Theory for Category C (Trucks)

Category C1. Vehicles not included in categories D1 and D, whose maximum permissible mass exceeds 3,500 kg but does not exceed 7,500 kg, and which are designed and constructed to carry no more than eight passengers, excluding the driver; these vehicles may be coupled to trailers whose maximum permissible mass does not exceed 750 kg.

Category C1. The minimum age from which the right to drive may be obtained is 18 years.

Category C1E. Combinations of category C1 vehicles and trailers whose maximum permissible mass exceeds 750 kg; combinations consisting of a category B tractor unit and a trailer whose maximum permissible mass exceeds 3,500 kg; the maximum permissible mass of these combinations must not exceed 12,000 kg.

Category C1E. The minimum age from which the right to drive may be obtained is 18 years.

Category C. Vehicles not included in categories D1 and D, whose maximum permissible mass exceeds 3,500 kg, and which are designed and constructed to carry no more than eight passengers, excluding the driver; vehicles of this category may be coupled to trailers whose maximum permissible mass does not exceed 750 kg.

Category C. The minimum age from which the right to drive may be obtained is 21 years, except for persons who, in the established manner, have obtained an initial professional qualification for the carriage of goods.

Category CE. Combinations of category C vehicles and trailers whose maximum permissible mass exceeds 750 kg.

Category CE. The minimum age from which the right to drive may be obtained is 21 years, except for persons who, in the established manner, have obtained an initial professional qualification for the carriage of goods.

Additional questions. Show how you will check whether all doors, including the cargo compartment, are reliably and securely closed.

Walking around the vehicle, check the doors – whether they are properly closed, not misaligned, and whether the hinges, handles and handle locks are in working order.

Additional questions. Show how you will check whether there are no leaks in the air system.

With the engine switched off, monitor whether the pressure in the system is not decreasing.

Additional questions. Explain what must be taken into account when loading the vehicle.

The weight and dimensions of the cargo must not exceed the permitted values. Distribute the cargo according to the permitted axle loads. Check whether the pallets are reliably wrapped in film. Arrange the cargo symmetrically; place heavier cargo at the bottom; secure it reliably. The cargo must not obstruct visibility, must not spill out, and must not pollute the environment.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check the condition of the reflectors.

Walking around the vehicle, check whether the reflectors are clean, not cracked, and properly reflect light.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check the condition of the windows.

Walking around the vehicle, check whether the windows are clean, not cracked, not scratched, and the glass units are not condensed.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check the condition of the mudguards.

Walking around the vehicle, check whether the mudguards are not torn off or torn.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check whether the air pressure in the tires is sufficient to drive safely.

Check the air pressure with a pressure gauge. By comparing the readings with the value recommended by the manufacturer, you will find out whether the air pressure in the tires is sufficient to drive safely.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check whether the tire tread depth is sufficient to drive safely.

You can measure the tire tread depth with a caliper or a special tool.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check whether the overall tire condition is suitable for safe driving.

The tires must be inspected; they must not be cracked, bulged, cut or otherwise damaged. The tread depth must correspond to the permitted minimum; tire wear must be even.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check the condition of the windshield wipers.

When fluid is sprayed, the wiper must clean the windshield evenly and cleanly. The wiper must not wobble on its arm, which would indicate a worn mounting.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check whether the body condition is suitable for safe driving.

Walking around the vehicle, check whether the body is not rusted, rotted, or broken, and whether the bolts are not unscrewed.

Additional questions. Show how you will check whether the air pressure in the brake system is suitable for safe driving.

Check the pressure gauge readings with the vehicle running. Normally, the pressure in the system should be about 125 psi (8.5 atmospheres). With the engine switched off, chock the wheels, release the parking brake, press the service brake, and monitor whether the pressure does not drop faster than 3 psi (0.2 atm) per minute in a vehicle, or 4 psi (0.3 atm) per minute in a vehicle combination.

With the ignition switched on, by pressing the brake pedal, release air from the system and monitor whether the warning signal (lamp) activates when the pressure drops to 60 psi (4 atm).

