Towing Trailers - Latest from DVLA

[vannut]

Thought I'd start a new thread with this one, rather than clogging up the "How much does my van weigh" post!

Just goy my new photocard licence (scary ) from DVLA this morning, and in the accompanying booklet it as detais of driving categories, and for category 'B' it states:

"Motor vehicles with a MAM not exceeding 3500kg having not more than 8 passenger seats with a trailer up to 750kg. Combinations of vehicles in Category B and a trailer, where the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3500kg and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. A vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement, as the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle."

This is obviously quite restrictive, and it would appear that the aim is to restrict new drivers (test pass after 1st Jan1997) to small vehicles with small trailers, so in theory a new driver could drive a Transit, with an unladen weight of 1500kgs, with MAM (Gross plated weight) of 2500kgs and pull a trailer with a MAM of 1000 kgs, but the higher the gross plated weight of the drawing vehicle the smaller the trailer they can pull.

More details can be found here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dr ... DG_4022547

and the full Regulations can be found here:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1996/Uksi_19962824_en_1.htm

with the relevent schedule for driving licence groups here:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1996/Uksi_1 ... ingpurpose

Hope this all helps. If you need any info on a specific vehicle or combination then please ask and I will do my best to help.

[BigNeil]

so i have a transit 190 longcube and tow a 2.5 tonne trailer (which is 9 metres long) am I legal ?


( i passed my test in october 1989 and also have class 2 ( class ? cant remember)

[sc_BK]

so in theory a new driver could drive a Transit, with an unladen weight of 1500kgs, with MAM (Gross plated weight) of 2500kgs and pull a trailer with a MAM of 1000 kgs, but the higher the gross plated weight of the drawing vehicle the smaller the trailer they can pull.

Nah the biggest trailer you're allowed to tow, without doing a trailer test, is 750kg.

But you're not allowed a train weight over 3500kg, so for example if you had a vehicle & it's load weighing 3000kg then you'd only be able to tow 500kg

[vannut]

so in theory a new driver could drive a Transit, with an unladen weight of 1500kgs, with MAM (Gross plated weight) of 2500kgs and pull a trailer with a MAM of 1000 kgs, but the higher the gross plated weight of the drawing vehicle the smaller the trailer they can pull.

Nah the biggest trailer you're allowed to tow, without doing a trailer test, is 750kg.

But you're not allowed a train weight over 3500kg, so for example if you had a vehicle & it's load weighing 3000kg then you'd only be able to tow 500kg

No. You can tow more than 750kgs, subject to the criteria outlined above. i.e "A vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement, as the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle."

This is a direct lift from the Driving Licensing Information booklet sent by DVLA today.

[sc_BK]

meh, just looked it up on that direct.gov site and aye they've changed it. Was deffo 750kg no ifs no buts when i was looking it up like a year ago. Still a bit of a minefield, where by what you can tow is goverened by how much fuel you have and what you've eaten that day!
So unless you know you're 100% legit best avoid the checkpoints on an "open day"


Oh and don't get me started on the site direct.gov, i hate that. You used to be able to go on dvla.gov and get all the info you wanted, but now they link you to direct.gov which has some wishy-washy version for dummies.

There also used to be a site containing the full highway code, full of pictures and you could search it by letter - ie if you wanted info on "headlights" you looked up "h", or for lollypop ladies you looked up "l". And it would bring up all the must not's, should nots etc etc


But yet again it's been replaced with some watered down pish on direct.gov


och well......

[essex iain]

but big neil will be fine as he passed before 1st jan 97. he can drive up to 7000kgs, plus 750kgs, or a gross train weight of 7000kgs. ie 3500 + 3500 = 7000. he can also drive bigger than 7000kgs as he has his class 2, but not tow a trailer over 750kgs, or else he must take his c+e or class 1 as it used to be.

anyone like me who past after this date can tow a car and trailer combination whos gross train weight ( that of car and trailer) does not exceed 3500kgs, or a car of up to 3500kgs with a trailer with a maximum gross weight of 750 kgs.

in reality this is pretty restrictive as most reasonable tow cars have a gross vehicle weight of 2500 kgs leaving just a ton for the total trailer load.

im up 'creek as im gonna get a tranny 190 (3500kgs) to tow a trailer with a gross weight of 3500kgs! i will need a further test to gain my b + e license.

even if i pass my class 2 or c (fixed) hgv license i can only tow a trailer of no more than 750 kgs, no matter how big the truck is. if i want to tow a trailer on a lorry i must take my class 1 or c+e. in can cost £1000 for your b+e, the same again for the c, and another £1000 again for the c+e as you must already hold the c license.

