Trailer Towing Training Course Details

Our specialist trailer towing training courses are suitable for drivers with little or no experience of towing a trailer or caravan. If prefered we can conduct the lessons in your vehicle with your trailer attached.

These Courses are designed to provide more time to learn and practice each area of training. This is necessary to reach the standard required to take the B+E car and trailer test.

Do I Need To Take The Course?

Car licences obtained before 1 January 1997
All drivers who passed a car test before 1 January 1997 retain their existing entitlement to tow trailers until their licence expires. This means they are generally entitled to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8.25 tonnes MAM. They also have entitlement to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750 kgs MAM.

Car licences obtained on or after 1 January 1997
Drivers who passed a car test on or after 1 January 1997 are required to pass an additional driving test in order to gain entitlement to category B+E which allows them to tow caravans and trailers.

For more information
The booklet INS 57 enclosed with your provisional driving licence, or Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) factsheet INF 30 'Towing Trailers in Great Britain will give you all the information you will need. Alternatively more information can be found on the DVLA website.

The Driving Standards Agency in association with The Caravan Club has produced a guide to towing a caravan, called 'Towing the line'. This guide contains advice and important information for those drivers wanting to tow a caravan. For more information on this product, please follow the link in the related content box.

Test vehicle for a car or car and trailer test Category B

Cars or vans presented for test must be a four wheeled vehicle of no more than 3500 kg MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) capable of a speed of at least 62.5 miles per hour (mph) (100 kilometres per hour (km/h)) be fitted with:

• a seatbelt for the examiner
• a passenger head restraint, this need not be adjustable but must be fitted as an integral part of the seat. ‘Slip on’ type head restraints are not permissable
• an interior mirror for the examiner's use
• L-plates displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle but not interfering with the driver or examiner’s view

Category B vehicles must also:

• have a speedometer that measures speed in miles per hour and kilometres per hour
• have no warning lights showing ie the airbag warning light
• be legal and roadworthy
  
  Note:
  Some convertible vehicles are NOT suitable for test, see the Convertible Vehicle link in the left-hand column.

Category B1
A motor powered tricycle or quadricycle must have an unladen weight of not more than 550 kg and be capable of at least 60 km/h (37.25 mph).

Category B + E - Car and trailer test
Cars / vans presented for test must be a Category B vehicle towing a suitably braked, unladen trailer of at least 1tonne Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) . The examiner may ask for evidence of the trailer MAM, e.g.manufacturers plate. All vehicle combinations must operate on appropriate brakes and utilise a coupling arrangement suitable for the weight.

From 1 April 2006
An externally mounted, nearside and offside mirrors for use by the examiner or any person supervising the test.

B + E in the case of a vehicle first used on or after the 1 October 2003 the following additional standards will apply:

the cargo compartment of the trailer must consist of a closed box body which is at least as wide and as high as the towing vehicle; the closed box body may also be slightly less wide than the towing vehicle provided that the view to the rear is only possible by use of the external rear-view mirrors of the towing car.

Vehicle Trailer Practical Test
The minimum test vehicle standards for a car also apply to a car and trailer test, with additional requirements for the trailer. Vehicles that do not meet the minimum test vehicle requirements are not suitable for the purpose of taking a test, and your test may be cancelled with loss of fee.

Test vehicle requirements for a car test and car and trailer test

Category B - cars and vans

Cars or vans presented for test must be:

• a four wheeled vehicle of no more than 3500 kilograms (kg) maximum authorised mass (MAM)
• capable of a speed of at least 100 kilometres per hour (km/h) or 62.5 miles per hour (mph)

The car or van must also be fitted with:

• a seatbelt for the examiner
• a passenger head restraint, this need not be adjustable but must be fitted as an integral part of the seat - ‘slip on’ type head restraints are not permitted
• an interior mirror for the examiner's use
• L-plates displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle but not interfering with the driver's or examiner’s view
• a speedometer that measures speed in miles per hour and kilometres per hour
• The vehicle must be legal and roadworthy and have no warning lights showing ie the airbag warning light.

Category B1
A motor powered tricycle or quadricycle must have an unladen weight of not more than 550 kg and be capable of at least 60 km/h (37.25 mph).

Category B + E - car and trailer
Cars or vans presented for test must be a category B vehicle towing a suitably braked, unladen trailer of at least one tonne MAM . The examiner may ask for evidence of the trailer MAM, for example the manufacturer's plate. All vehicle combinations must operate on appropriate brakes and utilise a coupling arrangement suitable for the weight.

Please Note:
Irrespective of the date vehicles were first registered, from 1 April 2006 externally mounted, nearside and offside mirrors for use by the examiner or any person supervising the test must be fitted.

In the case of a category B+E vehicle first used on or after the 1 October 2003 the following additional standards will apply:

the cargo compartment of the trailer must consist of a closed box body which is at least as wide and as high as the towing vehicle; the closed box body may also be slightly less wide than the towing vehicle provided that the view to the rear is only possible by use of the external rear-view mirrors of the towing vehicle.

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