Continuing to release air, monitor whether the parking brake valve closes when the pressure drops to 40 psi (2.7 atm).

Additional questions. Show where you will check the oil level in the engine.

The engine oil level is checked with a brightly colored oil dipstick located next to the engine block.

Additional questions. Explain how you will determine whether the oil level in the engine is sufficient.

The vehicle is parked on level ground; the oil is checked when the engine is cold. Pull out the oil level dipstick, wipe it with a cloth, insert it back into its tube all the way and pull it out again. The oil level should be between the MIN and MAX marks.

Additional questions. Show how you will check whether the wheel mounting nuts are reliably tightened.

Walking around the vehicle, check the wheel nuts with a wrench.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check the suspension condition.

The condition of the suspension is periodically checked at a service center. Visually check whether the springs or leaf springs are not broken, and whether the air bags are not damaged. When driving, attention must be paid to any unusual sounds.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check whether the brake light signals work.

Use a helper who will check whether the brake light signals work when you press the brake pedal.

Additional questions. Show where you will check the fluid level in the engine cooling system.

Find and show the coolant expansion tank.

Additional questions. Explain how you will determine that the coolant level is sufficient.

There are MIN and MAX marks on the coolant tank. The coolant should not be more than MAX or less than MIN.

Additional questions. Show how you will check whether all the lights work.

When one of the lights burns out, a warning lamp may light up. Switch on the lights one by one and, walking around the vehicle, check them.

Additional questions. Show how the disk or card is replaced.

Show how you will replace the mechanical tachograph disk.

Additional questions. Explain how you will operate the lifting platform (only for vehicles with a lifting platform).

In the cabin, switch on the control panel; then operate the platform with the levers or buttons.

Additional questions. Show or explain how you will check whether the power steering works.

After starting the vehicle's engine, the steering wheel can be turned more easily than before starting the vehicle. This means that the power steering works.

Additional questions. Show how you will check whether the turn signals work.

For the turn signals to work, the ignition must be switched on. With the turn signals switched on, walk around the vehicle and check whether the turn signals on both sides work.

Additional questions. Show where the windshield washer fluid reservoir (container) is located.

Find and show the windshield washer fluid tank.

Additional questions. Explain how you will check the windshield washer fluid level.

The windshield washer fluid reservoir (container) is transparent, so you will check visually. There are MIN and MAX marks on the windshield washer fluid reservoir; the washer fluid should not be more than MAX or less than MIN. A lamp on the instrument panel may also signal that the fluid has run out.

Additional questions. Show which instrument readings you must check before starting the engine.

On the dashboard, monitor the glow plug indicator – it should go off; the pressure gauge, oil level indicator, and fuel gauge.

Additional questions. Show which instrument readings you must check after starting the engine.

On the dashboard, monitor the air pressure, oil pressure, and temperature indicators, the voltmeter. Pay attention to whether any malfunction indicator lamps are illuminated.

A driver's license of categories B, C or D confers the right to drive respectively also category B1, C1 or D1 vehicles;

A driver's license of category C1E, CE, D1E or DE confers the right to drive also category BE vehicles;

A driver's license of category CE or DE confers the right to drive respectively also category C1E or D1E vehicles;

A driver's license of category CE confers the right to drive also category DE vehicles for drivers who have the right to drive category D vehicles.

This Regulation applies to carriage by road of:

a) goods, when the maximum permissible mass of the vehicle, together with a trailer or semi-trailer, exceeds 3.5 tons, or
b) passengers in vehicles which are constructed or permanently adapted for carrying more than nine persons, including the driver, and are intended for that purpose.

