Government considering doing away with trailer test

[TPO]

All the young(er) "influencers" are losing their heads, and doing mine in, freaking out about this.

The towing world managed just fine pre 97. Lessons and training will still be available to anyone who wants or needs it; I dont think this was commonly available pre 97?

It's not like on the day that this comes into force everyone one from here to Kingdom come will be hitching up and setting out on a demolition derby!

 

[TheHairyOne]

You could always drive a horse around in a trailer without taking a test. Just had to be a lightish car and a lightweight trailer as ive been doing that. I can now get a tow bar put on my other halfs 4wd volkswagon rather than using an old freelander and be much, much safer.

So, so pleased about this change.

(And I know a fair few people who tow around without the required license anyway with 2 horse trailers and big 4×4's who have clearly been breaking the law)

 

[PapaverFollis]

All the young(er) "influencers" are losing their heads, and doing mine in, freaking out about this.

The towing world managed just fine pre 97. Lessons and training will still be available to anyone who wants or needs it; I dont think this was commonly available pre 97?

It's not like on the day that this comes into force everyone one from here to Kingdom come will be hitching up and setting out on a demolition derby!

Absolutely. Everyone over 41 who took a driving test promptly at 17 is already out there towing without training if they so desire. That's quite a lot of people.

 

[Kat]

Absolutely. Everyone over 41 who took a driving test promptly at 17 is already out there towing without training if they so desire. That's quite a lot of people.

Plus all the people towing a set up that is under the weight for B license only towing.

 

[Caol Ila]

I actually find this worrying. You have to take a test to drive a car but now you can drag a horse behind you without a test! Am I reading this right folks? Many don’t understand the weight/car stopping stuff. Crazy

For the hundredth time...... You could always, always, always drag a horse behind you without a trailer test. If you had a pre-1997 driving license, you could do it in any vehicle you wanted, and if you'd gotten your license after 1997, you could tow provided that the gross vehicle weight came in under 3500kg. This encouraged towing with small cars, at their weight limit, which is sketchier than towing with a big car.

 

[zaminda]

I'm glad for the changes, but it won't make any difference to the lorry driver crisis.
Frankly, until they understand people don't want to work 60 hour weeks staying away every night for often less money than you can earn in a warehouse or driving a van it won't change.
I drive a 7.5t for work, and earn more than a lot of the class 1 jobs are advertised at!
And that's without starting on the weekend work,unsociable hours and lack of facilities.
I would like to go back to less being open on a Sunday, and no deliveries which would improve the work life balance of many.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I'm glad for the changes, but it won't make any difference to the lorry driver crisis.
Frankly, until they understand people don't want to work 60 hour weeks staying away every night for often less money than you can earn in a warehouse or driving a van it won't change.
I drive a 7.5t for work, and earn more than a lot of the class 1 jobs are advertised at!
And that's without starting on the weekend work,unsociable hours and lack of facilities.
I would like to go back to less being open on a Sunday, and no deliveries which would improve the work life balance of many.

Idk. There are no deliveries and nothing really open here on Sundays (Germany). The lorries cannot drive on Sundays either (unless they have some special cargo), and it just ends up with packed rest stops over flowing with lorries that sit parked all weekend. Some have no/poor facilities. So being stuck in your truck on the weekend or Sunday doesn't sound fun.

 

[Abi90]

I’m just annoyed that I paid £600 for two tests (ended up in a bus Lane in Newcastle city centre) for no reason.

I didn’t have any lessons because I had already been towing on a B licence. I did all the trailer stuff perfectly. What a waste of money

I’m still a fan of people having lessons for an instructor to sign off. A lot of businesses are now practically defunct

 

[duckling]

I’m also gutted about the waste of money - passed my B+E a week ago and although I would have got some training before towing anyway, I would have saved the test fee and time off work.

I’d heard about the consultation before my test but it had been booked for months, so I couldn’t have cancelled it to see if the legislation would pass or I would have lost my money anyway.

 

[PSD]

So is it right that basically now I’m able to tow a horse trailer? I passed in 2016…Sorry for wanting it spelling out to me ? I just can’t seem to get my head around the fact I’m allowed to tow now

 

[ycbm]

I actually find this worrying. You have to take a test to drive a car but now you can drag a horse behind you without a test! Am I reading this right folks? Many don’t understand the weight/car stopping stuff. Crazy

I think the fact that you've got your horse behind you means people drive very cautiously to start with, I know I did. First with a trailer and then with a lorry.
.

 

[DabDab]

All the young(er) "influencers" are losing their heads, and doing mine in, freaking out about this.

Who are younger 'influencers'? On hho, Facebook, other social media, real life? What is younger? 40?, 35?, 17? And what are they doing to you to make you hear their opinions so much that it is doing your head in?

YOu don't have to answer, I'm not bothered. I'm just always marginally fascinated by statements like this on social media - it's a really nice, neat example of the formulaic call to people's tribal instincts that dominates a lot of social media conversation

 

[PapaverFollis]

I do feel bad for people who have passed the trailer test really recently.

