trailer test rant

scrumpyjackles

scrumpyjackles

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just a little rant.....i understand them making it compulsary to take a trailer test but did they really need to make it soo bloomin expensive ??? i struggle to be able to keep/compete my horse (he has 5* treatment i dont neglect him) and im having to fork out about £1000 to do my test !!! by the time i have taken assesment/training/test/accompany to test/use of trailer !!! do you think they just think all horsey people are wealthy ?? im absolutely terrified im going to fail it and its going to cost me god knows how much to do it again :(:(:(
 
£1000! Thats ridiculous. Its just another tax, and at that sort of price, its obviously going to encourage non-compliance.

Do you have to take such expensive lessons? How much the various tests on their own?
 
OMG you're getting ripped off, we have a company up in Scotland, just outside Edinburgh that do the full thing for £523, that's a 3 day course (including the cost of the test at £115), they supply the trailer etc, at a £1000 it might be worth booking into a travel lodge for £29 a night and sitting it up here at hald the price.
http://www.cttstraining.co.uk/prices.php
I can sit the HGV test for less than that, again including the price of the test.
Have you checked to see if there is anywhere similar down closer, you could maybe contact CTTS and see if they can recommend a company.
Are you sure you need a meedical and theory test for a trailer, know you definetley need one for moving up to HGV?
 
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scrumpyjackles said:
just a little rant.....i understand them making it compulsary to take a trailer test but did they really need to make it soo bloomin expensive ??? i struggle to be able to keep/compete my horse (he has 5* treatment i dont neglect him) and im having to fork out about £1000 to do my test !!! by the time i have taken assesment/training/test/accompany to test/use of trailer !!! do you think they just think all horsey people are wealthy ?? im absolutely terrified im going to fail it and its going to cost me god knows how much to do it again :(:(:(
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I had private lessons for mine at £35ph inc use of trailer, landrover and obviously the instruction itself. The test itself was £115. When i took mine, there was a grant available to get 70% of 12 hours tuition paid for you - you had to work in agriculture/equine industry (i don't but my Gran is a farmer so managed to swing it) would that be worth looking in to? it saved me a lot of money. What do you do for work, could your employer contribute?

Sadly, it is expensive and while i too agree there should 100% be a test and minimum standard, the price is quite high. On the other hand, once you've got it you will never have to do it again unlike the HGV tests where you have to be re-assessed every few years i believe?
 
I think most people do it much cheaper than that, the test is only £115, so you can't really blame the government for the rest of it or refer to it as another tax!

eta I did a 3 day course and took mine for £540
 
That is a ridiculous amount, I had one 3hr lesson on the protocol of the test ie how to do things the right way and then passed on my first go. So about £200 in total for me. But I used my own truck and trailer for test.
:)
 
Naryafluffy said:
OMG you're getting ripped off, we have a company up in Scotland, just outside Edinburgh that do the full thing for £523, that's a 3 day course (including the cost of the test at £115), they supply the trailer etc, at a £1000 it might be worth booking into a travel lodge for £29 a night and sitting it up here at hald the price.
http://www.cttstraining.co.uk/prices.php
I can sit the HGV test for less than that, again including the price of the test.
Have you checked to see if there is anywhere similar down closer, you could maybe contact CTTS and see if they can recommend a company.
Are you sure you need a meedical and theory test for a trailer, know you definetley need one for moving up to HGV?
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Just checked Direct Gov and got this, so I don't think you need a medical (saves a little bit) The form D2 is available for those who want to get a new or updated photocard driving licence for lorries, minibuses or buses.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DG_10015999
I would need to get one when i finally get around to updating mine to a photocard licence.
 
It is very expensive and I failed mine twice!! Its ridiculous. My older brother missed the age thing so he can in theory take my horse straight out having never towed in his life, yet I (who had driven the trailer round the field a million times etc.) had to spend a fortune just for a bit of paper. I learnt absolutely nothing in the lessons / test, things like the reversing rubbish - well I have never ever had to reverse into a space, you only ever have to reverse round to get out occassionally which is easy. I also very rarely drive through cities (which is where my lessons and test was).
 
I think mine was money well spent,

I think it is ridiculous that people can tow trailers or caravans (we've had another accident down here with one of those again this morning!) with no training, my mother being a case in point but she did have the nonce (as not an amazing driver generally) to get herself a lesson morning anyway, she can reverse out of spaces at shows but don't ask her to reverse to let someone else through!

I love the fact that I am confident to reverse our trailer anyway, back down any road. Most of our show centres have access down narrow lanes and you might often meet a trailer/lorry coming the other way so it is not obvious which one of you should back up, though it is often just the one that can!
 
Sorry but i took my test with Private lessons, hire of the car and test and the test for £500.

