theflyingdustman:
Thank you ROG. Do you know where exactly I can find this info please so I can print it and keep for myself but show the planners and TM when needed please ?
Many thanks
Would someone with an old class 2 with the 102 restriction ie drawbar trailors only,be able to hook up to a broken down artic and tow away,seems crackers if they can,but cant drive the artic combination on its own,but ok with a longer combiniation of the artic getting towed by say an 8 wheel wwrecker?
The licencing categories are broken down very simply :
C - Vehicle over 3,500kg MAM carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg
CE - Vehicle over 3,500kg MAM carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer over 750kg
Is a car on a second vehicle lift a trailer? I would say so. If it looks like a trailer, tows like a trailer, behaves like a trailer, it’s probably a trailer.
Take it from someone that has the experience of magistrates ordering large sums of money to be paid for “Driving out of category”
As well as you licence entitlement you also have to consider what type of trailer it is under the circumstances in which you are towing, spec lift, if it is over 750ks it needs to be braked unless it is considered unserviceable, broken down, you can’t just tow a perfectly good car/ vehicle over 750kg without the towing vehicle being able to operate the brakes of the trailer, towed vehicle,
If the job’s hauling insurance salvage to Copart auctions, or something like that, regardless of what anyone’s saying on here it’s the norm to drag an extra one back on the spec lift and most drivers won’t have C+E.
The argument comes down to if it’s a trailer or not but if it’s a normal saloon and you got the engine end on the spec lift it’s unlikely to have more than 750kg unbraked mass trailing and I guess they’d argue the vehicle is being recovered. Either way it’s the norm in the industry and they still build the trucks with spec lifts so presumably DVSA have never shown much interest.
Only you can decide if you’re happy with it but don’t expect anything to change you’ll just be told to jog on and they’ll get someone else.
The exemption is for recovery vehicles, but that’s only carrying 2 cars, if you’ve more than 2 cars on I don’t see how you could then claim the recovery exemption
Own Account Driver:
If the job’s hauling insurance salvage to Copart auctions, or something like that, regardless of what anyone’s saying on here it’s the norm to drag an extra one back on the spec lift and most drivers won’t have C+E.
The argument comes down to if it’s a trailer or not but if it’s a normal saloon and you got the engine end on the spec lift it’s unlikely to have more than 750kg unbraked mass trailing and I guess they’d argue the vehicle is being recovered. Either way it’s the norm in the industry and they still build the trucks with spec lifts so presumably DVSA have never shown much interest.
Only you can decide if you’re happy with it but don’t expect anything to change you’ll just be told to jog on and they’ll get someone else.
Recovery is one thing but taking to auction is not recovery so illegal with only LGV C
Own Account Driver:
If the job’s hauling insurance salvage to Copart auctions, or something like that, regardless of what anyone’s saying on here it’s the norm to drag an extra one back on the spec lift and most drivers won’t have C+E.
The argument comes down to if it’s a trailer or not but if it’s a normal saloon and you got the engine end on the spec lift it’s unlikely to have more than 750kg unbraked mass trailing and I guess they’d argue the vehicle is being recovered. Either way it’s the norm in the industry and they still build the trucks with spec lifts so presumably DVSA have never shown much interest.
Only you can decide if you’re happy with it but don’t expect anything to change you’ll just be told to jog on and they’ll get someone else.
Recovery is one thing but taking to auction is not recovery so illegal with only LGV C
It’s not really a licence category issue though is it if they are treating the whole mass of the car as that of a drawbar trailer.
We’re next door to a salvage auction and dozens of wagons go in all day with cars on the spec lifts. Mostly 26 or 18 tonner double decks.
If you are worried, you could just book in for a C1+E course and test. They are reasonable priced and quite quick to do. I think it may also upgrade you to a B+E once you have passed as well which is always handy to have for caravanning etc. You could try claiming the cost back from your employer too
Own Account Driver:
If the job’s hauling insurance salvage to Copart auctions, or something like that, regardless of what anyone’s saying on here it’s the norm to drag an extra one back on the spec lift and most drivers won’t have C+E.
The argument comes down to if it’s a trailer or not but if it’s a normal saloon and you got the engine end on the spec lift it’s unlikely to have more than 750kg unbraked mass trailing and I guess they’d argue the vehicle is being recovered. Either way it’s the norm in the industry and they still build the trucks with spec lifts so presumably DVSA have never shown much interest.
Only you can decide if you’re happy with it but don’t expect anything to change you’ll just be told to jog on and they’ll get someone else.
Recovery is one thing but taking to auction is not recovery so illegal with only LGV C
It’s not really a licence category issue though is it if they are treating the whole mass of the car as that of a drawbar trailer.
We’re next door to a salvage auction and dozens of wagons go in all day with cars on the spec lifts. Mostly 26 or 18 tonner double decks.
It says a car on the spec is classed as a trailer and we know that trailers with a gross over 750kg needs to be braked, so unless you have a car that doesn’t have a gross over 750kg or it’s being recovered by a recovery vehicle, then you can’t use the spec legally
MarvinA:
If you are worried, you could just book in for a C1+E course and test. They are reasonable priced and quite quick to do. I think it may also upgrade you to a B+E once you have passed as well which is always handy to have for caravanning etc. You could try claiming the cost back from your employer too
Need a C+E not C1+E to tow more than 750kg MAM with a C vehicle
And theflyingdustman seemed to have such simple question…
Ive no expertise in this. Can we summarize where we are? The OP is talking about car transport, not recovery*. A car on a spec carrier is a trailer. It is also still a motor vehicle so needs tax insurance & MoT. Its weight will (99%) be over 750kg.
So a C+E licence is needed.
As it`s a trailer of over 750kg it also must be braked.
*(If it was recovery only two vehicles can be carried anyway, not his case)
Although it may be that a lot of companies are doing this work, in this way, it may be that they are doing it illegally.
Thank you so much to everyone that replied. After all this I have been given a truck without a speclift fitted. But at least I now know, so once again, thank you all for your’e help and expertise.
