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

[ROG.]

Originally Posted by Jakg

I got my license after 2001 and haven't done any trailer tests etc.

I have absolutely no idea what I can, or can't, tow - it's incredibly confusing!

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

I have extensive knowledge on this issue and already have a trailer towing clinic HERE as well as many other sites.
I use the above to demonstrate that I have not joined this site to spam etc but simply to help others understand the rules which the Govt sites do not seem to explain very well.

Trailer MAM means the maximum weight the trailer can be when fully loaded (weight of empty trailer plus weight of load)

Trailers over 3500 kgs plated MAM weight come under different rules which is why all the trailers towed by B class vehicles , those of 3.5 tonnes and under, are not plated at more than 3500 kgs or 3.5 tonnes MAM

Trailers without plates use the total of the TYRE LOAD RATINGS to determine the MAM.
A rating of 66 on 4 tyres would give a MAM of 1200 kgs.

Vehicles in the B licence category will have the following information on a plate in the vehicle, in the handbook or on the V5 form.
Information can also be found on many internet vehicle specification sites.
Unladen or Kerb weight - although there is a slight difference in the two it is not that much
GVW - the max weight the vehicle can weigh when fully loaded
GTW - the max weight the vehicle and trailer can ACTUALLY weigh when added together. This does not refer to the total of the vehicle GWV and trailer MAM weights.
Towing capacity - this is the ACTUAL weight that can be towed by the vehicle - it does not mean the trailer MAM weight.
None of the above weights must be exceeded

Some vehicles have a GVW, a towing capacity and a GTW. In such a case the GTW takes priority over the GVW and towing capacity when added together

FOR B+E LICENCES

Where a towing capacity is listed then this would be a legal example:-
CAR has GVW of 2000 and a towing capacity of 1800
TRAILER has a MAM of 3500 and an unladen weight of 1000
The trailer can be loaded with a maximum weight of 800

Where there is not a towing capacity listed then the GTW is used
GTW minus the GVW does not give the towing capacity unless the vehicle is fully laden
EXAMPLE: -
VAN has GVW of 3500 and GTW of 6000
TRAILER has MAM of 3500
The van and trailer can weigh 3000 each and be legal

FOR B LICENCES
The Gov sites are not that good at explaining this so I have managed to find a simple way of determining whether a driver can tow something on a B only licence -

To tow over 750 kgs with a B licence you need to say NO to the following:-
Is the plated MAM of the trailer more than the UNLADEN/KERB/EMPTY weight of the towing vehicle?
Does the GVW of the towing vehicle plus the plated MAM of the trailer add up to more than 3500 kgs?
Is the ACTUAL weight of the empty trailer and its load more than the listed towing capacity?

Example of legally towing over 750 kgs with a B licence - made up figures but not that far from what can be found....

Towing vehicle -
Unladen/empty/kerb = 1500
GVW = 2000
Towing capacity = 1800

Trailer -
Unladen/empty = 800
MAM = 1500 (Perhaps originally a 2000 MAM but downplated by manufacturer so it conforms to B licence towing)

Load trailer with 700 max

Reasons it is legal for towing on a B licence -
The 1500 MAM of the trailer is not more than the 1500 unladen/empty weight of the towing vehicle
The 2000 GVW of the towing vehicle plus the 1500 MAM of the trailer is not more than 3500
The towing capacity/actual weight being towed does not exceed 1800

Here is another way of looking at the B licence towing rules with examples:-

RULE 1 - The gross plated weight of the trailer (MAM) cannot exceed the vehicle kerbweight.

RULE 2 - Also, the sum of the vehicle gross plated weight (GVW) and the trailer gross plated weight (MAM) cannot exceed 3500kg.

Examples:-

Vehicle 1200kg kerbweight, 1700kg gross plated weight (GVW) = maximum trailer gross plated weight (MAM) 1200kg SEE RULE 1

Vehicle 1500kg kerbweight, 2000kg gross plated weight (GVW) = maximum trailer gross plated weight (MAM) 1500kg SEE RULES 1 & 2

Vehicle 1800kg kerbweight, 2300kg gross plated weight (GVW) = maximum trailer gross plated weight (MAM) 1200kg SEE RULE 2

The weight which can be loaded on the trailer is the trailer gross plated weight (MAM) minus the trailer unladen weight
Trailer gross plated weight (MAM) 1500 with unladen weight 900 = a maximum load of 600

The listed maximum towing capacity for a vehicle must not be exceeded - that is actual weight not plated MAM weight

Caravan weights work on a slightly different system as they take into account the recommended (not legal) 85% towing rule


SUPERVISING A B+E LEARNER
In April 2010 new rules were introduced for those supervising certain learner drivers but they only affected those supervising VOCATIONAL categories such as C1 C1+E D1 & D1+E where the supervising driver had those categories given to them for free when they passed a pre 1997 car test.
They do not affect those with a pre 1997 B+E licence who wish to supervise a B+E learner.
The usual rules apply when a learner is driving -
The supervising driver must be aged over 21
The supervising driver must have held a B+E licence for at least 3 years
L plates must be fitted to the front of the vehicle and the rear of the trailer
Correct insurance for a B+E learner

Many will find that passing the once in a lifetime B+E test is their best option so here is some info on that test:-

The B+E test
No medical or theory test required
Read a number plate from a certain distance
VIDEO - Show Me Tell Me Questions - usually 5
The next three can be in any order:-
VIDEO - Reversing Exercise (old measurements) - done in test centre grounds if test conducted from practical test centre - some tests are now being done from training school grounds
VIDEO - Uncouple/couple up - done in test centre grounds if test conducted from practical test centre - some tests are now being done from training school grounds
One hour road drive - includes the independant drive and is done virtually the same as the basic car test

DISCLAIMER - I have no connection to any companies which may be featured in those videos


I hope this helps those who are unsure of the rules


Please post with this info if you want me to answer a specific query - weights in kgs please

LICENCE
B or B+E

VEHICLE
Unladen/kerb =
GVW =
GTW =
Towing capacity =

TRAILER
Unladen =
MAM =

[Roverowner]

Very interesting, thanks Funny how the rules differ inside the EU.