But if you passed a while ago then you've been able to legally tow for the intervening time. It's just that the rate per day for that privilege turned out to be more expensive than you expected! I still think it's a bit of a tough break, usually being organised, proactive and brave pays off. Unfortunately it hasn't so much this time. Except for having the convenience of being able to tow already.

 

[TPO]

Who are younger 'influencers'? On hho, Facebook, other social media, real life? What is younger? 40?, 35?, 17? And what are they doing to you to make you hear their opinions so much that it is doing your head in?

YOu don't have to answer, I'm not bothered. I'm just always marginally fascinated by statements like this on social media - it's a really nice, neat example of the formulaic call to people's tribal instincts that dominates a lot of social media conversation

Younger in my case is 20s

I'm seeing them posting over Instagram

Some I follow because I have a tenuous link to them. Some I follow just for a horsey fix when scrolling because, well, because I like horses ??‍

Being an "influencer" seems to be the goal of many in every aspect of life. The horsey ones tag everything they own in every photo and enter every "brand ambassador" competitors going.

The successful ones are sent hundreds/thousands of pound worth of products to convince others that they need them to fit the aesthetic of a horse person.

Doing my head in as in they weren't/were barely alive pre 97 and are spreading fear with their rhetoric that everyone towing is going to be a danger in the road and accidents will increase.

I have "stories" muted on most of them because I just want to scroll horse pictures and not listen to what I consider to be daily attention seeking nonsense. Some I unmuted or intentionally followed particularly for their feed from the Blair courses.

While flicking through stories last night the younger (early 20s) all had plenty to say about the test being scraped. Partly probably to increase engagement (with question boxes to get reactions and responses) and make them more attractive to brands to get more free stuff.

People managed perfectly fine pre 97. As mentioned upthread there are plenty of people towing within the law without a test. All things that havent been consider by those that I saw kicking off about the carnage that will be on the roads post September.

I think I've answered all of your questions. Await your feedback about all that I'm doing wrong ?

 

[Abi90]

To be fair the roads were a lot quieter pre 97 so there was less stuff to hit.

Its also not just horse riders that will be towing their precious cargo and being super careful. I’ve nearly been swiped off the road twice by a caravan sailing onto my side of the road because the car towing it was going too fast.

There was obviously a reason that the test was introduced in the first place (other than to make money), it was stopped to allow more test spaces for lorries so “x amount of lessons signed off by an instructor” would have been a good way to go. A lot of people will lose those businesses off the back of this!

 

[TPO]

To be fair the roads were a lot quieter pre 97 so there was less stuff to hit.

Its also not just horse riders that will be towing their precious cargo and being super careful. I’ve nearly been swiped off the road twice by a caravan sailing onto my side of the road because the car towing it was going too fast.

There was obviously a reason that the test was introduced in the first place (other than to make money), it was stopped to allow more test spaces for lorries so “x amount of lessons signed off by an instructor” would have been a good way to go. A lot of people will lose those businesses off the back of this!

But some caravans could be towed legally without b+e post 97 anyway.

My friend had messaged me to ask for trainer recommendations as he was going to be towing a new caravan. I gave him a list of people that I knew who were recommended. When he phoned they were booked solid for tests but advised him that he didn't need one anyway for the weight he was towing (I've no idea about caravans). He waited and went for the training then did the test regardless but not everyone in his position would have.

Even pre 97 most people had a bit of a practice in safe place before heading out on the open road.

I'd imagine there are plenty of people towing illegally without any training just now. I certainly liveried alongside one such person

 

[PapaverFollis]

I'm pretty sure that mostly everything will carry on much as before. With a similar mix of good and sh*tty drivers on the road etc etc. I imagine many people who can now tow without a test will still be self-motivated to go and get a few lessons too.

I can understand if a person has sunk money into it that they will want to convince everyone that the test was utterly necessary and that this is travesty. But I don't think it is. Some of the businesses near me will benefit because they involve towing landscaping type equipment about and have a fairly swift turnover of young staff...

 

[Kat]

I'm pleased for all the people who have been towing safely and legally on a B licence and will now have more flexibility.

Like my friend who has been towing on L plates but hasn't had the time and money at the same time to get the test done. Now she doesn't have to find someone older to sit with her. She's perfectly safe I have been her designated old person frequently.

Or like the people currently only able to take one horse who will now be able to take two.

The people who will be able to change their small lightweight tow car for a more spacious and powerful one.

And I am pleased for the people who haven't towed so far who will now be able to without sinking several hundred quid into a test. For example my husband could now take our horse to the vet without me, or could drive home alone if I were injured at a show.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Even pre 97 most people had a bit of a practice in safe place before heading out on the open road.

I'll second that. It was even easier when I started towing in the early 80s as supermarkets were still closed all day Sundays. You could head out to the nearest available one with a huge empty car park and practise, practise, practise - which is what I did.

