Spec-lift recovery vehicle and licence requirements

[mr rice]

Hi folks,

I'm looking to buy a recovery vehicle to add to my business but need to be sure of weights and what licence is required to drive one particular vehicle I'm currently looking at.

Here's an exact example of the vehicle I'm considering:


The plate:


I'm 28 and passed my car test in 2001. The entitlements shown on my photocard are A, B, B1 and fkp.

I've asked the usual suspects but as always, never a straight answer.

Any help much appreciated as always.

Robert

[TheEnd]

I think you are fine with driving it as it is, but not with actually using it.

Someone will be along to confirm, but I believe your license covers you up to a maximum "train" mass of 3500kgs, which means any car on the back is over the limit.

For that grade of license, you'd be allowed to tow anything behind a car up to a "train" mass of 3500kgs, and the towed vehicle would have to weigh less then the towing one.

[TheEnd]

better details-

However, if you passed your test after January 1, 1997 then these restrictions apply:

Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and no more than eight passenger seats (ie: officially dubbed Category B vehicles and are typical cars) with a 750kg trailer (4.25 tonnes total Maximum Authorised Mass or MAM).

Category B vehicles with larger trailers i.e. more than 750kg, provided that the combined Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and the gross MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle.

Vehicles over 3500kg MAM are classified as large goods vehicles.




So that means you can tow a 750kg trailer (which I assume would be the car in this case) or if you need to tow something heavier than 750kgs, you actually lose some of your allowance and the total has to be below 3500kgs.

[mr rice]

Thanks for that, i'll call my local police station tomorrow and see if I can get a clear answer. We really do have some tedious regulations here in the UK.

It really isn't clear, just found this http://www.recoveryuk.com/laws.html

[Panclan]

This sticky may answer the question http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[daz3210]

I'm not sure on what the rules are with that type of vehicle, but we once checked at work, and a disabled vehicle is not classed as a trailer.

Hence any car can be pulled with another suitable car since it is not called a trailer.

[Simon O]

Unless you have category C1E with code 107, you will require a class 1 licence to drive the above vehicle while towing.

[s2sol]

At the risk of looking like a complete pedantic bellend, the image of the vehicle you posted does not match the plate. The truck you posted is a 65C something, which would be plated for 6500 GVW, and would probably need an O licence and Tacho unless you're using it exclusively for the recovery of disabled vehicles from the roadside.

[Simon O]

Also, is the above plate the actual one for the vehicle shown?

The pictured vehicle looks like a 65 to me, not a 35 as it says on the plate. All of our Iveco daily speclifts were 65's.

[R0G]

Simon O said:

Unless you have category C1E with code 107, you will require a class 1 licence to drive the above vehicle while towing.

incorrect

That vehicle is plated at no more than 3500 so is a B category vehicle

Normally to tow more than 750 kgs would require a B+E licence BUT there may be an exemption for those recovering broken down vehicles

I have e-mailed DVLA and asked them if any exemption exists - I will copy and paste that reply when I get it

[Simon O]

Too slow !

[Simon O]

I'd be almost 100% the above vehicle will weigh in a fair bit more than 3500kg.

We had 7 daily spec lifts on our fleet, and none weighed in under 4000kg. We took our advice from a traffic officer that works for the commercial vehicle unit. Even he had to pull out his books and have a good read to come back to us with an answer.

Most major companies that operate any vehicle with a spec lift will require a class 1 licence to operate (AA, copart) as it covers all aspects.

[R0G]

Simon O said:

I'd be almost 100% the above vehicle will weigh in a fair bit more than 3500kg.

We had 7 daily spec lifts on our fleet, and none weighed in under 4000kg. We took our advice from a traffic officer that works for the commercial vehicle unit. Even he had to pull out his books and have a good read to come back to us with an answer.

Most major companies that operate any vehicle with a spec lift will require a class 1 licence to operate (AA, copart) as it covers all aspects.

You could well be correct but all I could go on was the info given by the OP

[daz3210]

Simon O said:

Most major companies that operate any vehicle with a spec lift will require a class 1 licence to operate (AA, copart) as it covers all aspects.