Reference: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/LT/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32006R0561

"Carriage by road" – any journey made on roads open to the public by a vehicle, whether laden or not, used for the carriage of passengers or goods for the whole or part of the journey;

"Vehicle" – a motor vehicle, tractor unit, trailer or semi-trailer, or a combination of these vehicles, further defined as follows:
"motor vehicle" – any self-propelled vehicle traveling on the road, other than a vehicle permanently running on rails, normally used for the carriage of passengers or goods,
"tractor unit" – any self-propelled vehicle traveling on the road, other than a vehicle permanently running on rails, specially designed to pull, push or carry trailers, semi-trailers, equipment or machinery,
"trailer" – a vehicle designed to be coupled to a motor vehicle or tractor unit,
"semi-trailer" – a trailer without a front axle, coupled in such a way that a major part of its own mass and that of its cargo is borne by the tractor unit or motor vehicle;

"Driver" – a person who drives the vehicle, even for a short period, or who is carried in the vehicle in order to be available for driving if necessary;

"Break" – a period during which the driver may not drive or do any other work, and which is used exclusively for recuperation;

"Other work" – all activities defined as working time in Article 3(a) of Directive 2002/15/EC, except "driving", including any work performed for the same or another employer, within or outside the transport sector;

"Rest" – an uninterrupted period during which the driver may freely dispose of their time;

"Daily rest period" – the daily period during which the driver may freely dispose of their time, comprising a "regular daily rest period" or a "reduced daily rest period":
"regular daily rest period" – a rest period of at least 11 hours. Alternatively, this regular daily rest period may be taken in two periods, the first of which must be of at least 3 hours of uninterrupted duration and the second at least 9 hours of uninterrupted duration,
"reduced daily rest period" – a rest period of at least 9 hours but less than 11 hours;

"Weekly rest period" – the weekly period during which the driver may freely dispose of their time, comprising a "regular weekly rest period" or a "reduced weekly rest period":
"regular weekly rest period" – a rest period of at least 45 hours,
"reduced weekly rest period" – a rest period of less than 45 hours which may, subject to the conditions laid down in Article 8(6), be shortened to a minimum of 24 consecutive hours;

"Week" – the period from 00:00 on Monday until 24:00 on Sunday;

"Driving time" – the duration of driving activity recorded:
automatically or semi-automatically by recording equipment as defined in Annexes I and IB to Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85, or
manually as required by Article 16(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85;

"Daily driving time" – the total accumulated driving time between the end of one daily rest period and the beginning of the next daily rest period, or between a daily rest period and a weekly rest period;

"Weekly driving time" – the total accumulated driving time during a week;

"Maximum permissible mass" – the maximum authorized operating mass of a vehicle with its load;

"Multi-manning" – the situation where, during each period of driving between any two consecutive daily rest periods, or between a daily rest period and a weekly rest period, there are at least two drivers in the vehicle to do the driving. For the first hour of multi-manning the presence of another driver or drivers is optional, but for the remainder of the period it is compulsory;

"Transport undertaking" – any natural person, any legal person, any association or group of persons without legal personality, whether profit-making or not, or any official body, whether having its own legal personality or being dependent on an authority having such a personality, which engages in carriage by road, whether for hire or reward or for own account;

"Driving period" – the accumulated driving time from when the driver commences driving following a rest period or a break until the driver takes a rest period or a break. The driving period may be continuous or broken.

The minimum age of conductors must be 18 years.

The minimum age of co-drivers must be 18 years. However, Member States may lower the minimum age for co-drivers to 16 years, provided that:

a) the carriage by road is performed within one Member State within a radius of 50 km from the place where the vehicle is normally based, including local administrative areas the center of which is situated within that radius;
b) the reduction is for purposes of vocational training; and
c) it is in compliance with the limits imposed by the Member State's national rules on employment matters.

The daily driving time must not exceed 9 hours. However, the daily driving time may be extended to at most 10 hours not more than twice during the week.

The weekly driving time must not exceed 56 hours and must not result in the maximum weekly working time laid down in Directive 2002/15/EC being exceeded.

The total accumulated driving time during any two consecutive weeks must not exceed 90 hours.

Daily and weekly driving times include all driving times on the territory of the Community or of a third country.

After a driving period of four and a half hours, the driver must take an uninterrupted break of at least 45 minutes, unless they take a rest period. This break may be replaced by a break of at least 15 minutes followed by a break of at least 30 minutes, each distributed over the period in such a way as to comply with the provisions of the first subparagraph.

The driver must take daily and weekly rest periods.

