As in title are they c or c+e im on about the big one that recover lorries and buses etc
You can do it on a C
There are several recovery drivers on here ( Coffeeholic son both drive them )
Might be worth putting this in the PDF ( Professional Drivers Forum )
thanks for the reply will i have to repost a new topic or can i move this one?
I know for certain that a flatbed over 3.5t requires a C1 and over 7.5t requires a C
However doesn’t a spec lift require CE?
sketchybob:
thanks for the reply will i have to repost a new topic or can i move this one?
Either make a new post or move this
animal:
sketchybob:
thanks for the reply will i have to repost a new topic or can i move this one?Either make a new post or move this
I’ve moved it to where I think it will get more views and opinions. 
animal:
You can do it on a CThere are several recovery drivers on here ( Coffeeholic son both drive them )
Might be worth putting this in the PDF ( Professional Drivers Forum )
Only the normal recovery can be done on a C, heavies are C+E, it should be C+E for a normal recovery if a vehicle is on the spec, but my boss used to tell me I was ok to do it on my C…
No idea if it was true or not.
sketchybob:
As in title are they c or c+e im on about the big one that recover lorries and buses etc
c to drive it, c+e to put anything with a gvw over 750kg on the spec / lift
stevie
All our heavy lads have class 1’s for driving the wreckers.
Some of the recovery lads with class 2’s drive the wreckers from time to time, but only for winching jobs (not loading them).
We have 2 lads with normal car licenses (7.5 ton limit) and only drive 6.5 ton tilt n slides for police work.
Everyone else has a class 1.
Obviously though, you’ll need a class 1 to drive a wrecker loaded. Wit an artic on the hook you’ll be 80-90 feet long, bend twice in the middle and 70 odd tons. Technically a locomotive.
dar1976:
However doesn’t a spec lift require CE?
For vehicle movements/deliveries/logistics yes, along with O license and tacho.
For the sole use of recovering a broken down (or accident damaged) vehicle to a place of safety, then no, can be driven on a rigid/car license, the vehicle is out of scope of the O license and can be operated off tacho within 100kms of its normal operating base.
I done a bit of seasonal work on recovery for a well known breakdown company (Alcoholics Anonymous) a few years back and they insisted on all drivers having their C+E. Never really understood why though as the biggest trailer we ever towed was a normal caravan or maybe a van on the spec lift. I reckoned it was because the recovery truck was plated at 12t and something heavy on the spec lift might have made it fall into C+E territory. But they must have had a good reason for insisting on C+E license whatever it was.
damoq:
I done a bit of seasonal work on recovery for a well known breakdown company (Alcoholics Anonymous) a few years back and they insisted on all drivers having their C+E. Never really understood why though as the biggest trailer we ever towed was a normal caravan or maybe a van on the spec lift. I reckoned it was because the recovery truck was plated at 12t and something heavy on the spec lift might have made it fall into C+E territory. But they must have had a good reason for insisting on C+E license whatever it was.
work the logic out on this then…someone who has an old class 2 or 3 now gets c e with the 102 restricting them to drawbars,so said person can get in his 8 wheeled ridged wrecker and hook a stricken artic on its back and off he goes happy as a sandboy but cant drive the artic alone which is obviously a shorter and less weighing conbination!!! crackers but true
damoq:
I done a bit of seasonal work on recovery for a well known breakdown company (Alcoholics Anonymous) a few years back and they insisted on all drivers having their C+E. Never really understood why though as the biggest trailer we ever towed was a normal caravan or maybe a van on the spec lift. I reckoned it was because the recovery truck was plated at 12t and something heavy on the spec lift might have made it fall into C+E territory. But they must have had a good reason for insisting on C+E license whatever it was.
you’ll be telling me someone wants you to have a c+e to go out in an artic next 
stevie
How can an artic on the hook be put in the same category as a draw bar?
The artic alone is… errr… articulated, once loaded on the wrecker it’s got a second point of articulation.
If people are driving a wrecker on a class 2 wag n drag license, with an artic on the hook, they’ll get hammered if they get caught.
cieranc:
How can an artic on the hook be put in the same category as a draw bar?The artic alone is… errr… articulated, once loaded on the wrecker it’s got a second point of articulation.
