Trailer Training and Towing Courses
What Is Trailer Training?
Our trailer training and towing courses are designed to help your drivers develop skills in towing a trailer with a range of vehicles. This training develops your drivers’ skills to tow longer and heavier loads to drive your business forward. The training that we provide will help your employees develop skills in safely coupling and uncoupling trailers, manoeuvring, and driving on everyday roads. This can be delivered across a range of vehicles and weight classes to suit the needs of your business, including cars and vans (B+E); medium-sized vehicles (C1E), up to 7,500kg; minibuses (D1E); buses (DE); and large vehicles (CE), up to 32,000kg.
Following our training course, your employees will undertake the relevant vehicle and trailer test. On passing this, your drivers will be able to tow longer and heavier loads to benefit the needs of your business.
What Are The Benefits Of Trailer Training?
Our trailer towing courses can benefit your business and operation in a variety of different ways. Through providing your drivers with training, they will be able to tow longer and heavier loads. This means that you will be able to increase your productivity and transport your goods more efficiently.
It is important to ensure that your drivers have the correct licence for the load that they are towing. The training that we provide ensures that your employees can legally and safely tow a variety of different loads for the benefits of your business.
Do My Drivers Require Training?
There are a variety of different factors which will affect whether or not your drivers will need to undertake training. We can provide a variety of different training courses depending on the needs of your business, across a variety of different vehicles.
Whether or not they need to do a towing course will depend on when your drivers passed their driving test.
Acquired Rights (Grandfather Rights)
If your drivers passed their driving test before the 1st January 1997, they will have automatically acquired the BE, C1, C1E, D1 and D1E licence categories. These are known as acquired rights or grandfather rights. This allows your drivers to tow a variety of different loads across a range of vehicles, up to a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of 8250kg.
If your drivers passed their driving test after the 1st of January 1997, they can:
- Drive car or van up to 3,500kg towing a trailer up to 750kg.
- Tow a trailer over 750kg, as long as the MAM of the vehicle and trailer is no more than 3500kg.
Should your employees be required to tow anything heavier, they will need to undertake training and pass the relevant test. It is recommended that you do not tow any more than 85% of the weight of your vehicle. The recommended maximum towing weight can usually be found in the vehicle’s manual.
If you or your drivers are unsure of their rights, you can check their driving licence information online.