Many drivers are unaware that they are towing illegally. Anyone who passed their Driving Test after January 1st 1997 is not entitled to tow a trailer weighing more than 750kgs Gross Weight or Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM). A heavier braked trailer can be towed providing the combination of vehicle and trailer weighs no more than 3.5 tonnes. To find out what you are entitled to tow you need to check your Licence. If it has B + E on the back of the photocard then you can tow a combination up to 7.5 tonnes. If only a B is indicated on the Licence – and you wish to tow in excess of 750kgs or a combined MAM with braked trailer of more than 3.5 tonnes – then you are legally required to sit an additional Test.

To put this into perspective: most horse trailers and some caravans weigh in excess of 750kgs which, together with the weight of the towing vehicle, would take the combination over the limit of 3.5 tonnes. Therefore, further training and a Test would be required to comply with legal requirements. Remember – it is the MAM of the trailer and not the unladen weight that is the deciding factor.

The Test itself takes around one hour and is conducted at a specific site. For the Northampton area this is at Weedon; for the Bedford area the site is at Leighton Buzzard and for the Cambridge area the site is at Peterborough. The first part of the Test is an off-road session where you will be asked to reverse around a pre-set course to assess your manoeuvering skills. This is followed by a braking test. This is not an emergency stop exercise but assesses your ability to stop quickly in a straight line under full control. Penalties are given for skidding the vehicle and/or trailer, for harsh braking or for taking too long to slow down.

Following the off-road session the road driving Test commences. You will be expected to drive to a high standard, taking the length and width of the combination into consideration and observing different speed limits. No manoeuvres are carried out on this part of the Test but attention must be paid to correct mirror use and positioning of the combination since towing a trailer requires a tighter line than driving solo. Consideration of oncoming traffic is also assessed.

You then have to demonstrate your ability to uncouple and couple the trailer as well as moving the towing vehicle alongside the trailer between these exercises.

Trevor Tarry conducts the Towing Training, using a Land Rover Freelander as the towing vehicle and an Armitage BTV 85 twin axle, braked trailer. Combined weight exceeds the minimum required for the Test, making the towing experience more realistic – similar to towing a horse trailer.