Lorry question. Can I drive a 3.5t?

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Minifletcher

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Question is in the caption! I keep getting conflicting answers to this one...

I passed my driving test June 1998, can I drive a 3.5t laden weight lorry? I have tried searching the dvla website but it is not easy to find the info you need!

I want a little lorry as our access to our yard is really tight, you can get a 7.5t but I really dont fancy the squeeze!!
 
This is what i found on the Direct Gov website.

Motor vehicles with a MAM not exceeding 3500kg having not more than eight passenger seats with a trailer up to 750kg. Combinations of towing 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 B
17*

As cars, but with automatic transmission
B
17*

Combinations of vehicles consisting of a vehicle in category B and a trailer, where the combination does not come within category B B+E
17
 
Yes thats right. If you passed your test after 1/1/97 (I think) you can only drive a car, car and small garden trailer or lorry up to 3.5 ton. You are not allowed to drive a car and horse trailer, 7.5 ton lorry or anything any bigger without taking an extra test.

You can check what your entitlement currently is by looking on the back of your photocard licence and looking on this website: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022547

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks guys, I had looked at the entitlements and was quite confident but 2 people have strongly told me I can't drive anything horse carrying wise. Me thinks they just dont want me out and about....
 
Yes you can drive a 3.5 ton on a normal car licecnce BUT your problem depends on your age as many companies wont insure drivers under i think about 25.

Phone around and ask diff companies what their age limit is.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Yes thats right. If you passed your test after 1/1/97 (I think) you can only drive a car, car and small garden trailer or lorry up to 3.5 ton. You are not allowed to drive a car and horse trailer, 7.5 ton lorry or anything any bigger without taking an extra test.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont think thats strictly true with regards to the trailer. This area is so grey its a pain in the arse! I have extensively researched and also called the DVLA (who at first were usless). I was told that i *can* drive a car with horse trailer under very strict conditions, firstly the combined weight (car, trailer with all eqipment and horse etc) must not exceed 3.5tons. Secondly there has to be a certain weight ratio between the car and the laden trailer.... its all very confusing.

Luckily i have a nice SO who drives the trailer for me....
 
Ah that is good to know!
grin.gif
What sort of lorry is a 3.5 ton?
 
Shearwater have been good with me, I'm 23 and just bought a 7.5 tonne VW Man, the insurance for me on that and anyone over 25 is 241 per year, SEIB wanted 830 for the same!!
shocked.gif
3.5's are ok, but you struggle to even carry 1 big horse in it, unless you have no living, and they often go over-weight too when you put a horse (or two) in, also probs with the new rules regarding heights, you're now meant to have 2 1/2 foot above the horses withers or so I believe.

Would have thought a ford transit and some small renaults are the 3.5tonne ones.
 
Yes think so zigzag but unless it's already a horsebox conversion you'll need to raise the roof to accomadate the horse's part. I only went for the 7.5 tonne as less likely to go overweight (I wanted small living with luton) and I need to travel a 17hh wb and a 16hh tb and urchin def wouldn't fit, gem would ahve on a herringbone but I'd have needed a side ramp and with 2 ramps and a living I'd have been over weight. You need the unladen vehicle weight to be less than 2.5 tonnes max, leaving 600kg for your horse, 200kg for your 'bodies' and leaving 100kg in tack and oddities (inc fuel which weighs a fair bit)

Edited to say: you also have to consider how much weight you have over each axle (can't remember the rules) but with one horse and poss pony depending on all the above and unladen weight of vehicle you should be ok as you'd prob carry the horses forward facing with side ramp to take them off.
 
Yes you can drive a 3.5ton. I passed my test in 2005 and am 21 and drive a 3.5ton box. I had no probs insuring it, and carry a 16.2hh ISH gelding in it, it has a payload of approx a tonne which is plenty for one horse, upto 2 people, all my tack, equipment and water and diesel. However they are not the most stable of things, although my boy travels well in mine. However they are cheap to run (mine takes £40 of diesel and I did about 270miles on that, including a decent motorway drive) insurance was about £250 a year fully comp, and tax is the same as my peugeot!! However, you pay a premium to buy them as everyone seems to be after them at the mo. It took me 6mnths to find one which would take a big horse, had decent tack storage and wasnt ridiculously old for under 7.5k.
 
I have a 3.5t ford transit, I passed my test after 1999 and im ok to drive it. Also im 24 and insurance is peanuts.

Also I have a 16.3 IDxTB who fits in it fine.
 
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