Are you confused about towing, licences and weights?
Edit: 16th December 2021
The UK Government have announced that the licencing laws for towing trailers in England, Wales and Scotland have changed.
There is no longer a requirement to take an additional test to gain the BE licence. All towing tests were cancelled from 20th September 2021.
This means that any B category licence holder (standard car licence) can now tow a trailer with a MAM of up to 3500kg and with a Gross Combined Weight (Gross Train Weight) not exceeding 7000kgs (Combined plated MAMs of car and trailer).
An update today has stated that the laws will change as of 16th December 2021. There are no restrictions associated with the change. This means that once you have passed you car test (B category) you will now automatically be allocated BE as well for towing a trailer up to 3500kgs.
There is no requirement to re-apply to DVLA for this entitlement to be added. It will be automatically added when you next renew your driving licence, either on expiry (normally every 10 years up to the age of 70) or should you change address etc. Meanwhile you can tow a trailer up to 3500kgs, providing you comply with the other laws on towing capacities etc.
The UK Government have announced that the licencing laws for towing trailers in England, Wales and Scotland have changed.
There is no longer a requirement to take an additional test to gain the BE licence. All towing tests were cancelled from 20th September 2021.
This means that any B category licence holder (standard car licence) can now tow a trailer with a MAM of up to 3500kg and with a Gross Combined Weight (Gross Train Weight) not exceeding 7000kgs (Combined plated MAMs of car and trailer).
An update today has stated that the laws will change as of 16th December 2021. There are no restrictions associated with the change. This means that once you have passed you car test (B category) you will now automatically be allocated BE as well for towing a trailer up to 3500kgs.
There is no requirement to re-apply to DVLA for this entitlement to be added. It will be automatically added when you next renew your driving licence, either on expiry (normally every 10 years up to the age of 70) or should you change address etc. Meanwhile you can tow a trailer up to 3500kgs, providing you comply with the other laws on towing capacities etc.
Do I need a Towing Licence?
There is no longer a requirement to take an additional test to gain the BE category.
Anyone with a standard car licence can tow any trailer plated with a MAM up to 3500Kgs. This means your combined towing weight or train weight can now be up to 7000kgs. This is the combined plated MAMs of car and trailer.
Equinity Trailers policy is that anyone wishing to tow one of our trailers must have held a licence for at least three years or have proof that they have undertaken some tuition from an authorised DSA driving instructor.
Do I still need to take lessons?
You will benefit from and we strongly recommend taking lessons, especially if you are nervous or inexperienced, as towing and maneuvering a trailer is not as easy as it might seem. An intensive course with a local driving instructor is highly recommended.
There is no longer a requirement to take an additional test to gain the BE category.
Anyone with a standard car licence can tow any trailer plated with a MAM up to 3500Kgs. This means your combined towing weight or train weight can now be up to 7000kgs. This is the combined plated MAMs of car and trailer.
Equinity Trailers policy is that anyone wishing to tow one of our trailers must have held a licence for at least three years or have proof that they have undertaken some tuition from an authorised DSA driving instructor.
Do I still need to take lessons?
You will benefit from and we strongly recommend taking lessons, especially if you are nervous or inexperienced, as towing and maneuvering a trailer is not as easy as it might seem. An intensive course with a local driving instructor is highly recommended.
What about my car - can it tow my trailer?
Your vehicle has to be able to tow the ACTUAL weight of the loaded trailer - not the MAM plated on the trailer.
You need to find your car's VIN plate or the V5C logbook.
On the VIN plate find the two largest numbers. Subtract the smaller number from the largest number and this gives your vehicle's towing capacity. (other smaller numbers are axle weights and can be disregarded for this purpose.)
The actual weight of your loaded trailer MUST NOT exceed your vehicle's towing capacity.
Your vehicle has to be able to tow the ACTUAL weight of the loaded trailer - not the MAM plated on the trailer.
- Where the sum of the maximum plated weights of the towing vehicle and of the trailer added together exceed the plated GCW of the towing vehicle, this is not a problem as long as the ‘actual’ weights of the vehicle and trailer (which may not be fully laden at the time) do not exceed the plated GCW. DfT guidance
- Your car does not have to be able to tow the MAM of the trailer. As long as the actual load does not exceed the vehicle towing capacity then it is perfectly legal.
You need to find your car's VIN plate or the V5C logbook.
- The log book defines any towing capacity in section 4, Vehicle Details, Part O: "Technical permissable maximum towable mass of the trailer" (Do not rely on this information as it has sometimes been found to be incorrect or missing.)
- For the VIN plate check your owners handbook for the location as it can be in different places on different makes and models of cars. Common places are on the slam panel under the bonnet, or on the B pillar of the driver's or passenger's front door. This is a more reliable way of determining your towing capacities and this is what the DVSA and Police will use as well.
On the VIN plate find the two largest numbers. Subtract the smaller number from the largest number and this gives your vehicle's towing capacity. (other smaller numbers are axle weights and can be disregarded for this purpose.)
- For example on the Ford plate : 4200kg - 2505kg = 1695kg towing capacity
- On the Land Rover plate : 6220kg - 2720kg = 3500kg towing capacity
The actual weight of your loaded trailer MUST NOT exceed your vehicle's towing capacity.
- You now need to know your trailer's unladen weight. This the weight of the trailer by itself - empty. You can find this in your trailer handbook or from the manufacturer. It is not normally stamped on the VIN plate.
- You also need to know how much your load weighs - i.e. your horses, tack, water, hay, rugs, and anything else you intend to put in the trailer.
- Add these weights together.
- If it is larger than the towing capacity then you cannot tow that loaded trailer with your car and you will be overweight.
- This can be dangerous, because you may not be able to pull or stop the trailer, you could damage the vehicle mechanically or structurally, or cause an accident.
- You could also be prosecuted for driving with a dangerous load or for construction and use offences.
- If the weight is less than the towing capacity then the vehicle is suitable for towing the trailer and load