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Trailer towing:- B and B+E licence rules explained


ROG.
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Just signed up to the forum after being a "lurker" for a while and am a bit confused with the whole towing issues. I have a post 97 licence but my boss has put me through my B+E licence. We have two trucks, a cabstar (3.5 tonne) and an iveco daily (5.5 tonne). My boss has said to me that i can tow the chipper behind either of the trucks as its classed as 'plant'. Im not sure about this, i was just wondering whether anyone could shed light on this. Cheers

A 'B' licence allows you to drive vehicles not more than 3500 kgs GVW and a 'B+E' licence means you can tow a trailer behind that B category vehicle

Most trailers being towed by B cat vehicles are 3500 kgs MAM or less because those over 3500 require different brakes like air brakes for example

 

A vehicle between 3500 and 7500 needs a LGV C1 licence and any trailer being towed behind it over 750 kgs plated MAM needs a C1+E licence

 

For the those with a pre 1997 C1+E with a 107 code it means a maximum total plated MAM of 8250 kgs so a vehicle with a GVW of 5500 kgs can tow a trailer plated at 2750 kgs MAM

In the above case it would also depend on any vehicle weight restrictions because if a GTW of say 8000 kgs was listed then the maximum total weight of both vehicle and trailer cannot exceed that 8000 kgs even though the plated max weight totals allow up to 8250 kgs

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Rog, can you just double confirm for me [again] the maximum permissible GTW on a post '97 B+E.... is it around the 7t mark?

So behind my Range Rover with a GVW of 3050kg I can tow a trailer of MAM 3500kg right...?

 

And if I want to drive tipper bigger than 3.5t GVW, I would need what sort of license? A C1? And that would take me up to 7.5t....?

And then to tow behind a 7.5 tonner I would need a C1+E, and what's the maximum GTW for a post '97 C1+E..?

 

And finally.... Does a post '97 B entitlement followed by a C1 test pass followed by C1+E test pass automatically give B+E entitlement or does B+E still need to be tested to get that entitlement? Or is a B+E a pre-requisite for taking a C1+E test, in the same way that Cat B is a pre-requisite for C1...?

 

This will always get right up my nose because I passed in January '98....

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The trailer test is definatley something to take serious!, i drove for years pulling trailers of my own and thought nothing of it, i just took it for granted that i could, and because i had been on the tractors with straw trailers from the age of 16 etc naturally thought i was up to the task, it wasn,t until a friend had an accident towing a trailer, that i realised how serious it was, he was threatened with being done for not being insured! he didnt have the B + E, and technically he wasnt insured to be pulling a ifor 3.5 ton trailer! its a dodgy game taking a chance! it only takes 1 puncture at the side of motorway, Mr traffic cop appears at the back of you to investigate whats happened out of nosieness, asks some questions! Done! uv got a problem!

 

I went straight out and booked a test, used my own jeep and trailer, didnt think i would need any training, FAILED! not because of the trailer work, reversing, hitching, etc, but because, at a roundabout i pulled out onto it whilst a car was approaching from the right, indicating right, but decided to cut the roundabout and go straight on!! felt so P****d off!

Moral of the story, Treat the test like you are resitting your driving test! Dont trust anyone out on the road,take no chances! the trailer bit is the easy bit!

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  • 1 month later...
Rog, can you just double confirm for me [again] the maximum permissible GTW on a post '97 B+E.... is it around the 7t mark?

So behind my Range Rover with a GVW of 3050kg I can tow a trailer of MAM 3500kg right...?

 

And if I want to drive tipper bigger than 3.5t GVW, I would need what sort of license? A C1? And that would take me up to 7.5t....?

And then to tow behind a 7.5 tonner I would need a C1+E, and what's the maximum GTW for a post '97 C1+E..?

 

And finally.... Does a post '97 B entitlement followed by a C1 test pass followed by C1+E test pass automatically give B+E entitlement or does B+E still need to be tested to get that entitlement? Or is a B+E a pre-requisite for taking a C1+E test, in the same way that Cat B is a pre-requisite for C1...?

 

This will always get right up my nose because I passed in January '98....

Sorry for late reply

 

On a B+E you can use a vehicle up to 3500 kgs GVW and tow a trailer up to 12 tonnes but any trailer over 3500 kgs MAM needs more than over-run brakes which is why most are 3500 plated MAM or less

What you can use the vehicle for depends on the vehicle specifications so if yours has a towing capacity listed as 3500 then that is what it should be able to cope with - as long as the trailer plated MAM allows for that weight

 

C1 is for vehicles between 3500 and 7500 GVW

C1 with a trailer over 750 kgs needs C1+E

Max GTW for C1+E is usually 12 tonnes

 

C1+E will give a lifetime B+E

 

You can go direct from B to C (or C1)

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Thanks Rog, so I guess I should get some driver training and go straight from B to C1 to C1+E then....?

If C1+E is your ultimate level then yes

 

The cheapest way is to find a company that uses a 5 tonne van for C1 and then adds the trailer to same van for the +E

 

If you think that you will need higher categoies in the future then go for C and then C+E which covers you for C1 and C1+E

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To add -

If this is for commercial use then you will need the driver cpc as well

 

To get LGV C1 for commercial use ....

 

D4 medical = about £50 ... much more and you have been ripped off

D2 form - tick C & D only = covers you medically for all categories

 

Visit your preferred LGV training school before parting with any money

 

Modules to pass -

1a theory

1b HPT

2 dcpc theory

3 practical road drive, reverse and un/couple if +E test

4 practical dcpc

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Thanks Rog.

I think that was what I was thinking of.

Cat C would be nice and it's not for commercial purposes, just the occasional hire or so that I could buy myself a little lorry.... God knows why, just something I've always wanted!

Would that exempt me from the CPC & medical side of things...?

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Thanks Rog.

I think that was what I was thinking of.

Cat C would be nice and it's not for commercial purposes, just the occasional hire or so that I could buy myself a little lorry.... God knows why, just something I've always wanted!

Would that exempt me from the CPC & medical side of things...?

Medical is needed for both private and commercial

 

What do you mean by HIRE ?

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