Does this hold true for a pre 1997 licence?

[R0G]

daz3210 said:

Does this hold true for a pre 1997 licence?

In what way?

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensi...
Guessing you mean a vehicle with a GVW of 6.5 tonnes then the C1+E on a pre 97 licence which is restricted to 8.25 tonnes will be fine as long as the total MAM weight of the set up does not exceed 8.25 tonnes

That means if the towing vehicle is plated at 6.5 tonnes GVW then the trailer cannot be plated at more than 1.75 tonnes MAM/GVW

[Simon O]

daz3210 said:

Does this hold true for a pre 1997 licence?

If you mean would you be able to get a job if you were a pre 1997 licence holder then no, you would require a class 1 licence.

[TheEnd]

daz3210 said:

I'm not sure on what the rules are with that type of vehicle, but we once checked at work, and a disabled vehicle is not classed as a trailer.

Hence any car can be pulled with another suitable car since it is not called a trailer.

I think that is covered at the bottom of the fax, saying you can tow other stuff if it is a hazard, and it just moves as far as is needed, and it isn't for "consideration" which I assume means job or payment.

[mr rice]

Thanks for all the replies I thimk I'm getting closer to an answer.

Regarding the pic and plate, the pic is just a visual example to let you see the equipment in question but it is identical. The plate is of the exact vehicle I'm looking to buy.

As far as im aware I can drive it on a car licence for breakdown recovery and it has also been mentioned to me that it becomes one train when attached to the spec lift and not classed as a trailer.

If I get a clear answer today I will post it here.

Thanks for the help guys, the more the merrier

[daz3210]

TheEnd said:

I think that is covered at the bottom of the fax, saying you can tow other stuff if it is a hazard, and it just moves as far as is needed, and it isn't for "consideration" which I assume means job or payment.

'Consideration' if I draw on the teachings of law back at school/uni means anything given in payment (not necessarily cash, but often so).

[R0G]

R0G said:

I have e-mailed DVLA and asked them if any exemption exists - I will copy and paste that reply when I get it

Here is the reply from DVLA....


Thank you for your email received on 29/2/12. Your email reference number is 862502.

There are certain recovery vehicles which are exempt from the normal driver licensing requirements, which apply to larger vehicles Regulation 51(1) (p) of The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 as amended. Regulation 7(4) of the above regulation as amended allows the holder of a full Great Britain, Northern Ireland, or EC/EEA category B entitlement to drive an exempted goods vehicle such as a recovery vehicle which is:

A vehicle fitted with apparatus designed for raising a disabled vehicle partly from the ground and for drawing a disabled vehicle when so raised (whether by partial superimposition or otherwise) being a vehicle which -

(i) is used solely for dealing with disabled vehicles;

(ii) is not used for the conveyance of any goods or load other than a disabled vehicle when so raised and water, fuel, accumulators and articles required for the operation of, or in connection with, such apparatus or otherwise for dealing with disabled vehicles; and

(iii) has an unladen weight not exceeding 3.05 tonnes;

A recovery vehicle may also fall within the exemption 51 (1) (q) which is :-

a passenger carrying vehicle recovery vehicle

Regulation 7(7) of The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 as amended allows the holder of full Great Britain, Northern Ireland or EC/EEA category B entitlement to drive a vehicle in category B+E where:-

(a) the trailer consists of a vehicle which is damaged or defective and is likely to represent a road safety hazard to other road users,

(b) the vehicle is driven only do far as is reasonably necessary in the circumstances to remove the hazard or obstruction, and

(c) he receives no consideration for driving the vehicle.

NB If the driver holds only automatic entitlement for category B then he may only drive vehicles in category B+E with automatic transmission.

Recovery vehicles which do not meet the above exemptions will be subject to normal driver licensing requirements and will require the licence holder to have the appropriate licence category.

Do not reply to this email. If you wish to contact us again about this response then please use our Reply Form or copy and paste the following URL in to your browser:

https://emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildvla/cegemail...

When filling in the form the email reference number 862502 will be required.

Regards
A Lewis
Customer Enquiries Group
DVLA