[vannut]

meh, just looked it up on that direct.gov site and aye they've changed it. Was deffo 750kg no ifs no buts when i was looking it up like a year ago.

No. Trust me, that has never been the case. The regulations were cited in 1996, coming into force 1st January 1997 The relevant document is here: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1996/Uksi_1 ... ingpurpose

Category B is shown as follows:


"Any motor vehicle, other than a vehicle included in category A, F or P, having a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes and not more than 8 seats in addition to the driver's seat, including-

(i) a combination of such a vehicle and a trailer where the trailer has a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 750 kg, and

(ii) a combination of such a vehicle and a trailer where the maximum authorised mass of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and the maximum authorised mass of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the tractor vehicle."

I have a copy of the original document, printed in 1996. It hasn't changed since then. What may have changed is people's interpretation. If you want to know exact traffic regulations then the best place to look is the actual document, i.e. Road Traffic Act 1988, or Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, or in this case, the Motor Vehicle's Driving Licence regulations 1996.

Most are available online, if you know where to look. Many other sites, such as local councils, Fleet Transport Association, etc reproduce the information, but all it needs is a simple typo error on their part and the information can be way out. Other publications seek to simplify the regs, and in doing so can ofthen misinterpret them.

[djswampy]

If you want the full gumph, its INF30 from the DVLA, Driving Licensing Requirements for Towing Trailers in Great Britain.
www.direct.gov.uk/motoring

That's what I mis-read and thought I could do something but I couldn't. Its a minefield of legal speak.

[MinorMatt]

If you read the regs its got nothing do do with the actual vehicle weight so the fuel levels/what you have eaten etc are irrelevant. Its all based on MAMs (Max Autorised Mass) and unladen weights...

[ME]

Its a Real Minefield as already said. Last Year i Towed a 3500 mgw Exhibition/sampling Trailer for Muller Yoghurts all round the country visiting 60 "Race For Life" Events. I passed my test in 84 and my Hgv in 94. My Mk 6 has a Train weight of 5750 kgs the Trailer equipped was 2900 kgs which is over the the 2250 kgs Max Trailer weight. All i did was take 900 kgs out of the Trailer and put it in the Van which solved the Problem and also helped with the stability of the Out fit.

In total i did over 8000 Miles Towing it and Never got any attention from the Authorities at all.

[sc_BK]

*opens another can of worms*

Don't forget that if you're towing for hire or reward then you may need a tacho. Basically a vehicle and trailer where the combined gross weights are over 3.5t, and you need a tacho.
So if you're a courier with a transit 350 then you'd need a tacho to even tow a wheelbarrow

And if the trailer unladen weight is over 1020kgs, then you need an operators licence. And from what I remember, to get an O-licence you need some kind of proper yard/business address

[vannut]

*opens another can of worms*

Don't forget that if you're towing for hire or reward then you may need a tacho. Basically a vehicle and trailer where the combined gross weights are over 3.5t, and you need a tacho.
So if you're a courier with a transit 350 then you'd need a tacho to even tow a wheelbarrow

And if the trailer unladen weight is over 1020kgs, then you need an operators licence. And from what I remember, to get an O-licence you need some kind of proper yard/business address

Yup! 's all true! and the towing vehicle doesn't even have to be a goods vehicle in itself, i.e. Volvo estate or Land Rover Discovery, if they're towing a trailer and the train weight is over 3500kgs and they're carrying goods in the course of a business, (doesn't even need to be hire or reward) then it needs a tachograph.

A mate of mine has fitted loads of Tachos into Discoveries.

[shirlz]

It is a load of confusing waffle, I have been told loads of different things about towing. I will have to take my pony, and my trailer to the nearest weigh station I think

[thunderider]

EH? WTF......these stoopid crass laws,ive lost a fortune cus i cant tow a trailer,or a big trailer,analie retentive govement,the germen get aroun all this bull sh*t by down plating to 2.8 gross,put a window in the side,no need for tacho,cant the pull a huge trailer all day long cuz its classed as a camper/leasure vehicle....try that here.....theyd find away to put the kibosh on that to...