Am I right in thinking its ok to drive a solo tractor unit on a class 2 licience?
Yes, why wouldn’t it be? A Class C licence entitles you to drive a rigid goods vehicle and what’s a solo tractor unit if it isn’t a rigid goods vehicle?
This topic has been covered at length a couple of times in the past, a search of the forums may turn up the thread.
BTW, contrary to popular belief there is no need for any modifications to the 5th wheel, or any other part of the vehicle, before you drive it on a Class C.
I thought it was down to what the vehicle’s maximum plated weights were so if the fifth wheel is attached then i would of said no you can’t. Because if that was true you could drive a 18 tonner empty that was under 7.5 tonne unladen and you can’t, but you could drive a 18 tonne chassis cab that had a unladen weight of 7.5 tonne because without the body you can’t carry any more than the weight of the vehicle. I could be wrong but that is what i have always read it.
podge:
I thought it was down to what the vehicle’s maximum plated weights were so if the fifth wheel is attached then i would of said no you can’t. .
It wouldn’t make any difference as a cat. C licence makes no mention of weight.
podge:
I thought it was down to what the vehicle’s maximum plated weights were
There aren’t maximum weights attached to the class C and C+E licences, One allows you to drive a goods vehicle (C) and the other allows you to drive a goods vehicle towing a trailer. (C+E) The plated weight of a tractor unit is usually around the 18 - 22 tonne mark, depending on number of axles, which is well within the old Class 2 limits anyway.
podge:
if the fifth wheel is attached then i would of said no you can’t.
Going by that reckoning you wouldn’t be able to drive a rigid vehicle fitted with a draw bar hitch under a Class C licence then. No one, quite rightly, ever questions whether that is illegal. It’s only the solo tractor unit that people get confused by.
podge:
Because if that was true you could drive a 18 tonner empty that was under 7.5 tonne unladen and you can’t,
To drive a vehicle which has a maximum authorised mass (MAM) exceeding 3.5 tonnes, but not 7.5 tonnes then a category C1 licence is needed, If the MAM exceeds 7.5 tonnes then a category C licence is needed, so the 18 tonner has a MAM of 18 tonnes and you need a class C whether it is empty or loaded.
THE LAW IS:-
If the tractor unit has a USABLE fifth wheel plate then it can only be driven by a “C+E”
If the tractor unit has an UNUSABLE OR NO fifth wheel plate then it can be driven on a “C”
ROG
LGV instructor 2005
Think it comes down to the road tax’s regs, due to it being capable of carring 38-44t you need the C&E licence,
The only reason i say this was a few years back a guy i knew got done running over a 17.5t weight restricted bridge despite being empty and only weighing 15t (aprox) BUT because his gross was 44t , thats how the charged him ! 
Fallmonk:
Think it comes down to the road tax’s regs, due to it being capable of carring 38-44t you need the C&E licence,
The only reason i say this was a few years back a guy i knew got done running over a 17.5t weight restricted bridge despite being empty and only weighing 15t (aprox) BUT because his gross was 44t , thats how the charged him !
Pity all the bridges are not like Tower bridge where you are restricted on ACTUAL weight at the time of crossing it. After all an artic with 6 axles weighing 17 tonnes will spead the load better than a 2 axle rigid weighing 17 tonnes.
ROG:
THE LAW IS:-
No it isn’t, your making that up. 
ROG:
If the tractor unit has a USABLE fifth wheel plate then it can only be driven by a “C+E”
If the tractor unit has an UNUSABLE OR NO fifth wheel plate then it can be driven on a “C”
The 5th wheel thing is nothing to do with whether it can be driven on a Class C or not. The 5th wheel being removed makes it an incomplete motor vehicle and is for a whole differnt set of rules.
So ROG, you must be saying that if a rigid vehicle is fitted with a draw bar hitch you need a C+E to drive it?
ROG:
ROG
LGV instructor 2005
I really would have thought that an LGV instructor would know better than that. Would make me wonder if you are best qualified to be teaching when you don’t know something as basic as which licence is required for which vehicle. 
ROG:
THE LAW IS:-
If the tractor unit has a USABLE fifth wheel plate then it can only be driven by a “C+E”
If the tractor unit has an UNUSABLE OR NO fifth wheel plate then it can be driven on a “C”
ROG
LGV instructor 2005
can you give us a link to a webpage that shows that ?
