B+E Trailer Towing Training / Lessons

Driving licence: UK / GB groups and EU categories information

HGV / LGV / STGO information

Agricultural Vehicle Information

UK - England, Scotland & Wales

(Regulations in Northern Ireland may differ)

*For full regulations regarding use of vehicles on the road

please refer to the relevant legislation for details.

This information is not intended as a definitive statement of the law.
Independent legal advice should be obtained if necessary.

Most tractors mounted on wheels used in agriculture can be driven on the public highway by anyone who has passed a car driving test.*

A tractor is constructed to draw / pull trailers or appliances, has a hydraulic three point linkage and usually a PTO (power take off) shaft.

Agricultural Tractor (mounted on wheels) & Trailer (Cat.F){Cat.F does not have a +E sub category}

[ Cat.F is granted when a Cat.B test is passed ]

Cat. F does not cover other tractors, such as council tractors, golf course tractors, etc.

For driving licence purposes category f does not have a weight limit,

But beware there is a weight limit under construction and use regulations:

C&U: Maximum weight = 24 390 kg, So a loaded trailer with a 12000kg capacity,

unladen weight of 5900 kg towed by a tractor weighing 6500 kg

would be overweight for the public highway.*

Agricultural tractors for C+U and STGO purposes may be defined as

Motor Tractors (<7370kg) or Locomotives (>7370kg)

[1991 advice: The minimum age for driving an AMV / land locomotive over 7370kg unladen weight is 21 years.]

Agricultural motor vehicle maximum length = 12 metres

When towing 2 or more trailers maximum length of towing AMV reduces to 9.2 metres

Agricultural vehicle combination (one trailer) maximum length = 18.75 metres

Agricultural vehicle combination (two trailers) maximum length = 25.9 metres

Only one trailer may exceed 7 metres

A locomotive may tow three trailers - all trailers must be 7 metres or less

When towing 2 or more trailers they must be unladen

Agricultural vehicle combination maximum width = 2.55 metres

This may be exceeded providing conditions are complied with*.

2.55 - 3 m = 20 mph speed limit

3 - 3.5 m = 20 mph speed limit + police notification (24 hours before journey)

3.5 - 4.3 m = 12 mph speed limit + police notification (24 hours before journey) + escort required

If you only hold provisional entitlement to category f you may drive unaccompanied

as long as your tractor is not constructed or adapted to carry any passenger:

Tractors with passenger seats require provisonal licence holders to be accompanied

by a full licence holder who has held the category for 3 years and is at least 21 years old.

Most categories require a full licence to tow a trailer.

You may tow a trailer with a category f provisonal licence.

(At age 16, with a category f provisonal licience you may only drive on the road when

going to, taking or returning from the driving test.)

At 16 you are restricted to a maximum width of 8' (2.43m) and any trailer towed must be

either 2 wheeled or 4 wheeled close coupled type i.e. the axle centres are no more than 840mm (~32") apart.

Provisonal licence holders must display L-plates.

For driving tests in categories such as f,g,h the DSA examiner will meet you at a convinent place,

you do not have to travel to a test centre with a slow vehicle.

Tractors that meet the same C+U (construction and use) regulations as LGVs

can be driven on the road above 20 mph, up to 40 mph.

Agricultural tractor (Cat.F) with buck-rake on silage clamp

[Cat.F is granted when a Cat.B test is passed]

Agricultural tractor (Cat.F) with 7 furrow plough

[Cat.F is granted when a Cat.B test is passed]

Agricultural loader tractor (Cat.F)

[Cat.F is granted when a Cat.B test is passed]

Agricultural tractor (Cat.F) with dual wheels

[Cat.F is granted when a Cat.B test is passed]

[This vehicle at 4 metres wide requires an escort vehicle

to warn other road users while on the public highway.*]

Rough terrian telescopic materials handler / fork-lift truck

Special vehicles (e.g. Rough terrian telescopic materials handler),

Agricultural engines (e.g. combine harvester),

Digging machines, Mobile cranes, Works trucks are not covered

by Cat.F for the public highway: Cat.B (Car) is required up to 3500kg,

Cat.C1 is required over 3500kg up to 7500kg & Cat.C is required over 7500kg

Agricultural motor vehicles are exempt from the normal driver licensing requirements which apply to large vehicles.

Wheeled agricultural motor vehicles (which are not tractors) over 3500kg can be driven by the holder of Category B (B+E when towing) licence provided the minimum age requirements shown on the back of the licence are adhered to.

Crawler tractor - track-laying vehicle steered by its tracks (Cat.H)

Cat. F only covers wheeled agricultural tractors / half-tracks, i.e.wheels are present for steering.

N.B. Quad-tracks are steered by tracks as no wheels are present.

This is a grey area: It could be argued that the articulation does the steering, but

it is not mounted on wheels (which it would need to be for Cat.f)

{Cat.H does not have a +E sub category}

[Cat.H provisional entitlement is granted when Cat.B (Car) is passed].

If a trailer / trailed implement is towed full Cat.H entitlement is required

on the public highway.

Chieftain Main Battle Tank - track-laying vehicle steered by its tracks (Cat.H)

[Cat H provisional entitlementis granted when Cat.B (Car) is passed].

Motorbike (Cat.A)

Isuzu Trooper with trailer (Cat B+E)

[Cat B+E provisional entitlement is granted when cat B (Car) test is passed.]

Maximum size of trailers for towing with vehicle under 3500kg GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)
Length (excluding the coupling and drawbar) = 7.0 metres
Maximum width = 2.3 metres

For information about B+E Trailer Towing Training / Lessons: Click Here

LGV (Cat.C+E) (Old HGV Class 1)

[Maximum weight = 44 000 kg, can be exceeded subject to STGO Special Type General Order]

[Cat.C must be held to obtain Cat C+E provisional entitlement]

[Cat.B (Car) must be held to obtain Cat C provisional entitlement]

HGV / LGV / STGO information

*For full regulations regarding use of vehicles on the road

please refer to the relevant legislation for details.

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