Just idle curiosity really.
Passed a unit being driven without a trailer on today.
Just wondered if you can drive an Artic unit on a Class C licence providing it isnt towing a trailer? It would just be a rigid vehicle then wouldnt it?
Ok there are limited circumstances where there would be any point doing it.
dennisw1:
Just idle curiosity really.Passed a unit being driven without a trailer on today.
Just wondered if you can drive an Artic unit on a Class C licence providing it isnt towing a trailer? It would just be a rigid vehicle then wouldnt it?
Ok there are limited circumstances where there would be any point doing it.
Don’t know about that but when I worked for a certain Kentish haulier some years ago he split his tractor fleet in two. Half, on European work only, were taxed at £80 the then going rate for a car, and all our trailers were dragged down to Dover (and back) for us by the other half.
Thus it appears that for road tax purposes in the 80s it was legal in the UK, but I doubt if it was over the water.
Salut, David.
Yes, you can drive a solo tractor unit on a class C. I believe there used to be a requirement to remove the fifth wheel, this is no longer the case. You cannot take you’re class C test in a solo tractor unit though (not that you were likely to)
IIRC if you remove the 5th wheel then you can drive a unit on a car licence, not sure about with the 5th wheel attached though, I suppose by rights you only need a C licence to drive it.
smcaul:
IIRC if you remove the 5th wheel then you can drive a unit on a car licence,
…so long as you passed your car test prior to Jan 97. At this date, a cat B licence would no longer cover you up to 7.5t; that would require a cat C1 although there was ‘grandfather rights’.
Of course, the unit has got to weigh less than 7.5t!!
you could drive a light wiehgt 4x2 unit eg daf 75 on a 7.5 tonne licence as long as there was no fith wheel fitted unless things have changed again
I emailed the DVLA about this some time ago…I’ll let you know the answer when they let me know. 
Andyroo:
I emailed the DVLA about this some time ago…I’ll let you know the answer when they let me know.
I refered to some information from the FTA in my above reply so am confident it’s correct.
mrpj:
Andyroo:
I emailed the DVLA about this some time ago…I’ll let you know the answer when they let me know.I refered to some information from the FTA in my above reply so am confident it’s correct.
I’m pretty certain too, but I wanted them to confirm it at the time…the useless buggers. 
So why did that gay boxer bloke have to do his HGV to drive that Yank truck round Brighton
Wheel Nut:
So why did that gay boxer bloke have to do his HGV to drive that Yank truck round Brighton
I thought he was driving it on his car licence (?), if not it must have been because it was over 7.5 tonnes.
I have a Class 1 & use to do a lot of work for a rental / lease company.
And I know for 100% certainty that a tractor unit CAN be driven on a rigid licence.
It is no differnt to any other rigid set up to pull a trailer, it’s only when the trailer is attached that it becomes a +E.
If you have a car driving licence which entitles you to drive a 7.5 tonner and the artic unit weighs less than 7.5 tonnes why, as some people claim in the above link, would you need to remove the fifth wheel?
Because if you don’t it’s classed as a 17 tonner as it’s a Class 1 tractor unit designed to tow a trailer at the full plated weight.
But with the 5th wheel removed it’s no longer a class 1 tractor unit so it’s as per the weight of the vehicle & thats under 7.5 tons & thus can be taxed & registered as such & driven on a car (D1) licence.
So with a 5th wheel it also cannot be driven through a 7.5 ton restriction, but without the 5th wheel it can.
daxi:
driven on a car (D1) licence.
But D1 is “PCVs with less than 16 passenger seats (subcategory D1 (not for hire or reward))” 
Car is cat B; vehicle up to 7.5t is cat C1.
I think the removal of the 5th wheel is for tax reasons mainly.
i have drove solo units for two years for rental firm only had class c . they are not articulated without trailer so come under the class 2 rigid licence
Because a truck weighs less than 7.5 tonne, do not assume it can be driven without a licence or through a weight limit.
A 7.5 tonne truck is a truck with a design and more importantly plated weight of 7.5GVW Gross Vehicle Weight, normally signified by 6 stud wheel hubs.
Some restrictions show a weight with an axle on it, this will signify that any truck can pass the sign providing no axle weighs more than the posted limit
Yep, the driving school motor i drove the other week weighed about 6 ton empty. Still an HGV though, think it was about 12t MGW.
Hence they changed the terminology from ‘heavy’ goods vehicle to ‘large’ good vehicle