HGV stands for Heavy Goods Vehicle and LGV stands for Large Goods Vehicle. In essence there is no difference between the two. In 1992 the name officially changed so that the UK could be in line with the Europe Union’s description of a truck over 7.5 tonnes GVW.
Similarly, the categories were also changed. What was known as HGV Class 2 training is now known as LGV Category C training and HGV Class 1 training is now officially LGV Category C+E.
Even though the name has officially changed, many people still choose to refer to the old style of categorisation or use a combination of both old and new. Don’t be surprised to come across ‘HGV Category C’ or ‘LGV Class 1’ for example. It’s worth familiarising yourself with both styles.