Within each period of 24 hours after the end of the previous daily or weekly rest period, the driver must have taken a new daily rest period. If the portion of the daily rest period that falls within that 24-hour period is at least 9 hours but less than 11 hours, then the daily rest period in question is considered a reduced daily rest period.

A daily rest period may be extended to make a regular or reduced weekly rest period.

Between any two weekly rest periods, the driver may have at most three reduced daily rest periods.

Within 30 hours of the end of a daily or weekly rest period, a driver engaged in multi-manning must have taken a new daily rest period of at least 9 hours.

In any two consecutive weeks, the driver must take at least:
two regular weekly rest periods, or
one regular weekly rest period and one reduced weekly rest period of at least 24 hours; however, the reduction must be compensated by an equivalent period of rest taken en bloc before the end of the third week following the week in question.
A weekly rest period must begin no later than at the end of six 24-hour periods from the end of the previous weekly rest period.

Rest taken as compensation for a reduced weekly rest period must be attached to another rest period of at least 9 hours.

Where the driver so chooses, daily rest periods and reduced weekly rest periods away from the vehicle's normal base may be taken in the vehicle, provided that it has suitable sleeping facilities for each driver and the vehicle is stationary.

A weekly rest period that falls in two weeks may be counted in either week, but not in both.

By way of derogation from Article 8, where a driver accompanies a vehicle that is transported by ferry or train, and takes a regular daily rest period, that period may be interrupted no more than twice by other activities not exceeding one hour in total. During that regular rest period, the driver must have access to a bunk or couchette.

Any time spent traveling to a location to take charge of a vehicle falling within the scope of this Regulation, or returning from that location, when the vehicle is not at the driver's home or at the employer's operational center where the driver is normally based, is not counted as rest or break, except where the driver is on a ferry or train and has access to a bunk or couchette.

Any time spent by a driver driving a vehicle that does not fall within the scope of this Regulation, to or from a vehicle that does fall within the scope of this Regulation, where the latter is not at the driver's home or at the employer's operational center where the driver is normally based, must be counted as "other work".

The following provisions lay down obligations and requirements relating to the construction, installation, use, testing and control of tachographs used in road transport vehicles to verify compliance with Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, Directive 2002/15/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (14) and Council Directive 92/6/EEC (15).

The construction, installation, use and testing aspects of tachographs must comply with the requirements of this Regulation.

Reference: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/LT/TXT/?uri=celex:32014R0165

Tachograph – equipment intended for installation in road vehicles to display, record, print, store and output automatically or semi-automatically details of the movement of such vehicles, including their speed, in accordance with Article 4(3), and details of certain working periods of their drivers;

Vehicle unit – the tachograph excluding the motion sensor and the cables connecting the motion sensor. The vehicle unit may be a single unit or several units distributed in the vehicle, provided that it complies with the security requirements of this Regulation; the vehicle unit consists, among other things, of a processor, a data memory, a time measurement function, two smart card interface devices for the driver and co-driver, a printer, a display, connectors and devices for entering user information;

Motion sensor – a part of the tachograph that generates a signal corresponding to the speed of the vehicle and/or the distance traveled;

Tachograph card – a smart card to be used with the tachograph, which enables the tachograph to identify the cardholder and to transfer and store data;

Record sheet – a sheet designed for recording and storing recorded data, to be inserted into an analog tachograph, on which the marking devices fitted to the analog tachograph continuously record the information to be recorded;

Driver card – a tachograph card issued by a Member State's authorities to a particular driver, which identifies the driver and is intended for storing data on the driver's activity;

Analog tachograph – a tachograph that records data on a record sheet in accordance with this Regulation;

Digital tachograph – a tachograph that records data on a tachograph card in accordance with this Regulation;

Control card – a tachograph card issued by the authorities of a Member State to the competent national control authority, which identifies the control body (and, optionally, the controlling officer) and provides access to the data stored in the memory or in driver cards and, optionally, in workshop cards, in order to read, print and/or transfer those data to other digital files;

Company card – a tachograph card issued by the authorities of a Member State to a transport undertaking that must operate vehicles equipped with a tachograph, which identifies the transport undertaking and allows for displaying, transferring to other digital files, and printing the data stored in the tachograph that have been locked by that transport undertaking;

