Background
This Ruling forms part of a wider group of investigations on HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) training operators. See also related rulings published on 22 April 2026.Ad description
A website hgvlearning.com, a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) training services provider, seen in August 2025, featured a page that included the claim “Our high pass rates”.
Issue
JCoates HGV Services Ltd challenged whether the claim, “high pass rates” was misleading and could be substantiated.
Response
HGV Learning said the ad was no longer live and that they were fully compliant.
Assessment
Upheld
We considered that consumers would likely understand the claim “Our high pass rates” to mean that trainees of HGV Learning achieved a pass rate that was higher than average, or otherwise notably high, in the relevant HGV tests. HGV Learning said they believed the ad was fully compliant. However, they provided no documentary evidence to show what pass rates or tests the claim referred to, the time period covered, the number of candidates, or how the results compared with an appropriate benchmark. In the absence of such evidence, we concluded the claim had not been substantiated and was misleading.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 and 3.3 (Misleading advertising) and 3.7 (Substantiation).
Action
The ad must not appear again in the form complained of. We told HGV Learning to ensure that pass rate claims were not misleading and that all such claims could be substantiated.
