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JWL

Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

Here's a bit of a question for the Guru's, if you look at the licence codes for those of us who passed our test some years ago then you can drive a vehicle up to 3500kg MAM plus a trailer up to 3500kg, ie the full capacity on BE.
On C1E Vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver with trailer over 750kg, if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 8,250kg because of the restriction 107
Then take a look at D1E, Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver, with trailer over 750kg also with a restriction which are 101 not for hire or reward (that is, not to make a profit), 111 limited to 16 passenger seats and 119 weight limit for vehicle does not apply.
If you're not bored yet, take another look at the restriction code 119 weight limit for vehicle does not apply. So could that mean that the towing vehicle could carry up to 16 passengers and tow anything behind (subject to manufacturers specifications) so we can't go over the 3500kg with a Defender, that's the manufacturers limit but get a large minibus and the sky's your limit!

8th Sep 2017 7:50pm

miker

Member Since: 13 Sep 2015
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1763

I think +E is classified as a trailer up to 3500kg across the board?

8th Sep 2017 8:00pm

JWL

Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

Fair point. I do remember in the dim and distant past that my C1E part stated that I could drive a 7½ tonner with a trailer with a GVW of 11¼ tons, note the imperial weights as it was a while ago. I'm sure I've seen a figure of 10.250 tonnes mentioned in the D1E catagory but I can't be asked to trawl around because I'm sure the powers that be would find some technicality to slap your wrist

Then there's allways the "n" catagory, Vehicles (exempt from duty). Limited on distance but the sky's the limit

8th Sep 2017 8:27pm

zsd-puma

Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black

Quote:
I think +E is classified as a trailer up to 3500kg across the board?

+E means you can tow a trailer up to the maximum weight the tow vehicle can legally tow. Basically it means there is no licencing restriction on trailers. I seem to remember there being something on a B+E licence about a 12tonne limit on either train weight or trailer weight. But the likely hood of you finding a 'car' or a commercial vehicle uner 3.5tonnes that can tow that sort of weight are slim. Which means in practice on a B+E you can tow what ever you like so long as the tow car is rated to tow it. Anything heavier you're likely too need to take another test to add cat C1 (7.5t) or C to your licence anyway.

So yes on a Defender that's 3.5t with overrun brakes or 4t with coupled brakes (air brakes).

I have an HGV and PCV licence, because i did C+E (HGV with trailer, the old class 1), it also upgrades my car and bus licences to +E too, it gives me B+E, C1+E, D1+E, C+E and D+E

So i could have a 10tonne tractor unit with a 34tonne trailer on the back. Or a 15metre long coach with a 6tonne trailer on the back. But that's just standard configuration vehicles. If you get into abnormal loads there's basically no weight limit, but it starts to get even more complex involvling the number of axles and whether it has 'road friendly' suspension.

8th Sep 2017 8:51pm

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17450

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

^^ Quite right. C+E allows you to run up to 44 tonnes gross under C&U Regs or 150 tonnes gross if operating under STGO Cat 3.

8th Sep 2017 9:32pm

zsd-puma

Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

I just checked, and you can even go above 150 tonnes if you get special permission from the Department of Transport. Though you'd need to justify why you couldn't split the load into smaller chunks. There isn't much you'd move by road that weighs more than that and can't be broken down. Railway Locos are probably the heaviest you'll find. Ours are 132t, but they take the bogies off when they go back to Loughborough for refurb So they're probably only about 100tonnes ish, plus the lorry.

Still no 'special' driving licence required even for that, just a normal C+E. But that doesn't mean they're going to phone the nearest agency and get any old C+E driver to come and drive it.

9th Sep 2017 1:11am

miker

Member Since: 13 Sep 2015
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1763

Big power transformers are the main thing that gets really heavy I think

9th Sep 2017 3:41pm

zsd-puma

Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

Yeah I was thinking really heavy stuff is usually for powerstations and the like.

A Defender would definitely need a new clutch after moving one of those.

9th Sep 2017 3:44pm

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17450

150 tonnes is the max on an STGO. There is no upper limit once you get into the world of individually authorised movements and it's still C+E to drive.

I think the UK on-road record is a load out of Didcot power station moved by Allely's but can't remember the weight.

Site moves, especially for the oil industry, can be well over 1000 tonnes.

Edit - it was 640 tonnes, link to rather gormless article in Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-25...-4mph.html

10th Sep 2017 1:05pm

zsd-puma

Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

I'm not sure you can rely on the DM's accuracy about anything.

But anyway, the point is +E lets you tow quite a bit over 3.5t.

10th Sep 2017 11:24pm

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