1 mm tread depth for goods vehicles over 3,500 kg, unlike the 1.6 mm requirement that applies to cars and light vans.

Question 6

A driver discovers during a walkaround that one leaf spring on the drive axle has a visible crack. The vehicle is on a time-sensitive delivery. Which course of action is correct under DVSA guidance?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Take the vehicle out of service immediately and report the defect; do not drive it until a competent person has assessed and authorised its use. DVSA operator compliance guidance and the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations require that a vehicle with a defective or broken suspension component is not used on the road; the driver must report it immediately and the vehicle must not move until authorised by a competent person.

Question 7

You are sheeting an open flatbed carrying aggregate. Under UK law, which of the following best describes the driver's personal legal duty regarding load security?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

The driver is personally responsible for ensuring the load is safe before driving and throughout the journey, regardless of who loaded it. Section 40A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations place a personal duty on the driver to ensure the vehicle and its load are not a danger to other road users, regardless of who loaded the vehicle.

Question 8

A tipper lorry returns empty from a quarry. The body is raised slightly because a hydraulic valve is sticking. The driver needs to cross a bridge with a headroom sign showing 4.9 m. The vehicle with the body lowered is 3.8 m high. What should the driver do?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Do not attempt to cross the bridge; get the hydraulic fault rectified before driving on public roads. Driving with a raised tipper body is illegal and extremely dangerous — a vehicle's actual height must be known and within bridge headroom before crossing; the driver must not move the vehicle until the defect is rectified, as a partially raised body could strike the bridge or overhead structures.

Question 9

A rigid 2-axle goods vehicle has a maximum gross weight of 18 tonnes and a front axle limit of 7.1 tonnes. The unladen tare is 6.5 t, with 3.2 t on the front axle and 3.3 t on the rear. A load of 8 t is positioned so that 2 t acts on the front axle and 6 t on the rear. Which limit, if any, is exceeded?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

No limits are exceeded; all values are within legal maxima. Gross = 6.5 + 8 = 14.5 t (under 18 t); front axle = 3.2 + 2 = 5.2 t (under 7.1 t); a standard 2-axle rigid rear axle limit is 11.5 t and 3.3 + 6 = 9.3 t, so no individual limit is breached.

Question 10

When carrying out a walkaround check, what should you do if you find the fifth-wheel coupling grease is heavily contaminated with grit and the plate appears dry?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Report the defect and have the fifth wheel cleaned and regreased by a fitter before the unit is used. DVSA guidance states that the fifth-wheel coupling must be clean and adequately greased before use; a dry or grit-contaminated plate accelerates kingpin and jaw wear and can cause unpredictable trailer movement, so the fault must be rectified before departure.

HGV Theory UK Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (11–20)

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