Workshop card – a tachograph card issued by the authorities of a Member State to the designated personnel of a tachograph manufacturer, fitter, vehicle manufacturer or workshop approved by that Member State, which identifies the cardholder and allows for testing, calibrating and activating tachographs and/or transferring data from them;

Activation – the phase in which, by using a workshop card, the tachograph becomes fully operational and implements all functions, including security functions;

Digital tachograph calibration – updating or confirming vehicle parameters, including vehicle identification and vehicle characteristics, to be held in the data memory, carried out using a workshop card;

Downloading from a digital tachograph – copying together with a digital signature any part or a complete set of data files recorded in the memory of the vehicle unit or in a tachograph card, provided that this process does not alter or delete any stored data;

Event – an abnormal operation detected by the digital tachograph that may stem from a fraud attempt;

Fault – an abnormal operation detected by the digital tachograph that may stem from an equipment malfunction or failure;

Installation – the mounting of a tachograph in a vehicle;

Invalid card – a card that is faulty, has failed the initial authenticity check, has not yet entered its validity period, or has expired;

Periodic inspection – operations carried out to check that the tachograph is operating properly, that its settings correspond to the vehicle parameters, and that no manipulation devices have been attached to the tachograph;

Repair – the repair of a motion sensor or vehicle unit that requires disconnecting its power supply or disconnecting it from other tachograph components, or opening the motion sensor or vehicle unit;

Type-approval – a procedure carried out by a Member State to certify, in accordance with Article 13, that the tachograph, its relevant components or the tachograph card to be placed on the market complies with the requirements of this Regulation;

Interoperability – the capacity of systems and related business processes to exchange data and share information;

Interface – the infrastructure between separate systems that provides the means to interconnect them and ensure their interaction;

Time measurement – continuous digital recording of Coordinated Universal Time and date (hereinafter – UTC);

Time adjustment – regular automatic adjustment of the current time with a margin of error no greater than one minute, or adjustment carried out during calibration;

Open standard – a standard set out in a standard specification document that is available free of charge or for a minimal fee, and that can be copied, distributed or used free of charge or for a minimal fee.

Tachographs must be installed and used in passenger or goods road transport vehicles registered in Member States and falling within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006.

Tachographs and tachograph cards must comply with the following requirements.

They must:
record data related to the driver, the driver's activity and the vehicle, which must be accurate and reliable,
be secure, in particular in order to ensure the reliability and source authentication of the data recorded in, and retrieved from, the vehicle units and motion sensors,
ensure interoperability between different generations of vehicle units and tachograph cards,
allow for effective verification of compliance with this Regulation and other applicable legislation,
be user-friendly.

Digital tachographs record the following data:
a) distance traveled and speed of the vehicle;
b) time measurement;
c) position points as specified in Article 8(1);
d) driver identification;
e) driver activity;
f) control, calibration and tachograph repair data, including data identifying the workshop;
g) events and faults.

Analog tachographs record at least the data specified in points (a), (b) and (e) of paragraph 3:
a) distance traveled and speed of the vehicle;
b) time measurement;
e) driver activity.

The data stored in the tachograph and on the tachograph card may be accessed at any time by:
a) competent control authorities;
b) the relevant transport undertaking, so that it can fulfill its legal obligations, in particular as set out in Articles 32 and 33.

Data recorded by the tachograph that may be transferred to or from the tachograph via wireless or electronic communication must be made available in the form of publicly available protocols, as defined in open standards.

The validity period of a driver card must not exceed five years.

The driver card is personal.

A driver is not permitted to hold more than one valid driver card; they are authorized to use only their own personal driver card. A driver is not permitted to use a damaged card or a card whose validity period has expired.

If a driver wishes to renew their card, they must submit an application to the competent authorities of the Member State of their normal residence no later than 15 days before the card expires.

If, in the case of renewal, the Member State of the driver's normal residence is not the Member State that issued the current card, and if the authorities of the former Member State are requested to renew the driver card, they must inform the authorities that issued the previous card of the reasons for the renewal.