TBH it depends on your driving. I had 3x 3hr sessions of £90.00 each hire of car and trailer was £96 i think and the test of £115. I passed first time on that.
 
You're probs better off doing your HGV. That cost about £1200 but then you can drive a trailer and anything 7.5t and over. Just if £1,000 is the cheapest you can find then just thinking for furture reference if you want a lorry then you won't have to fork out for another test :) kills two birds with one stone!
 
sounds like i might be being ripped off !!! its costing me £160 assesment lesson, £280 one days training, £120 test,£150 accompany to test/use of their trailer...plus vat on top of all of that, and thats if i pass first time :( sadly my company cant help as i work for a college and i dont with horses any more so cant get any help....
 
scrumpyjackles said:
sounds like i might be being ripped off !!! its costing me £160 assesment lesson, £280 one days training, £120 test,£150 accompany to test/use of their trailer...plus vat on top of all of that, and thats if i pass first time :( sadly my company cant help as i work for a college and i dont with horses any more so cant get any help....
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I failed mine the first time and re did it and it totaled £750. Its a bloody rip off the and driving instructors exploit is as far as I'm concerned. You have to do it in a manual car etc like the usual one, mine was automatic and you really need to use the tiddly box trailers because during the test when you couple, uncouple you can only get out and check once otherwise you fail so if its light and its really close you can move it an inch or so.

Its actually even more annoying that you use a box trailer because its nothing like a horse trailer. I also had my first test round the one way system in Reading during AM peak hour and then round both junctions 11 and 12 of the M4! I did everything fine but right near the end I saw the bus light in the lane next door go green and I went to take the hand brake off. That was my major and my failure. I hadn't even moved. When I had a go at the end and said everything else was fine and that it, some unrelated to the trailer he calmly pointed at a post behind him which said 'examiners do not tolerate abuse'!!!! What a jobs worth! I re took it five days later in Guildford and passed..

Ha - you just bought on a rant.. so yes I feel your pain but we've all been there! All I'd say is think about where your test will be. As in - the reading test centre was all around the busy town centre yet the Guildford test centre had lovely rural routes!! Def worth considering!! Good luck xx
 
scrumpyjackles said:
just a little rant.....i understand them making it compulsary to take a trailer test but did they really need to make it soo bloomin expensive ??? i struggle to be able to keep/compete my horse (he has 5* treatment i dont neglect him) and im having to fork out about £1000 to do my test !!! by the time i have taken assesment/training/test/accompany to test/use of trailer !!! do you think they just think all horsey people are wealthy ?? im absolutely terrified im going to fail it and its going to cost me god knows how much to do it again :(:(:(
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your being abit ripped off there! i think you need to shop around. Im the same as ester (same area) I did 3 days tuiton and the test on the 3rd day and that included use of the vehicle and trailer for £540. It gets expensive if you dont pass first time so just make sure you get it right ;-)
 
Did anyone sitting the trailer test require a medical form completed by the doctor?
I passed my test in 1995 so I'm not required to take the test, but when I update my paper licence to a photocard licence I need to send in a medical form if I want to keep the categories, and if I want to get my HGV licence I also need it, trying to hold off and just get 1 form done but not sure if that will work!!!
 
gosh that is expensive, most expensive quote i was given was for £500 plus test of £115, I actually went with an examiner who did a run through of the test in the morning and straight onto my test, cost me £265 in total inc test fee and use of their vehicle and trailer, though i was already confident of reversing a trailer etc! Watch that they don't take you for a ride though, the company who quoted me £500 did an assessment on me first and still said I needed 3 days training with them before the test!!! Yet I did it in one morning and only got 2 minors!!! I know they were just trying to drag it out to get the most money out of me, so watch out for this!
 
For anyone who is in Scotland (sorry not sure about rest of UK) you can get help to pay for trailer test/training through ILA

http://www.ilascotland.org.uk/ILA+Homepage.htm

My friend did and I think she got £200 towards it.

I did my test the year after I passed my driving test, did 3 days training (in their pick up and trailer) and the test (passed 1st time) and it cost me £300 approx. I did mine through http://www.jimmairdrivertraining.com his website is really good as well and I know about 6/7 people who did their training and test with him and they all passed 1st time.

The examiner I had was good, I was driving with one hand on wheel, and I said "oh dear, have I failed now?" and he said "no, I assess how you drive with the trailer, this is not a driving test, if you drive safely with one hand then that is fine."
 
premiersporthorsesuk said:
You're probs better off doing your HGV. That cost about £1200 but then you can drive a trailer and anything 7.5t and over. Just if £1,000 is the cheapest you can find then just thinking for furture reference if you want a lorry then you won't have to fork out for another test :) kills two birds with one stone!
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This is completely wrong! You cannot tow a trailer (except the one which you can do anyway on your car licence) with your Class C test.
 
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