If people are driving a wrecker on a class 2 wag n drag license, with an artic on the hook, they’ll get hammered if they get caught.
its crazy but wrecker is C and the thing behind it is E, i didnt belive it till i looked in the FTA yearbook,am happy to be proved wrong tho as it does appear daft
cieranc:
How can an artic on the hook be put in the same category as a draw bar?The artic alone is… errr… articulated, once loaded on the wrecker it’s got a second point of articulation.
If people are driving a wrecker on a class 2 wag n drag license, with an artic on the hook, they’ll get hammered if they get caught.
Drivers of recovery trucks used solely for recovering disabled vehicles are subject to some exemptions meaning you can legally drive a wrecker with a 44t on the back on a cat C licence.
damoq:
cieranc:
How can an artic on the hook be put in the same category as a draw bar?The artic alone is… errr… articulated, once loaded on the wrecker it’s got a second point of articulation.
If people are driving a wrecker on a class 2 wag n drag license, with an artic on the hook, they’ll get hammered if they get caught.
Drivers of recovery trucks used solely for recovering disabled vehicles are subject to some exemptions meaning you can legally drive a wrecker with a 44t on the back on a cat C licence.
My boss when I was driving coaches reckoned you could pull a coach behind a wrecker on only a PCV licence.
There’s not a cat in hells chance we would let any of our lads drive a wrecker on a wag n drag license !!!
If an artic is ‘E’, why do you need a CE to drive one?
Must admit, I’m not up on wag n drag rules, but would have thought it a bit dubious if the wagon (wrecker) was 30 foot long, and the drag (artic) was 55 foot long.
One exemption for recovery drivers is that, if an artic is empty it can be classed as 1 trailer on the wrecker. But if its loaded it’s 2 trailers (locomotive).
Can anyone point me towards the rules about this (wrecker+artic on a cat C) 'cos there’s no heavy lads I know who drive on a cat C, all have class 1?
cieranc:
There’s not a cat in hells chance we would let any of our lads drive a wrecker on a wag n drag license !!!
If an artic is ‘E’, why do you need a CE to drive one?Must admit, I’m not up on wag n drag rules, but would have thought it a bit dubious if the wagon (wrecker) was 30 foot long, and the drag (artic) was 55 foot long.
One exemption for recovery drivers is that, if an artic is empty it can be classed as 1 trailer on the wrecker. But if its loaded it’s 2 trailers (locomotive).
Can anyone point me towards the rules about this (wrecker+artic on a cat C) 'cos there’s no heavy lads I know who drive on a cat C, all have class 1?
def cant drive it on a C alone as mentioned but C E with 102 is allowed, think there was a post on this a while back somewere
Category C1
Motor vehicles with a permissible maximum weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 7.5 tonnes, including such a vehicle drawing a trailer with a permissible maximum weight not exceeding 750kg.
Category C1 + E
Any combination of motor vehicle and trailer where (a) the tractor vehicle is in category C; (b) the permissible maximum weight of the trailer exceeds 750kg but not the unladen weight of the tractor vehicle, and (c) the permissible maximum weight of the combination does not exceed 12 tonnes. (In a licence issued before 1 January 1997, this category is restricted to a combination weight of 8.25 tonnes).
Category C
Any motor vehicle having a permissible maximum weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes, other than a vehicle in category D, F, G or H, including such a vehicle drawing a trailer with a permissible maximum weight not exceeding 750kg.
Category C + E
Combination of a motor vehicle and trailer where the tractor vehicle is in category C but the combination does not fall within that category.
Our Scammell weighs 30 ton empty. So I could drive that with a 44t artic on the hook, on a wag n drag license?
74 tons, 85 feet long, 2 points of articulation, loco rules (speed limits) on a waggon an draggon license?
I wouldn’t fancy my chances explaining this to the VOSA at a roadside tug 
mucker85:
My boss when I was driving coaches reckoned you could pull a coach behind a wrecker on only a PCV licence.
Ha ha, from a Dennis Dart to a 8 leg wrecker with a Van Hool on the hook ■■?
My boss told me that by law, I couldn’t take holidays unless I gave 3 months notice.