Drivers who want to be permitted to tow a caravan with their vehicle fall under Category B+E. You can drive your automobile and tow a trailer together weighing no more than 7 tonnes if you have a Category B+E driving licence (car and trailer combo).
For Whom B+E Licence is Required
Towing car and trailer combinations beyond a specific weight requires passing a supplementary driving exam, which must be completed by all drivers who took their driving test on or after January 1, 1997.
- Currently, the law permits drivers to operate automobiles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM (maximum authorised mass) with up to 8 passenger seats under a Category B licence.
- Your combined towing weight is limited to 7 tonnes if you have a B+E driver's licence. Keep in mind that the towing vehicle's MAM cannot be greater than the MAM of your trailer.
- To put it another way, the authorised loaded weight of the trailer cannot be greater than the authorised loaded weight of the vehicle carrying it.
- Therefore, the 7-ton maximum total weight is based on a 3.5-ton car towing a 3.5-ton trailer.
The Advantage of Having a CAT B+E Licence
There are several benefits to using Category B+E to pull a trailer with your vehicle, including the ability to haul horseboxes, caravans and other types of trailers.
In addition to having the ability to be detached and frequently requiring no additional insurance premiums or road tax, trailers offer many of the same benefits as vans, such as storage space.
Requirements of CAT B+E Licence
You need to have a valid Category B driving licence to take the B+E test. This entitlement is typically added to your licence automatically after you pass the Category B driving test, but you can double-check this by visiting the DVLA website.
To get a B+E licence, there is no need to take a theoretical test. The reason for this is that a driving entitlement's "+E" portion just indicates "and caravan over 750kg". Your existing Category B licence cannot be upgraded to a different category in order to add the capability to tow a caravan.
To be eligible to pull a trailer with a manual automobile or vehicle, you must take your B+E exam in a manual vehicle. Your B+E licence will only be valid for automatic cars if you currently hold a manual Category B licence and take the driving test in one.
The Exceptions of CAT B+E Licence
In some situations, holders of an active Category B licence are permitted to tow a caravan without first obtaining a B+E licence:
- If your caravan's maximum allowed mass (MAM) is 750 kg.
- If the combined MAM of the automobile and trailer is less than 3.5 tonnes, you are able to tow a trailer weighing more than 750 kg.
- A trailer with a maximum mass average of 750 kg can be hitched to a large vehicle or car with a maximum mass average of 3.5
- tonnes, resulting in a maximum combined weight of 4.25 tonnes MAM.
Also read: How to Qualify for HGV & ADR Driver Training in UK
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