Had an argument with my TM tonight over whether or not I’m legally allowed to drive a tractor unit sans a trailer. Allow me to set the scene.
My rigid truck that I normally drive is in for service and since its a rental I take it top the rental depot which is only up the road. Now, the usual practice is to give me either a lift back to the yard or give me a van and I’ll drive myself back. This time, the lady who deals with vehicles asked me if I could take a tractor unit back instead to which I replied “Yes” because its a rigid vehicle without a trailer. Upon getting back to the yard I go up to see the office and tell them where I parked the unit in case someone needs to moved. My TM when hearing this flipped out, saying that I can’t drive a tractor unit without the 5th wheel being covered. According to him, if you have an uncovered 5th wheel then you need a Class 1 to drive it even without a trailer on. He even got on the phone to rental agency demanding to know why they sent me back in a unit instead of a van.
After some digging I found some threads here on TNET that confirmed I was correct but they are kinda old though. I’m still staggered that people still get this wrong. My TM has over 25 years of experience as a driver plus a considerate number of years experience as a TM yet he still believes that you have to have Class 1 to drive even the tractor units.
So if you haven’t got B1 on your licence you can’t drive a car with a tow bar fitted?
Your transport manager is a tool.
mick.mh2racing:
So if you haven’t got B1 on your licence you can’t drive a car with a tow bar fitted?
Your transport manager is a tool.
Erm - Licence group B1 is light vehicles and quadbikes…
mick.mh2racing:
So if you haven’t got B1 on your licence you can’t drive a car with a tow bar fitted?
Your transport manager is a tool.
No Mick, you can because you can pull a trailer below 750kgs MGW on a B Licence
You can drive vehicles up to 3,500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) with up to 8 passenger seats (with a trailer up to 750kg).
You can also tow heavier trailers if the total MAM of the vehicle and trailer isn’t more than 3,500kg.
The 5th wheel needed locking up, covered and hidden from view 
Seriously, how do these people become TM’s?
Roymondo:
mick.mh2racing:
So if you haven’t got B1 on your licence you can’t drive a car with a tow bar fitted?
Your transport manager is a tool.
Erm - Licence group B1 is light vehicles and quadbikes…
I knew what he meant, B+E
Radar19:
My TM has over 25 years of experience as a driver plus a considerate number of years experience as a TM
All of which amounts to next to nothing if he hasn’t kept up with changes, which he obviously hasn’t.
tachograph:
Radar19:
My TM has over 25 years of experience as a driver plus a considerate number of years experience as a TM
All of which amounts to next to nothing if he hasn’t kept up with changes, which he obviously hasn’t.
10 seconds on google would link you to this
Large vehicles
Category C
You can drive vehicles over 3,500kg (with a trailer up to 750kg).
Category C+E
You can drive category C vehicles with a trailer over 750kg.
How can you misunderstand that?
SEDriver:
Roymondo:
mick.mh2racing:
So if you haven’t got B1 on your licence you can’t drive a car with a tow bar fitted?
Your transport manager is a tool.
Erm - Licence group B1 is light vehicles and quadbikes…
I knew what he meant, B+E
So did I - but he was calling someone a tool for getting their facts wrong…
Driver error I’m afraid,if you did your class one none of this would of happened.
About a month to go now Radar, you getting nervous?
Should have placed ya Lidl bag over it …Job sorted 
I would have thought that the TM was correct, it has always seemed an odd rule but I also believed (up until reading this thread) that you could not drive a tractor unless the fifth wheel was removed. I have never had a class 2 or 3 licience (you could just do class 1 straight off when I was 21) so it has never been relevant to me. But I have always believed that as a rule.
So did this used to be a law that has now changed, or has it all been some sort of silly story that only ejits like me believed?
Bluey Circles:
I would have thought that the TM was correct, it has always seemed an odd rule but I also believed (up until reading this thread) that you could not drive a tractor unless the fifth wheel was removed. I have never had a class 2 or 3 licience (you could just do class 1 straight off when I was 21) so it has never been relevant to me. But I have always believed that as a rule.
So did this used to be a law that has now changed, or has it all been some sort of silly story that only ejits like me believed?
If you only had C ( class 2 ) then you could drive a tractor unit on that licence as long as 5th wheel was disabled ( covered up not able to use simple really ) not sure when it changed
So no your T M was sort of right he just like a few of us older drivers not kept up with some of the newer laws but they don’t concern us so we don’t need to know but he should have
A quick check of the plating certificate in the cab will show it’s a rigid vehicle, either an 18 ton 4x2 or 23 ton 6x2. The train weight is 44 ton, so no trailer, no need for a class 1
Nothing like a bit of MTMTM rubbish to keep you entertained on a Friday
Seriously, as you are aware you did nothing wrong, so just remember, on some of the regs you are ahead of a TM with 25years experience, imagine how good you’ll be when your ■■■■ grows next month? 
Bluey Circles:
I would have thought that the TM was correct, it has always seemed an odd rule but I also believed (up until reading this thread) that you could not drive a tractor unless the fifth wheel was removed. I have never had a class 2 or 3 licience (you could just do class 1 straight off when I was 21) so it has never been relevant to me. But I have always believed that as a rule.
So did this used to be a law that has now changed, or has it all been some sort of silly story that only ejits like me believed?
One part is that as a TM you really should keep up with the rule changes but on the flip side, how often does a Class 2 only driver ever need to drive a tractor unit?
Radar19:
Bluey Circles:
I would have thought that the TM was correct, it has always seemed an odd rule but I also believed (up until reading this thread) that you could not drive a tractor unless the fifth wheel was removed. I have never had a class 2 or 3 licience (you could just do class 1 straight off when I was 21) so it has never been relevant to me. But I have always believed that as a rule.
So did this used to be a law that has now changed, or has it all been some sort of silly story that only ejits like me believed?
One part is that as a TM you really should keep up with the rule changes but on the flip side, how often does a Class 2 only driver ever need to drive a tractor unit?
A class two only driver has uses. I used to take tractor units for service when i was class two, also we had one job where it was in a different area to base and i was sent to cover the driver, it was a rigid day cab so i drove that during the day and slept in a tractor unit at night that i had driven there in 