ETA supermarkets open on Sundays from 1994.

 

[milliepops]

To be fair the roads were a lot quieter pre 97 so there was less stuff to hit.

Its also not just horse riders that will be towing their precious cargo and being super careful. I’ve nearly been swiped off the road twice by a caravan sailing onto my side of the road because the car towing it was going too fast.

There was obviously a reason that the test was introduced in the first place (other than to make money), it was stopped to allow more test spaces for lorries so “x amount of lessons signed off by an instructor” would have been a good way to go. A lot of people will lose those businesses off the back of this!

this is my view too.
I wonder if the folk running trailer training/test prep companies had any more notice of this happening than we did. Feels like the consultation was only opened the other day?! it's not like you can just step sideways into CPC or HGV training where there may be more of a need.

 

[TPO]

From what I seen it's come as a shock to the trainers and they've lost all the pre booked test income.

The couple that I follow online also do lorry training and tests but no idea what the numbers would be of lorry vs trailer test income

 

[milliepops]

there's a few round here that only do trailers
what a blow that would be.
I'd expect the combined ones to see a drop in demand too because most people wanting a trailer license aren't going to suddenly want to drive an HGV for the sake of it!

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Mixed emotions. I feel for the trailer training companies and there are some nut jobs on the road.

but selfishly for me this is great. I am still going to pay for some lessons because I wouldn’t feel comfortable going out with no training. But does take the pressure of a test off!

 

[sherry90]

So is it right that basically now I’m able to tow a horse trailer? I passed in 2016…Sorry for wanting it spelling out to me ? I just can’t seem to get my head around the fact I’m allowed to tow now

Believe you have to have passed between 1997 and 2003 ??‍ but not sure if I’ve read that correctly.

 

[ROG]

Believe you have to have passed between 1997 and 2003 ??‍ but not sure if I’ve read that correctly.

1997 onwards - no end date

 

[lannerch]

Most vehicles that tow tow caravans most caravans are towed by drivers 50 plus previously exempt from the trailer test . So apart from the pockets of the examiners no longer being lined no much else on the roads is going to change .but I do feel for those that have just invested in passing their test .

 

[DabDab]

Younger in my case is 20s

I'm seeing them posting over Instagram

Some I follow because I have a tenuous link to them. Some I follow just for a horsey fix when scrolling because, well, because I like horses ??‍

Being an "influencer" seems to be the goal of many in every aspect of life. The horsey ones tag everything they own in every photo and enter every "brand ambassador" competitors going.

The successful ones are sent hundreds/thousands of pound worth of products to convince others that they need them to fit the aesthetic of a horse person.

Doing my head in as in they weren't/were barely alive pre 97 and are spreading fear with their rhetoric that everyone towing is going to be a danger in the road and accidents will increase.

I have "stories" muted on most of them because I just want to scroll horse pictures and not listen to what I consider to be daily attention seeking nonsense. Some I unmuted or intentionally followed particularly for their feed from the Blair courses.

While flicking through stories last night the younger (early 20s) all had plenty to say about the test being scraped. Partly probably to increase engagement (with question boxes to get reactions and responses) and make them more attractive to brands to get more free stuff.

People managed perfectly fine pre 97. As mentioned upthread there are plenty of people towing within the law without a test. All things that havent been consider by those that I saw kicking off about the carnage that will be on the roads post September.

I think I've answered all of your questions. Await your feedback about all that I'm doing wrong ?

See, now you've dissected the frog and it's dead ?

Your statement was almost perfect before, it had a bogeyman (influencers), perceived drama (losing their heads), an arbitrary us and them (young Vs old)...all it was missing was a call to action. And all in one sentence. The sort of thing that people write about and slick young marketers get over excited about.

Tbh it only stuck out because not really your usual style...you are usually delightfully wordy
Plus I had an urge to be a dick

In a nod to the subject of the thread (fyi much more dull than social media posting styles), I have contemplated whether the pre-97 argument also extends to lorries up to 7.5t or cars pre-35....people managed perfectly fine in those circumstances too maybe?


Definitely step away from those influencer accounts though

 

[TPO]

"Delightfully wordy"? That's a new one ??

A call to action ? hmm, 24yr old wannabe "influencers" should be banned from fear mongering about things that happened when they were literally a fetus. To have an opinion on how people towed pre 97 you need to have first hand experience of it. So off with their heads ? or at the very least one of those "information contained in these posts may not contain any correct facts" warnings on their posts ???

Frog is beyond dead now

 

[sherry90]

1997 onwards - no end date

Thank you - it was 2013 I read which related to a slight difference (before this more recent change).

 

[ROG]

Thank you - it was 2013 I read which related to a slight difference (before this more recent change).

That was when they reduced the max trailer trailer plated weight from anything to a max of 3500 but as a trailer over 3500 needs air brakes or similar then it was a bit of a non event