( I’m going to enjoy this )
Cat C allows you to drive “Vehicles over 3500kg with a trailer up to 750kg”
it’s been done before trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16562
ROG:
THE LAW IS:-
If the tractor unit has a USABLE fifth wheel plate then it can only be driven by a “C+E”
If the tractor unit has an UNUSABLE OR NO fifth wheel plate then it can be driven on a “C”
ROG
LGV instructor 2005
What a load of slurry …I was trade plating when i only had my class 2 and 80% of the work was driving artic units up and down the uk
Why would anyone make that tosh up especially an lgv instructor■■?
Fallmonk:
Think it comes down to the road tax’s regs, due to it being capable of carring 38-44t you need the C&E licence,
A solo tractor unit Would be grossly overloaded at 38 - 44 tonnes, that would be the train weight.
Fallmonk:
The only reason i say this was a few years back a guy i knew got done running over a 17.5t weight restricted bridge despite being empty and only weighing 15t (aprox) BUT because his gross was 44t , thats how the charged him !
Because he had a trailer on. Even solo it would be likely that his gross would have been at least 18 tonnes and if the weight limit was gross weight then either way he would have been over the limit.
This really is a simple issue, it is nothing to do with road tax, 5th wheels or anything else. It is simply down to a goods vehicle and a goods vehicle towing a trailer and which class of licence is needed for each of those things
Goods Vehicle = Class C
Goods Vehicle towing a trailer = Class C+E
That’s it, nothing more complicated than that and a solo tractor unit isn’t towing a trailer so you don’t need to be Einstein to work out which licence is needed.
The people who bang on about 5th wheels and whether they are fitted or working etc. being relevant are living in the past and really need to update their knowledge.
Denis F:
( I’m going to enjoy this )
Me too, and him an instructor and an advanced motorist.
ROG needs to contact Cheshire Police and tell them
THE LAW IS:-
Mind you while he is there he could point out the real errors in that section.
From their website
Goods vehicles - What are the rules?
Driving Licence CategoriesCATEGORY B
Maximum authorised mass [MAM] not exceeding 3.5 tonnes.
Can draw a trailer of up to 750 kg MAM. Minimum Age 17yrs
CATEGORY B + E
MAM not exceeding 3.5 tonnes drawing a trailer exceeding 750 kg MAM. Minimum Age 18yrs
CATEGORY C1
Goods vehicles exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 7.5 tonnes MAM.
Can draw a trailer of up to 750 kg MAM. Minimum Age 18yrs
CATEGORY C1 + E
Goods vehicles in Category C1 drawing a trailer exceeding 750 kg MAM, but with a combination weight not exceeding 12 tonnes MAM. Minimum Age 21yrs
CATEGORY C
Goods vehicles exceeding 3.5 tonnes MAM.
Can draw a trailer of up to 750 kg MAM. Covers all rigid vehicles.
Also tractor units with no semi-trailer attached. Minimum Age 21yrs
CATEGORY C + E
Goods vehicles in Category C drawing a trailer exceeding 750 kg MAM.
Wagon & Drag combinations are classed as C + E Restricted.
Articulated vehicles are classed as C + E Unrestricted. Minimum Age 21yrs
If he needs to verify this information did come from a police website he can find it here Cheshire Police
I did sort of predict in my first post that someone would be along claiming that the 5th wheel was relevant. 
This thread reminds me of ExCop 
Remember him, wonder what happened to him, maybe he became an instructor.
Tramper:
:shock: This thread reminds me of ExCop
I Think I remember him. Just another victim.
After reading all other replies and the thread from a while back, it appears i was mis informed. It is true you learn something new every day and stand corrected thanks for the info.
As i said about ROG “full of it”, a legend in his own mind.
Coffeeholic:
I did sort of predict in my first post that someone would be along claiming that the 5th wheel was relevant.
The fifth wheel argument is only relevant to driving a tractor unit on a car licence, if I am not mistaken.
when i was at taylors of martley on the mg rover contract we had days when we had no work due to track not running i use to drive the units down to another taylors contract to clean them with jet wash. i only had class 2 licence the supervisor thought i couldnt drive them cause of the fith wheel…taylors checked with think was vosa or rha one of the two any way they told them on class 2 you can drive them
so there you go you can 100 percent drive them
The information on the law regarding the driving of tractor units came directly from the Leicestershire police force traffic commercial section.
With a gross tactor weight unit of 6.8 tonnes and NO USABLE fifth wheel plate it can be driven on a C1 (7.5 tonne) licence.
If still in doubt, try asking this question on the TRAFFIC ANSWERS site.