Can i tow a trailer?

grand father rights still apply to car and trailer combo's, so yes along as the person alongside you took their test before jan 1997 you can tow a horse trailer under your provisinonal with L plates on, but and this is a BIG but, you need to notify your insurers that you will be towing under a provisional not a full license as it may affect your cover.
 
yes aslong as you have someone that either has passed the test or has grandfather rights (pre 1997) with you! but you are not aloud on the motorway.
 
You must have your Provisional trailer entitlement on your licence...

You cannot just tow a trailer without this... just the same as you cannot drive a HGV without the provisional entitlement on your licence.

Check your licence, use 'L' plates and make sure the person who is with you holds a FULL trailer licence and not a provisional.
 
I'm going to throw a spanner in the works here. I rang the DVLA up and asked them about this 'grandfather rights' business, as for the category C1 and D tests (bigger lorries) you can't do that anymore. The woman told me as long as the person had either passed their test before 1997 or had done the trailer testit was fine. However, my Oh ran up and asked the same question and they said no to him. The person sitting in with you has to have also done their trailer test! Very confusing. Only exemptions on this are the driving instructors....so even DVLA don't know what e rules are.

All full post 97 Uk category B licences (car) already have prov B&E entitlement on them, you don't need to apply for it. This I do know!
 
Custard Cream said:
I'm going to throw a spanner in the works here. I rang the DVLA up and asked them about this 'grandfather rights' business, as for the category C1 and D tests (bigger lorries) you can't do that anymore. The woman told me as long as the person had either passed their test before 1997 or had done the trailer testit was fine. However, my Oh ran up and asked the same question and they said no to him. The person sitting in with you has to have also done their trailer test! Very confusing. Only exemptions on this are the driving instructors....so even DVLA don't know what e rules are.

All full post 97 Uk category B licences (car) already have prov B&E entitlement on them, you don't need to apply for it. This I do know!
Click to expand...

And if you ring for a 3rd time you will be given a totally different answer again!! Thats the DVLA for you, because the people who answer their phones in the call centre don't specialise in each individual type of licence. You should refer to their website as at least it is in black and white there.

And to prove how little the call centre people actuall know... look up what a 'D' licence is, its certainley nothing to do with (Bigger Lorries) as you have put. lol
 
Taken from the BHS website, please note the important bracketed part in the 2nd paragraph, reference grandfather rights.

https://www.bhs.org.uk/Press_Centre...ive_2010/DSA_grandfather_rights_April_10.aspx

'From 6 April 2010 drivers who passed their car driving test before January 1997 will no longer be able to act as ‘supervising’ drivers to those learning to drive small lorries, buses and vehicle plus trailer combinations (but not car/horse trailer combinations i.e. Category B+E). Crucially for the equestrian industry this will include 7.5 tonne horse boxes.'
 
Ok so let me get this right:

I can tow the trailer providing i have someone with me who passed their test PRIOR to 1997, or someone who passed a B+E entiletment over 3yrs ago. This ONLY applies to horse trailers, grandfather rights are no longer applicable to any other type of trailer.

I can tow the trailer with horses in.

I must get the provissonal trailer license before towing, and inform my insurance

I CANT use motorways

(any restrictions to how long you can drive on a provisonal for?)
 
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lizstuguinness said:
Ok so let me get this right:

I can tow the trailer providing i have someone with me who passed their test PRIOR to 1997, or someone who passed a B+E entiletment over 3yrs ago. This ONLY applies to horse trailers, grandfather rights are no longer applicable to any other type of trailer.

I can tow the trailer with horses in.

I must get the provissonal trailer license before towing, and inform my insurance

I CANT use motorways

(any restrictions to how long you can drive on a provisonal for?)
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i think if you look on your licence you already have the provisional for cat B+E. i dont have mine with me to look at so couldnt tell you. And the people at the test centre said nothing to me about applying for a provisional entitlement.
I dont think the person with the test has to wait 3 years before acompanying you, this is if you are with someone who has never driven before, you have to be 21 and have driven for 3 years to babysit someone learning to drive. I havnt been told this applies for car trailer combinations.
 
No, the rules are that you must have someone with you who is either a) an instructor or b) who has taken the B+E entitlement test and has held that licence for at least 3 years. Those with Grandfather rights are no longer allowed to supervise learner drivers and you will invalidate your insurance should you have an accident.

If your supervisor falls under the a/b category then you can put L plates on and tow anywhere (including motorways). When I did my training I regularly went on the motorway, and also did it during my test as they want to see you moving in slow traffic but also fast moving trafiic - it is not the same criteria as for the standard driving test re motorway driving.

Hope that helps.
 
Having fully research it not long ago, I understand it that if you dont have your trailer licence yet, you can tow an empty box, diplaying L plates, with someone whos either passed their test before 97 or someone whos held their trailer licence for 3years+. Again not allowed on the moter way thought. It should be for practice purposes only! If you are going to tow make sure you have insurence to do that.
 
My advice is.....

Email the DVLA to ask the questions - print out their reply and then IF you are stopped etc... you have recent proof of what the DVLA have said!

I did this in October.... and part of my reply states that...

As the holder of a category B licence you are able to tow the following combinations:

If your car weighs less than 3.5 tonne MAM you are able to drive a combination weight of 3.5 tonnes (i.e. a car of 2.5 tonnes towing a trailer of 1 tonne). In this instance the laden weight of the trailer must not exceed the the weight of the towing vehicle.

If your car weighs exactly 3.5 tonnes MAM you are able to tow a smaller trailer of 750kgs.

