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?
even though I have a CPC and had my own truck I only became aware of that rule through, i think, Chris Eubank, I am sure he bought some enormous American tractor unit as his private transport to go to the super market etc - and he had to take the fifth wheel off so as he could dricve in on a class 2 or 3. other wise I would never of known
edit;
here he is with the fifth wheel disabled - in another article it says the truck only weight 7½ton, ? if that is right may be he is just on a car licience
We had one of these ‘I’ve been a driver for blah blah but then I became the TM blah blah’ types in ours the other week (now an agency bod who only works ‘for something to do’ occasionally) and refused to take the load as the trailer had an expired MOT ticket
+E on a licence is a trailer, tractor unit is classed as C so If you are a class C driver you can drive a class C unit as long as it aint attached to an E (trailer). Ring up the DVSLAHGFGSHNSJJKs or whatever they call themselves this week to be told what I said.
rob22888:
Could it not be for insurance reasons? The tractor units may be insured on the basis Class 1 drivers drive them?
I’m probably clutching at straws though.
No. Your are either hold a license for that class of vehicle or not, and are insured on that basis.
Without the +E it’s merely a C.
Actually, no, the detail in the insurance is entirely between the insured party and the insurer (without affecting third party rights). So it is feasible, if unlikely, that a restriction exists.
Any excuse to drive a section of a real lorry eh radar? Send a nice letter to Santa and he might give you a real licence then you can drive the whole box set without asking permission from trucknet
Once upon a time, (someone told me), we used to drive tractor-solo, as a private vehicle, to n fro the ferry. Tractor on private car tax, tacho discs marked “private use only”, and fifth wheel jaws closed with a seal thro dog clip hole and seal number marked on disc. Legal?? Well, never got fined, and we were checked enough. S`pose they were content with all the cash from other easier busts… Aye, back in the day…
bubsy06:
+E on a licence is a trailer, tractor unit is classed as C so If you are a class C driver you can drive a class C unit as long as it aint attached to an E (trailer). Ring up the DVSLAHGFGSHNSJJKs or whatever they call themselves this week to be told what I said.
Just what I was going to say, ring up or write to Swansea and get it from the horses mouth.
no-one has pointed out the fact that the driver was not stopped, pulled or involved in any accident…
so does it really matter what licence he has or hasn’t got. the world did not nearly end because of what he did or did not do
next you’ll be asking weather he needed a break on the way back from from the rental company…
nearly 2 years since i last drove a truck (with a class1) and don’t miss it one little bit…
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?
More often than you might think. I occasionally have to fetch one of our tractor units back from the Renault dealership, having dropped my 8-legger in for service.
Had a similar argument with our know-it-all “driver trainer” a few weeks back. As I pointed out to him, if he was right then I couldn’t legally drive a rigid that’s equipped to pull a drawbar trailer either. Had the satisfaction of seeing him overruled by our TM who’d done the right thing and consulted the rule book.
The old argument about disabling the fifth wheel is lost in the mists of time; effectively the rules, for once, are far simpler now than they were before, if it’s got a trailer you need “+E” on your licence. I might be wrong here; but I think it goes back to the days when trade-platers used to deliver tractor units on a car licence, before the fifth wheel was fitted.
Was there something, in the old red driving licences, about “motorcars” and “heavy motorcars” as distinct from HGVs? I`m very unsure about this, and just a n idle question about the past, not now.
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
It went along the lines of an accepted definition based on designed and constructed ‘for use as’.Not ‘being used as’.Although ironically a similar question could arise in the case of driving an empty class C rigid on a C1 or possibly a car licence because it’s not over 7.5 t.In which case I’d guess the above definition would apply regardless of whether it’s loaded or not.
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
It went along the lines of an accepted definition based on designed and constructed ‘for use as’.Not ‘being used as’.Although ironically a similar question could arise in the case of driving an empty class C rigid on a C1 or possibly a car licence because it’s not over 7.5 t.In which case I’d guess the above definition would apply regardless of whether it’s loaded or not.
No as my 18t weighs 9t empty and that’s from a weight bridge
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
It went along the lines of an accepted definition based on designed and constructed ‘for use as’.Not ‘being used as’.Although ironically a similar question could arise in the case of driving an empty class C rigid on a C1 or possibly a car licence because it’s not over 7.5 t.In which case I’d guess the above definition would apply regardless of whether it’s loaded or not.
You wouldn’t be able to drive a registered empty class 2, as laws are based on plated weights, not gross weight at the time, hence you can’t drive a 6x2 tractor unit solo across tower bridge. There may be an argument for a chassis cab without a body, on trade plates though
