A new driving role may call for a different entitlement, not a repeat of training you have already completed. For drivers based in Leatherhead, the useful starting point is your current licence, the vehicle you will use and whether you need initial or periodic Driver CPC.
GS Driver Training lists Category C, C+E and C1 routes, with practical training at Dunsfold Airport near Cranleigh. Compare the route that matches your starting position and check the venue for each part of your booking. Discuss your licence and course options, or call 01252 447808, with your existing categories and intended vehicle.
Choose by existing entitlement, not just course name
Already hold Category C?
If your next vehicle needs Category C with a trailer over 750kg, explore the C-to-C+E upgrade. It is the GS route for existing full Category C holders, rather than the route aimed at people starting with a car licence. Check the official C and C+E definitions against the vehicle and trailer you will drive.
Starting with a car licence?
For a rigid lorry, compare Category C / Class 2. For C+E, look at direct car-to-C+E training. GOV.UK says you do not need to pass a lower-category test first, but you do need the appropriate provisional entitlement and must meet the relevant requirements.
Need a medium-sized vehicle rather than a larger lorry?
Compare C1 training. C1 covers vehicles over 3,500kg and up to 7,500kg MAM, with a trailer up to 750kg. If the trailer is heavier, investigate C1+E and check category and combination-weight limits. For passenger vehicles, see D1 minibus training.
Need to compare another category? Compare training courses or use the Course Finder.
Licence training and Driver CPC solve different needs
A licence category determines which vehicles you can drive. Driver CPC is the professional qualification required in relevant circumstances; GOV.UK says you need the full Driver CPC when driving an HGV is the main part of your job, unless an exemption applies.
If you are qualifying professionally for the first time, check initial Driver CPC options. If you already qualified and are maintaining your CPC, explore periodic training instead. GOV.UK’s qualified-driver guidance explains the 35-hour, five-year cycle and the difference between National and International training; confirm the format appropriate to where you intend to drive.
What does your next entitlement cost?
Existing Category C driver: compare the upgrade packages
16 hours
- Driving only
- £1,691
- With initial Driver CPC
- £2,041
20 hours
- Driving only
- £2,075
- With initial Driver CPC
- £2,425
24 hours
- Driving only
- £2,459
- With initial Driver CPC
- £2,809
All upgrade prices include VAT and DVSA tests 3a and 3b. The package comparison lists professional instruction, a modern training vehicle and an instructor. This route does not list a separate medical-and-theory tier because it starts with a full Category C licence. Add initial CPC only if your qualification route requires it; compare the full C-to-C+E upgrade course table before choosing.
Starting with Category B: compare direct car-to-C+E separately
Fast Track C+E offers 24, 28, 32, 36 or 40 hours. For the shortest 24-hour package, the published prices are £2,459 driving only, £2,624 with medical, theory, hazard perception and online revision, or £2,974 with initial Driver CPC Modules 2 and 4 as well. All include VAT and the listed 3a/3b driving tests. Use the course table for longer-package prices.
Comparing Category C or C1 instead?
Category C has 16-, 20- and 24-hour packages, starting at £1,691 driving only. C1 has 8-, 12- and 16-hour packages, starting at £875 driving only. Both tables include VAT and 3a/3b tests, and offer medical-and-theory and initial-CPC package levels. Their With CPC wording includes a D4 medical appointment, theory and hazard-perception test fees, online revision, and Module 2/4 test fees alongside the selected driving course and practical test.
These are training-hour packages, not promises about total time from first enquiry to qualification. Choose the hours and stages that fit your starting position, then ask about current training dates.
Optional Pass Protection costs £550.00 including VAT and must be bought with an eligible original Category C, C+E, C1, C1+E, D1 or D1+E practical licence-driving course before training starts. Two additional Module 3a and/or Module 3b attempts in total; each includes up to two hours of training plus the test. There is no time limit for using the two protected attempts. Pass Protection does not guarantee a test pass or any particular saving. No refund is due if the learner passes without using the protection. A missed or cancelled protected training or test appointment uses one protected attempt. It cannot be added to standalone retests, theory, Driver CPC, ADR, B+E or the HGV Driving Experience. Standalone HGV retest options are a different product; read the full terms before buying.
Plan your trip from Leatherhead to the correct entrance
Build travel into your course planning alongside the hours you choose. The practical-training address is Unit 508, Dunsfold Airport, Stovolds Hill, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8TB; it is not a Leatherhead training-site address.
One approach to compare is the A24 towards Dorking: Surrey County Council identifies the Leatherhead–Dorking corridor as primarily following the A24. Use live navigation to compare the onward route to the A281 with alternatives; this is planning context, not a claim that it is always the quickest journey. Dunsfold Park confirms access via the A281.
For practical-training arrival, the GS contact directions take learners from the A281 Alfold Bypass into Canada Avenue, using ///progress.vote.mistaking for the entrance. Inside the site, use ///dine.knees.nurtures for category c+e and hgv driving experience training area, or ///yacht.with.prom for category c1, category c, d1 and cpc module 4 training area. Confirm the venue or delivery format of any medical, theory test or other session separately.
Leatherhead course-planning questions
Does my existing HGV licence mean I should book periodic CPC?
Not necessarily. Your qualification history and CPC status matter as well as your licence categories. Read the GOV.UK qualification guidance, then ask which initial, periodic or return-to-driving route applies before selecting a course.
Are the practical driving test and CPC Module 4 the same thing?
No. GOV.UK describes Part 3a as off-road exercises and Part 3b as on-road driving. Module 4 is the separate practical-demonstration element of initial Driver CPC. The linked GS course tables explicitly include 3a and 3b; initial CPC Modules 2 and 4 are a separate package selection.
Can I assume every appointment is at Dunsfold?
No. Use the Dunsfold directions for the practical training covered here, but confirm the location or delivery format of every other element. Check the reporting point on your booking instructions rather than assuming the training area is also the location for every test.
Make a clear enquiry from Leatherhead
Send your existing licence categories, intended vehicle and trailer, CPC status and any medical or theory stages already completed. Mention that you will travel from Leatherhead, then ask for the recommended route, an itemised price and the venue and dates for each element.
Enquire about your Leatherhead course options · Call 01252 447808 · Email sales@gsdrivertraining.com