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Who needs to take the car and trailer test? With B+E training

So you’ve plucked up the courage to take your B+E car and trailer test, and have some caravan towing lessons and/or trailer training… Graham Taylor from Get Towing Car and Trailer Training courses looks at what you can expect — from how much it will cost, to what you will be asked to do in the B+E trailer driving test by the test examiner.

Who needs to take the B+E car and trailer test, with a B+E trailer training course?

  • If you took your car (Category B) test after 19 January 2013 you can tow small trailers weighing no more than 750kg and a trailer over 750kg as long as the combined weight of the trailer and towing car or van is no more than 3.5 tonnes MAM (maximum authorised mass which is the limit on how much the vehicle can weigh when it’s loaded).
  • If you passed your car driving test between 1 January 1997 and 18 January 2013 you can drive a car or van up to 3.5 tonnes MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM. You can also tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3.5 tonnes.
  • If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997 you’re usually allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8.25 tonnes MAM.
  • If you want to tow a trailer of a combined maximum weight (i.e. that of car, trailer, horses, tack and water) of between 3.5 tonnes and 8.25 tonnes, and you passed your car test after 1 January 1997 you’ll need to take the trailer test to get Category B+E added on to your licence.

What does passing the car and trailer B+E test enable you to do?

  • It gives you the B+E trailer entitlement, enabling you to tow a heavier trailer up to a combined maximum weight of 7 tonnes. Category B+E allows a maximum of 3.5 a tonne trailer, which is insufficient for most trailers being towed by a 3.5 tonne vehicle, your maximum weight for the towing vehicle, if you haven’t passed any C categories.
  • The test costs from £115.
  • The cost of training varies around the country and according to how many hours you need — most packages involve two to three days of training with the test on the final day.
  • Get Towing Trailer Training Courses charge are
  • £399 for a one day trailer training course,
  • £599 for an intensive two-day trailer training course and
  • £799 for three days, with the b+e trailer driving test on the last day of any course (test fees included)
  • The trailer needs to be a certain weight for the test (the trailer must carry at least 600kg and the combined weight of the trailer and load must be at least 800kg), so it’s advisable to use your instructor’s car and trailer.

 

How long does it take to get up to b+e, car and trailer, driving test standard

  • Get Towing Car and Trailer Training covers the dreaded reversing, coupling and uncoupling and making sure your driving is of DVSA B+E driving test standard — checking your mirrors and blind spot, being in the correct lane approaching roundabouts, ‘sticking’ to the speed limits.
  • Most drivers should budget for a two or three day intensive trailer training course, unless you are ‘very’ experienced trailer puller then a one day trailer training course may be enough.
  • Eventer Fi Smith struggled with trailer reversing, too. Her advice is, if you have your own transport, “Get out and practise as much as you can”. You will however need to be accompanied by someone who’s entitled to tow a trailer.

What should I expect from the B+E trailer test?

  • You’ll be asked vehicle safety questions, to carry out a safety check on the trailer, and to pass the registration plate reading eyesight test at a 20.5 metre distance
  • You’ll then be asked by the driving test examiner to reverse the car and trailer into a loading bay marked out with cones which you must avoid touching or going outside of the lines.
  • You’ll be asked to uncouple and recouple your car and trailer.
  • Out on the road, on your B+E driving test, you’ll drive on a variety of roads, including a 10-minute independent drive, and be asked to stop at the side of the road and move away again safely up to four times.
  • On your B+E trailer test you’re allowed up to 15 minor driving faults and no serious of dangerous  faults

How long should my B+E trailer training course be and how many trailer lessons will I need?

  • That varies with ability and experience, but we can assess your trailer driving if you wish.
  • Julie Nicolas passed first time with us at Get Towing car and trailer training after a 2 day trailer tuition course; her farmer husband “who’s been reversing tractors and trailers ‘forever” only needed a four hour lesson before the test!! (one day B+E trailer training course)

Good luck give us a call…

07956 321678

get-towing.co.uk