Driving license/ tractor

[Tommy]

I am fairly confused regarding the catergorized driving license, and tractor driving.
As far as i'm aware, you can do a some sort of test that is recognised by the DVLA to get the 'F' category.

I recently did the NPTC tractor driving course as part of training and development and I wondered if the NPTC tractor proficiency is recognized by the DVLA, and would qualify me for the 'f', or am I on the wrong track?

[GB_Groundworks]

generally the tractor driving license is for 16 year old to drive tractor on rd between field but without a trailer.

on a standard license your allowed to drive a tractor upto 2.4 metres wide on the road upto a gross weight of 24tons with a close coupled 2 axle trailer

pasted from farmers weekly forum

At 16 you may take a tractor on the road with L plates. It must have no trailer. It can only be driven to and from a class F driving test, on any road where tractors are legally allowed to go (ie; not motorways.) It must be less than 2.45 meters wide at the widest point.


Once you have passed your class F you can drive any tractor PROVIDED it is less than 2.45 meters wide. You may tow a trailer PROVIDED it has 1 or 2 close coupled axels. (so no artics), and it also has to be less than 2.45 meters wide. Any implement can be attached PROVIDED it is less than 2.45 meters wide. An implement means that it has no wheels on the floor while on the road.

At 17 you may take your class B driving test (car) you may also (if not already done the class F test) take any tractor and trailer combination on the road PROVIDED it has L plates. L plates are not needed once you pass class B test. You can tow any trailer behind a tractor as long as the Maximum Autherised Mass (MAM) is less than 24 tonnes, whether you have passed your class B or not.

Once you have passed your class B test then the tractor does not need L plates but you cannot drive certain machinary (combines, sprayers etc) until you are either 18 or 21 (depends on the machine)

You may also tow a trailer maxium LOADED weight of 750kg behind a car if it has no brakes. You are also allowed to tow a trailer of any weight LESS than that of the towing vehicle as as long as the OUTFIT (ie car and loaded trailer) weighs less than 3.5 tonnes. Eg if you had a 2 tonne LR then you could tow a 1.5 tonne trailer, as long as it is braked. You wouldnt be allowed to tow a 2 tonne trailer (MAM > 3.5t). Equally you wouldnt be allowed to tow a 1.5 tonne trailer behind a 1 tonne car.

To tow more than the MAM of the car, you need a class B + E licence, which involves a basic reverse and genearal road driving. It costs I belive about £500 with training.

You cannot take tracklaying tractors on the road until you have passed a class H test. The exception being a Quadtrack because it is pivot (artic) steering as opposed to steering with the tracks. You need to be 21 to do the class H test I believe.

[Suggers]

Giles beat me to it - cat B (car) qualifies you for tractor on the highway.
Glad this came up tho - just checked my euro license, and it expires in sept, this year.....that was quick !

[GB_Groundworks]

on the subject on expiry, going skiing on the 12th of feb glanced at my passport today expires on the 5th of feb. cue today running rd to post office etc what a pain.

[Suggers]

Where you skiing this season? - I luurve it.... and just being in the mountains is pretty amazing.

[dig dug dan]

can someone clear up this confusion. I ahve a normal car licence, which i passed in 1993
Can i buy a big tractor, put a 10tonne trailer behind it , fill it with crushed concrete and use it for deliveries without any special kind of test?

[Pablo]

Yes as long as you don't weigh more than 24 tonnes. A 10 ton trailer won't need a big tractor 120hp would easily suffice.

[dig dug dan]

thats cool. I thought as much. Cheaper than an operators licence and a lorry, which needs a "service" every six weeks.

[GB_Groundworks]

you will still need a operators license and run it on white diesel, and tax but its free just have to apply for it. As its for non agricultural use maybe even need a tacho. we are on a semi working farm and all nfu register etc so we kind of get away with the red diesel but have an operators license and waste carriers license for it. we tow a 12 ton dump trailer with a 100hp john deere just doesn't like hills the 175 deere goes up them like they aren't there.

[dig dug dan]

how much does the operator licence cost? do you have to say where the tractor is stored.
A lot of people round me using tractors to haul diggers to sites etc. they call themsleves "farm contractors" though some are clearly not.
I wonder if i can register as a farmer and get a grant to buy my kit!! :p

[GB_Groundworks]

for running red the rule is that if your on the road the tractor must be used for the job, i.e taking a mower to field to mow it. not just for transporting another implement to the job like a digger even if the digger was used say for field drainage. however if you then use the tractor to move the spoil removed from the drains on the site then it ok as far as remember from the legislation. only ever been stopped once by the old bill in a tractor and thats was just to check it wasn't stolen. we move our 8 ton machine round on a 10 dump loader trailer, but if you were running it on white it might be expensive. ours has a 240 ltr tank that you can easily burn through in a day a full whack.

remember as well "nothing runs like a deere" haha

[dig dug dan]

thanks for this. Its something for the future. I bet the guys round here run on red and dont have a waste licence!!

[Dave_L]

thanks for this. Its something for the future. I bet the guys round here run on red and dont have a waste licence!!

Indeed! Makes a mockery of us guys doing the job properly with wagons, O licences etc!

Still, I wouldn't swap our "mobile skips" for a tractor & trailer!

[GB_Groundworks]

so done a bit of research and its illegal to use an agricultural tractor on the road for hire or reward. yo can only use them for agricultural aplication within 15 miles of your operating base. been looking at unimogs instead now as tehy are faster and cheaper on fuel and can still use red with them if worked correctly.

[Suggers]

My new baby (to me) -


1993 - in great nick for age - when opened throttle, kept cutting out, new fuel filter seems to have sorted it.
Grass tyres slightly dodgy in the mud - but will be gentler on the pasture in the summer?