If you would like to tow a larger trailer you will need to contact the Driving Standards Agency with a view of booking a test for category B+E.

As the holder of a full car licence you will automatically have provisional entitlement for category B+E.

As a provisional driver you must display L plates and be accompanied by a suitably qualified driver ie a driver who has full category B+E either as an implied entitlement ( given as a result of passing a car test prior to 1/1/97 ) or as a result of passing the B+E test.


That was their reply last October - so may have changed but when you email - you get a full reference number etc and IMO, its worth doing as with so many people believeing different things (including the DVLA staff!) at least if you have it in writing, from them, no-one can really get you in trouble if they stop you etc.
 
I didnt ask the DVLA, i asked a VOSA police officer.

I have been towing like this for 2 years, and i have never once been stopped.

1) The person has to be pre 1997 or have taken their test. (no years apply)
2) You can go on the motorway.
3) You just need to display L plates.
 
What i find interesting: "Category B vehicles may be coupled trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM."

So in theroy 3500 max weight / 2 = max loaded trailer weight = 1750.
If the avaerage ifor williams = 900/1000 thats leaves plenty of weight left for one horse. So in fact you CAN tow a trailer with one horse providing the horse weighs 750kg or less and your car weighs 1750.

so if such a car exsists why can you therefor tow one horse but not two???? thats just plain daft, surely it makes no difference to the size being towed, the saftey of other users or your ability to drive safely!!!
 
I see what you mean Liz. However with 2 horses in it would be heavier than the car, so the tail wags the dog if you see what I mean. Trailer weighing 1000 with a horses weighing 500 gives 1500 laden weight. This means the towing vehicle can be up to 2000, thus meaning the laden trailer is still less than the car, and total is 3500. Is that right?
 
i was also confused by this, i have a discovery, i dont know the unladen weight, but my understanding was, say the unladen weight is 1500 and i had a light trailer of 750, that would give me 750kg left, and my 15.1 mare isnt any more than 530kg. my trailer doesnt go over the unladen weight of the vehicle, nor does it go over a 3.5t combinded so im legal?
 
From a Police Officer who has had training on this subject.
Grandfather rights do not apply to supervising people towing a trailer.
The superviser needs to have passed a trailer test, not just been granted the ability because of when they passed their test.

Craig
 
china said:
i was also confused by this, i have a discovery, i dont know the unladen weight, but my understanding was, say the unladen weight is 1500 and i had a light trailer of 750, that would give me 750kg left, and my 15.1 mare isnt any more than 530kg. my trailer doesnt go over the unladen weight of the vehicle, nor does it go over a 3.5t combinded so im legal?
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China don't know how old your discovery is but if it's not written on a plate on your vehicle or on your reg.doc have a look at this hope it helps
http://www.cuddles.abelgratis.net/landrover.htm

:)
 
After much research (and many hours of confusing MIS-information) I have put together a shared document on the internet that asks for details about your trailer and vehicle and then tells you if you're entitled to tow or not, and some of the commonly asked questions. Like grand-father rights, L plates, motorways....

this is only applicable to those who passed their test Post 1st Jan 1997.

Please feel free to share this around, but ONLY edit the green boxes, nothing else, or you'll mess it up ;)

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AilC7Inlrfc2dEJHTlc5RlVQSFYydWdpNlA5c1pESUE&hl=en_GB#gid=0
 
That link is very good, well worked for the one I put in there, I already have the towing entitlement and find these discussions very confusing and I'm an instructor who can teach the B+E, as far as I can work out (and if you've contacted VOSA or the DSA you'll know how confusing it is) your car has to be capable of towing the maximum weight the trailer can carry, if not you may not be insured!! You might also be driving without being correctly licensed, the two offences together might get you up to 9 points on your licence.

Yes you can get a trailer down rated or as people often refer to it replated (to a smaller weight), and then you might be able to tow it with a smaller vehicle.

No the person supervising you doesnt have to have done the B+E test but they do have to have the entitlement on licence (so passed pre 1997) or passed the B + E 3 + years ago and be over 21 - nor do they have to be an ADI (but think this is changing), yes you can use the motorway and yes you can tow a loaded trailer.

I am currently looking into upgrading my tow vehicle and it staggers me the amount of people that have suggested I use a vehicle that actually can legally tow my trailer. It should be stamped on a plate located somewhere on the vehicle.
 
YOU ARE PERFECTLY ENTITLED TO TOW A TRAILER ON A MOTORWAY WITH 'L' PLATES!!!

As you will already have B on your licence (otherwise you wouldn't be towing at all!), you have passed a test that allows you to drive on the motorway, with or without a trailer.
 
Maiko said:
YOU ARE PERFECTLY ENTITLED TO TOW A TRAILER ON A MOTORWAY WITH 'L' PLATES!!!

As you will already have B on your licence (otherwise you wouldn't be towing at all!), you have passed a test that allows you to drive on the motorway, with or without a trailer.
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so why do all the driving instructors around this area require you to swap with them to go down the motorway to the test centre? rather than letting you drive down the motorway you have to faf about swapping over?
 
Some of this information is very out of date.
Grandfather rights for towing supervisors no longer apply.

But it is up to you who you believe.

As for towing weights, I saw at least 3 vehicles on the A46 today which were towing horseboxes they should not have been.

Craig
 
abaddon_1974 just read your original post about the police officer who had the training......ask 10 different police officers and they will tell you 10 different things, all of which have HAD the training.... I know this, because I have done exactly that, I then explained it to them....
 
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