Here in Sweden the -B- catagory is about the same. The test is different for a -BE- licence. My wife is taking the -BE- at the moment. Theory test, written, (60 on the car and 30 on the trailer). More like I had to do for -DE- The practical is about the same.

One rule over here which I´ve always found usefull: I have a Volvo 144 with a tow bar. It´s plated for 1200kg. With a -B- you can´t go do anything about that in asmuch as if you are pulling a trailer/caravan that is plated for say 1500kg. With the -BE- I can pull the 1500 plater as long as the actual weight of it is less than 1200kg on the road. Was stopped once by the boys in blue over this once. They didn´t weigh it (although there are weigh stations at regular intervals along the main roads). They must have though it was near the bone for a -B-. The constable came up to the window and was very polite and jovial (they usually are over here) His first comment was: Nice to have an -E- licence, isn´t it- Showed him my BE,C,DE and he said- Yep, just the job.... Take it easy, there is a lot of side wind today..... Nice vintage van by the way, what is it (one of the reasons they stopped me). I had it on a car trailer pulled by a Volvo 360

[ROG.]

Originally Posted by Roverowner

Very interesting, thanks Funny how the rules differ inside the EU.

Here in Sweden the -B- catagory is about the same. The test is different for a -BE- licence. My wife is taking the -BE- at the moment. Theory test, written, (60 on the car and 30 on the trailer). More like I had to do for -DE- The practical is about the same.

One rule over here which I´ve always found usefull: I have a Volvo 144 with a tow bar. It´s plated for 1200kg. With a -B- you can´t go do anything about that in asmuch as if you are pulling a trailer/caravan that is plated for say 1500kg. With the -BE- I can pull the 1500 plater as long as the actual weight of it is less than 1200kg on the road. Was stopped once by the boys in blue over this once. They didn´t weigh it (although there are weigh stations at regular intervals along the main roads). They must have though it was near the bone for a -B-. The constable came up to the window and was very polite and jovial (they usually are over here) His first comment was: Nice to have an -E- licence, isn´t it- Showed him my BE,C,DE and he said- Yep, just the job.... Take it easy, there is a lot of side wind today..... Nice vintage van by the way, what is it (one of the reasons they stopped me). I had it on a car trailer pulled by a Volvo 360

Each EU state can introduce measures above but not below what the EU set as a minimum in regards to licence aquisitions

I read carefully what you said in regard to the 1200/1500 weights

In the UK both B and B+E would be legal in this combination

VEHICLE
Kerb 1500
GVW 2000
Towing capacity 1200

TRAILER
unladen 700
MAM 1500

MAX weight on the trailer is 500 due to the 1200 towing capacity limit

[Roverowner]

Thanks. I haven´t followed the legislation over here for the last 10 years or so but it used to be that -the rozzers- would stop you and procede to look at the max towing weight on the towbar and then the max weight for the trailer/van. If the second value was more than the first, you were in trouble. But things seem to have moved on

Another bugbearer with -the department- over here. Trailer without braking system is not allowed to weight (total) of more than 750kg. I have a couple of vintage vans (1949). One is built like a bus and the firm that made it made buses and heavy trailers. The frame is twice the gage that it would ever need to be as it was made using the gage of metals they usually used. I weights about 850-900kg. The boys in the -now- won´t let me get it registered (yes, nearly all vehicles on the roads here have to do MOT etc just the same as a car (MOT every other year). They say that there isn´t a car manufacturer who will guarantee that the cars braking system will cope with an unbraked load more than 750 kg at the back. I´m not puting a braked axel on it as it destroys the whole idea of the vintage van. Of course they did say that I can put a triangle on it at the back and tow it at 10 mph. So at the moment I am tring to make an educated guess about how many minutes it would take before some -boy racer (in a ZT ) would come around the corner and slam into the back of it. I applied for an excemption but the fool on the other end kept quoting the rules. I said that if I could comply with the rules I wouldn´t have rung him (where do they get these people). The van is absolutely roadworthy apart from the brakes. What do? I´ll use it anyway, the rozzers won´t do me as long as it´s okay otherwise

[ROG.]

Originally Posted by Roverowner

Thanks. I haven´t followed the legislation over here for the last 10 years or so but it used to be that -the rozzers- would stop you and procede to look at the max towing weight on the towbar and then the max weight for the trailer/van. If the second value was more than the first, you were in trouble. But things seem to have moved on

Ther never was (or is) such a law or rule in regards to the MAM of a trailer being more than the manufacturers towing capacity

Many drivers said they had been 'done' for this but when challenged none of those drivers could produce any evidence that they had - it is an internet myth

[Roverowner]

Originally Posted by ROG.

Ther never was (or is) such a law or rule in regards to the MAM of a trailer being more than the manufacturers towing capacity

Many drivers said they had been 'done' for this but when challenged none of those drivers could produce any evidence that they had - it is an internet myth

Perhaps in the UK but a fact over here. Again, I don´t really know what has happened since Sweden joined the EU but I have been stopped (allbeit in the 80s) for just this. Internet wasn´t around then I have a friend who has the dubious pleasure of being a Swedish traffic rozzer. Will ask him, see what he says