Upon receipt of an application to renew a card whose validity is about to expire, the competent authority must issue a new card before the expiry date, provided that the application was submitted within the deadline laid down in paragraph 1.

Drivers must use the record sheets or driver cards on every day that they are driving the vehicle, starting from the moment they take it over. The record sheet or driver card must not be withdrawn before the end of the daily working period unless its withdrawal is otherwise authorized. No record sheet or driver card may be used for longer than the period for which it is intended.

Drivers must adequately protect the record sheets or driver cards and must not use dirty or damaged record sheets or driver cards.

For heavy vehicles, the force generated by the driver's foot is no longer sufficient for braking, so mechanical or hydraulic transmission systems must amplify it. For this reason, additional energy is used to operate the wheel cylinders.
The driver only controls the braking process. The required braking force is obtained by maintaining air pressure supplied by a compressor driven by an internal combustion engine.
The structure of a dual-circuit pneumatic brake system consists of:

the energy supply device,
the brake operating device, and
the auxiliary brake device.

The energy supply device consists of the following components:

compressor,
pressure regulator,
moisture removal valve,
safety valve,
optical and acoustic pressure control devices,
receiver, and
air dryer.

The compressor supplies pneumatic brakes with the required amount of compressed air. The compressor is a two-cylinder piston pump. It is driven by the engine via a trapezoidal belt. Plate valves are used, which open and close automatically. When the piston moves downward, a rarefaction is created above it. Ambient air enters the cylinder through the intake valve. The air is compressed as the piston moves upward and pushed into the pressure line. It is filtered before the intake valve, using the engine air filter or an additional air filter (wet or dry air filter with a paper cartridge).

The moving parts of the compressor are lubricated with oil from the engine lubrication system or by drip lubrication.

Low-pressure devices operate at a pressure of 7 to 10 bar, and high-pressure devices operate at a pressure of 14 to 20 bar.

The purpose of the pressure regulator is to regulate the pressure in the system. In the pneumatic system, it may also be used to inflate the vehicle's tires.

The moisture removal valve supplies the compressed air system with a moisture-absorbing fluid. Every day, 0.25 to 0.75 liters of condensate enter the pneumatic system along with the supplied compressed air. At low temperatures, ice may form, and the system may stop working.

The purpose of the safety valve is to ensure that, if a compressed air line is damaged, pressure in the other pressure lines is maintained. Depending on the number of pressure circuits, two-, three- or four-line safety valves are used. The four-line safety valve distributes compressed air to two vehicle circuits – the trailer brakes and an additional receiver. When pressure decreases in one circuit, the valve closes it, and the compressor supplies compressed air to the other circuits.

The receiver stores supplies of compressed air supplied by the compressor. The capacity of the receiver must be such that, after eight full brake applications, the additional brake systems can still operate (European Union requirements, Chapter VI). Compressed air pipes must be installed with a slope so that condensate can accumulate in the receiver. A manual or automatic condensate drain valve is installed at the lowest point of each receiver. Condensate is drained to reduce the risk of corrosion and to prevent reducing the receiver's volume.

The purpose of the spare (parking) brake is to stop and hold a parked vehicle on a sloped surface solely by means of generated mechanical forces. This brake is needed as a spare in case the service brake system fails.

The purpose of the trailer control valve is to control the trailer braking process, depending on the increase in pressure in the brake line before the trailer brake valve.

In trucks without a trailer whose total mass does not exceed 15 t, a combined hydraulic and pneumatic brake system may be used. The driver, by pressing the brake pedal, gives an impulse to the brake control device, which controls the master tandem cylinder. The service brake system part includes two compressed air supply circuits and two hydraulic control circuits. The compressed air supply circuits are separated from each other by a safety valve.

According to the article of the Road Traffic Rules, it is established that the tertiary (long-acting) brakes must ensure that the service brakes do not overload the vehicle when it travels downhill.

Long-acting brake systems include:

pneumatic (engine) brakes,
hydrodynamic (fluid friction) brakes,
electric (eddy current) brakes.

Hydrodynamic brakes are flow brakes, also known as retarders.