Towing restrictions

[madmatt]

Glad I passed my test in 1995! Just looked at my licence, it says I can drive a 7.5 tonner (C1) or a 7.5 tonner and trailer with a combined weight of up to 12 tons (C1+E)!

 

Am I right in thinking that a newby driver can't even drive a car with a trailer of more than 750kg?

 

Not arguing mate but not according to DVLA they say you are limited to 8250kg if you only passed a car test prior to 1/1/97 look at the link

 

 

Combinations of vehicles where the towing vehicle is in subcategory C1 and its trailer has a MAM of over 750kg provided that the MAM of the combination thus formed does not exceed 12000kg and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. (If you passed your category B test prior to 1.1.1997 you will be restricted to a total weight not more than 8250kg)

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022547

[Lee Winger]

thats how I read it!

[Peter]

Muddy muddy waters!

 

There is more ignorance in this area than anywhere else in tree work!

 

The short answer is that aspiring tree surgeons should see getting a C+E licence as being as essential as NPTCs. Its really not that hard to get, and once you have it, it solves all these driver licensing problems.

 

If you have a pre 97 licence, you are entitled to drive a 7.5 tonne gross vehicle, and tow a 750 kg trailer. That still applies even if your old paper licence says 12 tonne gross train. If you send that licence in for any reason, it will come back with a little endorsement code after the C1+E category that restricts it to a maximum gross train of 8.25 tonne.

 

If you passed your cat B test on or after 1.1.97, then you are restricted to a gross weight of 3.5 tonne, and a gross train of 4.25. You cannot of course exceed the vehicle's plated weights, as Matt pointed out.

The options for younger drivers then are to take a B+E test, which will entitle the holder to tow up to 3.5 tonnes with a towing vehicle of 3.5 tonnes, giving a train weight of 7 tonnes. Of course you still cannot exceed the plated weights.

You can take the C1 test, for 7.5 tonners, but you cant tow anything with that unless you go on to do C1+E, and then you can tow 4.5 tonnes with the 7.5 tonne vehicle, giving a train of 12 tonne.

Or you can do the full C test, followed by the C+E test, and then you can drive any goods vehicle on the road.

Approximate training costs are as follows

B+E £600-£700

C1+E £600-£800

C £800-£900

C+E £800-£900

 

Test fees are the same for all these at just over £100.

It is exactly the same test for all the categories, in the same test centres, by the same examiners.

The test involves some manoevering in a practice area off road, a uncouple/recouple exercise if there is a trailer involved, an emergency stop (off road), and a good 45 minutes of driving. The examiner will ask you to stop and pull away safely up and down hill, drive to a consistently high standard, and depending on the vehicle, perform a gear change exercise to show that you can use all the ranges of gears available.

I would suggest that most drivers would be unlikely to pass the test without any tuition beforehand, especially young drivers with little experience of towing.

[igottacabstar]

Not arguing mate but not according to DVLA they say you are limited to 8250kg if you only passed a car test prior to 1/1/97 look at the link

 

 

Combinations of vehicles where the towing vehicle is in subcategory C1 and its trailer has a MAM of over 750kg provided that the MAM of the combination thus formed does not exceed 12000kg and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. (If you passed your category B test prior to 1.1.1997 you will be restricted to a total weight not more than 8250kg)

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022547

 

My licence has no mention of the pre 1997 8250kg bit. When I was employed 7 years ago I drove a 7.5 tonner with a 3.5 ton timber trailer most days. Still, what ever it is it's better than having a car licence issued nowadays!

[John Hancock]

Sorry for not getting involved guys, it’s my night for visiting the children…still, back now. It does seem one hell of a lot of money to fork out when all we want to do it tow a chipper! I’m looking at it from an employment point of view…Its getting to the stage when an older guy with little experience and qualifications is more likely to get a position just because he can tow a chipper. The world has gone mad!

[Peter]

My licence has no mention of the pre 1997 8250kg bit. When I was employed 7 years ago I drove a 7.5 tonner with a 3.5 ton timber trailer most days. Still, what ever it is it's better than having a car licence issued nowadays!

 

Have you got the new photocard and paper counterpart or the old paper licence?

[igottacabstar]

Have you got the new photocard and paper counterpart or the old paper licence?

 

photocard and paper.

[Peter]

There was, I believe, a window in which pre 97 licence holders could claim grandfather rights to the full C1+E cat.

It might be that you changed your licence at the right time to take advantage, but that is just speculation really as I cant find any official mention of it.

Most traffic police dont know the rules anyway....

[Mr Ed]

Most excellent post by Peter.

 

I will reiterate the main point - Young workers coming into this industry should view a C1+E as important as a handfull of NPTC's.

I cannot believe how many people I hear whinging about these restrictions, whilst happily forking out for First aid tickets, Chipper tickets, saw tickets, Climbing tickets, rescue tickets, Saw use in a tree, crown reduction, sectional dismantling, big tree felling, even windblow and hung up tree tickets. And thats before we talk about NVQ's, RFS, Tech cert etc.

A good HGV driver will save and earn your company thousands...

[Peter]

If you are a young driver starting with just a B licence, it will cost the same to get C1+E as it will to get the full C+E.

Then if your arb career goes tits up you can always go driving!