Hi all, I used to drive the wagon + trailer at my old work. The other driver there used to drive the 7.5 tonne truck. The company has now put him through his Cat C test and he’s passed it and now drives the wagon from the W+T combination. It’s plated for 14t.
Is this legal or does he need to pass his Cat C+E test to drive the wagon only?
Many thanks.
McK.
Cat C = Good Vehicle without a trailer.
Cat C+E = Goods vehicle with a trailer.
Doesn’t matter about weights or towing attachments.
Congratulations by the way, this is a new variation on one of TruckNet’s most asked questions. Usually it’s can I/he/she drive a solo tractor unit on a Cat C but I believe this is the first time it’s been can I drive half a wagon and drag on a Cat C? 
Oh, and welcome to TruckNet. 
Cheers.
You sound slightly disappointed with the answer. Not what you were hoping for, or…?
No, not at all. I don’t mind either way
mckevvy:
No, not at all. I don’t mind either way
Nice one. I was just being nosey in case there was any bad blood.
Only between me and the company. Not between him and me.
The company isn’t transport orientated at all. They have no idea about the legalities or anything transport orientated at all.
mckevvy:
The company isn’t transport orientated at all. They have no idea about the legalities or anything transport orientated at all.
Well at least you know your mate isn’t being asked to do something dodgy now.
True. They’re not known for sticking within the boundaries of the law regarding their business either (which isn’t transport).
Oh,and who would that be then?
Why is it threads come to a grinding halt just as they start to get intereting 
Surely if they’ve got a 14t wagon towing a trailer they would need to be transport orientated if only to get an O licence?
No because they have a limited licence instead of a full O licence. Haulage & transport isn’t the companys business - they’re in the food sector.
The O licence can be either restricted/limited or full, so that would put your company in the first section. But they would still need to get the licence and have someone in charge of the vehicles who knows what they are doing, right?
If this is incorrect or different, can someone point me in the right direction because that is how I understood it?
I’ve worked for a few places who deal with food and have limited O licences and they employ several hundred food-workers, 10 in the warehouse and 10 drivers, and operate 8 trucks and 3 vans but they have everything bolted on properly, know what they’re doing yet still I get debriefed by whoever is in that office at the time, often the receptionist.
So the other driver had a C1 and also had upto a certain weight with a trailer, and when he took his C he wasn’t informed that he could now only carry a max of 750kg trailer behind the bigger truck?
My C1E only allows me to tow a 750kg trailer behind a 7.5 too, although a mate can tow up to about 12t GTW or something with his C1 entitlement.
I had a long reply typed out but hit the wrong key and closed the browser…■■■■!
In reply, the company has a restricted O licence. There were 2 drivers; me and him. I hold C1+E, held a car licence and drove the 7.5t van (he passed his test pre - july '97).
I used to drive the Wagon + Trailer. He’s since passed his Cat C and now drives the Wagon only. (My original question was is he legit to do this?)
The company are completely unaware of anything related to transport. For instance, because I drive at the speed limit (and not over) for the road, they moaned like hell about the time it was taking to get from A to B. This was because previous agency drivers had put the foot down and did the same run a lot quicker. It caused no end of chatter throughout the workforce that I was “slow” and dragging the run out to get overtime. So much so that the company bought cab phones with tracker software so they could monitor where I was.
On one occassion I was held up for some time due to an accident and I phoned in to say that it may result in an overnight stay in the cab - the manager went nuts ranting on about this putting a spanner in the next days shedule.
My W+T had a digitacho and they were totally unaware that they had to download the date from the tacho and not just my card at a minimum of every 8 weeks. The tacho data hadn’t been downloaded once in 2 years.
The 7.5t driver had NO drivers hours knowledge whatsoever.
The bosses should have sent the works manager on courses to cover the transport but like most of their obligations they don’t give a ■■■■.
Saratoga:
But they would still need to get the licence and have someone in charge of the vehicles who knows what they are doing, right?
There’s no legal requirement for a cpc holder to be employed when using a restricted O licence. Obviously lots of these type of scenarios involve companies running trucks as it’s cheaper than getting it done by a third party transport company.
Saratoga:
The O licence can be either restricted/limited or full, so that would put your company in the first section. But they would still need to get the licence and have someone in charge of the vehicles who knows what they are doing, right?If this is incorrect or different, can someone point me in the right direction because that is how I understood it?
There are 2 types of operators licence, Standard and Restricted.
A standard O licence is needed to carry goods for hire and reward (the goods belong to someone else at the time they are transported) and the restricted licence only permits a company to carry goods that it actually owns.
The only difference between making an application for the 2 types of licence is that with a restricted O licence a company does not have to prove Professional Competence meaning nobody needs to be named as the CPC holder.(Operators CPC not the new Driver CPC)
Thanks for the clarity on that 