What licence to drive Artic Tractor Unit
Discussion
I know that with imported US tractor units you can drive them on a normal pre 1997 drivers licence if they are plated to a MGVW of 7500kg, I think you have to have the most have the 5th wheel removed though for the SVA (or truck equivalent) and then re-fit it after as part of the load (non functioning part). Not sure if this would apply with registered UK/Euro tractor units though.
Other than that you could drive the unit only on a C1 I think.
Edit: Spelling.
Other than that you could drive the unit only on a C1 I think.
Edit: Spelling.
Edited by PanzerCommander on Tuesday 7th January 16:30
Find a 4x2 unit, most of them will be under 7500kg, my 6x2 space cab with extra equipment and 1000ltrs of fuel was 7600kgish last time I weighed it iirc.
Fairly certain you can still take the 5th wheel off and have it plated down, don't know anyone who has done it though (other than Eubank with the yank truck)
Is that how he did it? It was just a rumour that I heard he did it that way, just found out it was a Peterbuilt, looks more than 7500kg..
Fairly certain you can still take the 5th wheel off and have it plated down, don't know anyone who has done it though (other than Eubank with the yank truck)
Is that how he did it? It was just a rumour that I heard he did it that way, just found out it was a Peterbuilt, looks more than 7500kg..
Edited by s p a c e m a n on Tuesday 7th January 19:11
s p a c e m a n said:
Find a 4x2 unit, most of them will be under 7500kg, my 6x2 space cab with extra equipment and 1000ltrs of fuel was 7600kgish last time I weighed it iirc.
Fairly certain you can still take the 5th wheel off and have it plated down,
^^^THIS. If you cover the 5th wheel with a locking plate, you can drive it with a normal car licence assuming you passed before 1997. Providing the unit weighs less than 7.5tn, and most do.Fairly certain you can still take the 5th wheel off and have it plated down,
s p a c e m a n said:
Find a 4x2 unit, most of them will be under 7500kg, my 6x2 space cab with extra equipment and 1000ltrs of fuel was 7600kgish last time I weighed it iirc.
Fairly certain you can still take the 5th wheel off and have it plated down, don't know anyone who has done it though (other than Eubank with the yank truck)
Is that how he did it? It was just a rumour that I heard he did it that way, just found out it was a Peterbuilt, looks more than 7500kg..
Eubank has a Cat C if my memory serves me correctly, so could legitimately drive that still plated at 26 tonnes. I remember him overtaking me on the M6 once, at least I assume it was him, it was his truck, doing close on a Ton in lane 3 Fairly certain you can still take the 5th wheel off and have it plated down, don't know anyone who has done it though (other than Eubank with the yank truck)
Is that how he did it? It was just a rumour that I heard he did it that way, just found out it was a Peterbuilt, looks more than 7500kg..
Edited by s p a c e m a n on Tuesday 7th January 19:11
.Super Slo Mo said:
Not quite. You need to get it down-plated, otherwise it's an 18 tonner which requires a cat C.
Whether or not it has the tow hitch/5th wheel isn't relevant on its own, it's the plated weight that determines the licence you need.
Whether or not it has the tow hitch/5th wheel isn't relevant on its own, it's the plated weight that determines the licence you need.
there was a bloke at an american car show a couple of years ago that had done just that, it had the 5th wheel for show purposes but it was technically classed as part of the load on top of the unladen vehicle weight.It doesn't really matter what it is classed as, as a Cat C driver in any tractor unit, there's theoretically nothing to stop you hitching up a tri-axle trailer and driving it illegally. The consequences are dire if you get caught, and I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to risk their livelihood in this way.
What I'm trying to get at is that it doesn't matter if there's a tow hitch or 5th wheel in situ. If the truck is downplayed to 7.5 tonnes, then the driver is trusted not to be so brazen as to try and drag 30 odd tonnes of trailer around with it.
It's a bit like having a car that can do 150 mph. The speed limit is obviously less than this, so you take the risk of the consequences if you try and max it out.
What I'm trying to get at is that it doesn't matter if there's a tow hitch or 5th wheel in situ. If the truck is downplayed to 7.5 tonnes, then the driver is trusted not to be so brazen as to try and drag 30 odd tonnes of trailer around with it.
It's a bit like having a car that can do 150 mph. The speed limit is obviously less than this, so you take the risk of the consequences if you try and max it out.
The whole thing about removing or covering the fifth wheel is a complete myth. The licence categories you need are completely dependent on the gross weight. If the tractor unit has a gross weight (NOT GROSS TRAIN WEIGHT) of 7500kg or less then you can drive it on category C1, if you passed your car test before 1997 then you have this already, if you passed after 1997 then it requires an extra test.
There is absolutely no reason why you would need to cover or remove the fifth wheel, after all anybody can drive a car with a tow bar yet the amount you can tow is dependent on what categories are on your licence.
There is absolutely no reason why you would need to cover or remove the fifth wheel, after all anybody can drive a car with a tow bar yet the amount you can tow is dependent on what categories are on your licence.
s p a c e m a n said:
I agree, but I think that the reason for removing the 5th wheel is to lose a couple hundred kg of weight because as said you can't use it. What is the mam on one of those licences though, if you stuck a drawbar/tow hook on it what could you drag up to?
Plated GVW and licenceB = no more than 3.5 tonnes
LGV C1 = 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes
LGV C = over 7.5 tonnes
If the artic unit actually weighs 7.4 tonnes but the plated GVW is more than 7.5 tonnes = C
The very old reason for removing the fifth wheel was because the old HGV licence system stated that a driver must have HGV class 1 to use any part of an artic
The current LGV system is different and which is why HGV should never be used these days
TwigtheWonderkid said:
^^^THIS. If you cover the 5th wheel with a locking plate, you can drive it with a normal car licence assuming you passed before 1997. Providing the unit weighs less than 7.5tn, and most do.
You dont have to cover the coupling - this is a myth, albeit one which is repeated by people who should know better.I have a Class C entitlement and I can drive any articulated tractor unit as it is, I simply cant add a trailer and this applies across the board.
People who dont hold a vocational licence will have to have their former HGVs down-plated to 7,500 kilos of course, but they can leave the coupling as it is.
R0G said:
Plated GVW and licence
B = no more than 3.5 tonnes
LGV C1 = 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes
LGV C = over 7.5 tonnes
If the artic unit actually weighs 7.4 tonnes but the plated GVW is more than 7.5 tonnes = C
The very old reason for removing the fifth wheel was because the old HGV licence system stated that a driver must have HGV class 1 to use any part of an artic
The current LGV system is different and which is why HGV should never be used these days
Can you still have a GTW of 8.25 tonnes on a C1 licence? B = no more than 3.5 tonnes
LGV C1 = 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes
LGV C = over 7.5 tonnes
If the artic unit actually weighs 7.4 tonnes but the plated GVW is more than 7.5 tonnes = C
The very old reason for removing the fifth wheel was because the old HGV licence system stated that a driver must have HGV class 1 to use any part of an artic
The current LGV system is different and which is why HGV should never be used these days
And in the same vein, theoretically tow a 750 kg trailer on a cat C licence?
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