Can I drive a 7.5 ton lorry?

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stealther

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Hi I found this on a van hire website is it true?

"The 7.5 ton vehicle is the largest vehicle available to an ordinary licence holder (if passed before 1996)"

I passed in 1998 and so if its true I cant hire a 7.5 ton lorry to move house with.

Thanks
 
I'd get in touch with the DVLA to check it out....

I'm going to be hiring a 7.5 tonne van to move with.

EDIT: Have a look here. Check the back of your photocard licence and see what categories you have on there.

Steve
 
Remember to check the categories on your Driving Licence....mine shows C1 and C1E so I'm good to go. :thumbsup:
 
Hi
I am up on these things so can help as it in my business.

The simple answer is no!

You would need C1 on your licence on the back, you probably have A and B.

Also, an operators license needs to be held, for use of any tachoe'd vehicle.

John
 
If you passed your test (like you) post 1.1.1997 then No you cannot hire a 7.5 ton lorry for you house move...Thats how I read it. Those of us who passed prior to that have C1 & C1E include in the groups of our licence so We could hire the lorry. I have hired and driven several of these.

Can you ask a relative or friend to drive it for you?
 
If you passed your test (like you) post 1.1.1997 then No you cannot hire a 7.5 ton lorry for you house move...Thats how I read it. Those of us who passed prior to that have C1 & C1E include in the groups of our licence so We could hire the lorry. I have hired and driven several of these.

Can you ask a relative or friend to drive it for you?

Probably not.

I dont see what the big deal is its just a small lorry which any one who can drive a car should be able to drive I guess I could see how much the test costs.
 
Probably not.

I dont see what the big deal is its just a small lorry which any one who can drive a car should be able to drive I guess I could see how much the test costs.

Hi Stealthier

I disagree, these are extremely large vehicles, and what you are asking is for someone who has just passed driving a mini, can then go and drive a mini lorry. Health and Safety comes in here!

The 7.5t vehicle will be slowly faded out, as you need a class 2 LGV test pass, to drive them now (except for us with Grandfather Rights)

The course and test including medicle examinations etc will cost you around £1000. Please also remember, someone has to be accountable for the Operators licence as well

John
 
Hi Stealthier

I disagree, these are extremely large vehicles, and what you are asking is for someone who has just passed driving a mini, can then go and drive a mini lorry. Health and Safety comes in here!

The 7.5t vehicle will be slowly faded out, as you need a class 2 LGV test pass, to drive them now (except for us with Grandfather Rights)

The course and test including medicle examinations etc will cost you around £1000. Please also remember, someone has to be accountable for the Operators licence as well

John
Bit off topic but the Sig at the end of you post re AV cables really made me laugh probably because it is so true...:D
 
It does seem a bit daft, I can hire one, my 77 year old dad can, my 79 year mother in law can (but let's not go there), but you can't.

Dave
 
May I also ask what the 'Operaters licence' is?
 
May I also ask what the 'Operaters licence' is?

See here

PS I used to work in Goods Operators Licensing many moons ago. Best ones were those starting up in the buisness but could not read or write and we had to complete the application forms for them :suicide:
 
It does seem a bit daft, I can hire one, my 77 year old dad can, my 79 year mother in law can (but let's not go there), but you can't.

Dave


True that my friend.
But another thing is new drivers are prone to the odd bump/dink/scratch but in general because they are new drivers they tend to be more carefull. However i believe statistics show that more serious accidents are caused by and large by people who have been driving for years and perhaps got a bit too relaxed or over confident when at the wheel.
 
Hi
I am up on these things so can help as it in my business.

The simple answer is no!

You would need C1 on your licence on the back, you probably have A and B.

Also, an operators license needs to be held, for use of any tachoe'd vehicle.

John

re the operators licence the hire company will hold the operators licence and you are just the driver or not depending on when you passed your car test
 
I think it's a good thing that class C was removed from the basic license. As has been mentioned, a 7.5T truck is a large vehicle (well, it's a truck!) and you shouldn't be able to pass your test one day and jump in a truck driving job the next.

You can get a surprising amount of stuff within the 3.5T limit though, an extended Sprinter or box van will probably mean 2 trips but will be significantly cheaper to hire. :)
 
I think it's a good thing that class C was removed from the basic license. As has been mentioned, a 7.5T truck is a large vehicle (well, it's a truck!) and you shouldn't be able to pass your test one day and jump in a truck driving job the next.

You can get a surprising amount of stuff within the 3.5T limit though, an extended Sprinter or box van will probably mean 2 trips but will be significantly cheaper to hire. :)

I think you have a fair point but in the past this was the case and someone like my mom could drive one right now if she wanted to but would be a danger. I think perhaps people with a few years experience should be allowed to drive them perhaps with a extra test at a fair price not 1k +!

Anyway we could not afford a removal firm I got loads of quotes and the only ones I felt comfortable enough to trust my stuff with were quoting £800 - £1000!

Solution is to hire a Luton box van with a tail lift and hope and pray we can get it all in with some imaginative packing skills.

Thanks for all the replies
 
When we are considering an 'Operators Licence' I think we are getting sidetracked here. A direct quote from the item provided by kebabhead states:

"You need an operator's licence to carry goods (or burden) connected with any trade or business if you use a motor vehicle on a road with:"

Clearly if you are moving house that is not connected to any trade or business, but is for purely private use.
 
probably not.

I dont see what the big deal is its just a small lorry which any one who can drive a car should be able to drive i guess i could see how much the test costs.
sorry mate they dont want people who drive cars that think like you---hence the reason you cant legally drive them without a test--what next a 747 ha ha
 
sorry mate they dont want people who drive cars that think like you---hence the reason you cant legally drive them without a test--what next a 747 ha ha

Way to go with your first post, very constructive and helpful :rolleyes:

Any more 2-year old threads you want to drag up just so you can poke fun at the OP :suicide:
 
Quite... as it seems that he registered solely to post that :rolleyes:

Dave
 
I was shunting 17-28T 4 & six wheelers at 14 round a yard (air brakes are fun, not when you throw the Transport manager against the screen of a 1972 Bedford Tractor unit tho!) I cant drive a 7.5T legally even tho at 17 i had to park one for a mates dad who hired it to move house then couldn't get within 500 yards of the house! I think there should be an intermediate liscence or something as i can't even tow a trailer with GW over 750KG either. I personally think all pro drivers (taxi, Van, courier up to PCV and HGV) should have to retest every 5 years to keep them current the highway code has changed alot since 1960 when alot of drivers passed (my grand father had a class 2 with no test at all at one time you just had to put down on a form that yu drove trucks and along it came) For moving house a 3.5T Luton with tail lift will get most household stuff in OK but you may want 2!
 
It was a good idea to remove it from the standard license as it stopped all the 17 year old snooty girls driving massive horse boxes on a provisional license!
 
As has been mentioned, you can only drive one if you have C1 or C1 + E on your license, passed pre 97
Even then you can't drive more than a combined 8250kg if you have a trailer, but you don't need an operator license if you fit this criteria, as was wrongly mentioned in a post above..
 
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