H licence

[Daftrucker]

Hi can anyone recommend a cheap ish h licence training please ideally in the Shropshire or West Midlands Region 🤔

 

Cheers in advance 

[Tom M]

Hi,

I did my H licence through Tanks A Lot, maybe 18 or so months ago, on one of their Argocats (small 6 wheel tracked thingy a bit like a quad bike), which cost about £500 if my memory serves me correctly. Unfortunately it looks like they have stopped running this course now and do it in a 432 instead, which is more expensive.

If you're not familiar with tracked vehicles and you intend to drive one on the road, I'd advise attending a decent course that covers all the maintenance aspects as well, as if it goes wrong on the road it will do a lot of damage. The Argo cat was fine if that's what you're going to drive, or you have experience with larger tracked vehicles, but it's nothing like a military tracked vehicle in terms of size, visibility or damage potential!

What are you intending to drive?

[Daftrucker]

Hi Tom thanks for the info its a shame that they don't do that course anymore as I would have paid that we have a layer at work and I would like to drive it its the same size as a agro cat I suppose and the extra qualification does not hurt, I'm a hgv driver so the weight appreciation is not something that bothers me as I carry the weight every day. 

[Tom M]

I have heard that you can et the examiner to come out to you to do the exam, in the vehicle you will be driving, as long as it's roadworthy. You'd just need someone to take you through the test scenarios and somewhere to practice.

 

[sirhc]

I did mine in my Sabre. Booked the test online, examiner came to the house. He was an ex-army driving instructor. He stood and watched while I did a few circuits round the houses. A couple of manoeuvres, Highway Code questions and it was done. It might have changed now. I think it cost around £65.

https://www.gov.uk/learning-to-drive-a-tractor-or-specialist-vehicle/driving-tests-for-tractors-and-specialist-vehicles

Chris

[Daftrucker]

Hi Chris, 

Cheers for the info

Just had a look at that link cheers it would seem that what we have at work is classed as a plant machine so I couldn't use it for the test...... Back to the drawing board..... Anyone lend tanks lolz 

[john1950]

Does Dale at Heywood Tanks not do courses

[Daftrucker]

Hi John, 

 

I've just found his Facebook I will give him a bell tomorrow cheers

[andym]

There's some confusion about the use of military vehicles for H tests, as the gov.uk website says:

Category H - tracked vehicles

Category H vehicles must have adequate all-round visibility to let the driver carry out manoeuvres and deal with junctions safely.

Any vehicle needing a second person to help with observation, such as a military vehicle, cannot be used for a category H test.

This strikes me as rather daft, surely it makes sense to take the test in the type of vehicle you intend to drive?

Andy

[ploughman]

Took mine in a Cat D6 plenty of all round visibility.

 

Will the same standard be applied to those taking a Roller licence? J I think.

As I recall that the manoevering was very similar.

[Zero-Five-Two]

1 hour ago, ploughman said:

Took mine in a Cat D6 plenty of all round visibility.

 

Will the same standard be applied to those taking a Roller licence? J I think.

As I recall that the manoevering was very similar.

That's what gets daft about the whole thing.  CAT D6 is very much an off road dozer, with a top speed of about 6mph, but the licence you got allows you to take something like a CVRT out on the road, legally, with no further training.  Apart from the fact they both have tracks, there's no comparison between the two.

[Daftrucker]

I agree and tbh I think that I'm way over thinking this I just need to find something with tracks I don't even need to have a registration plate from what you guys have said and get the dvsa out to me 😊

[Zero-Five-Two]

I might be talking rubbish here, but both me and Ploughman got our H licences  construction plant training, it could be worth phoning a local plant hire company, they might be able to do you a test on one of their diggers

[andym]

10 hours ago, Daftrucker said:

I agree and tbh I think that I'm way over thinking this I just need to find something with tracks I don't even need to have a registration plate from what you guys have said and get the dvsa out to me 😊

It will have to be registered, taxed and insured if you use it on the road.

Andy

[terryb]

it really is essential that you take your test in the type of vehicle you want to use.speeds and controls of tracked vehicles vary massively. I would not recommend taking your test in a tiny plastic 250kg 10mph argo, that has been converted into a 'tracked' vehicle, then driving around in a 50mph 8 ton cvrt or 12 ton 30mph 432-recipe for a nasty mishap.

this is one of very few countries where you can still drive armour on the road, and all it takes is for our bad news media to get hold of a story........... 

[andym]

16 minutes ago, terryb said:

it really is essential that you take your test in the type of vehicle you want to use.speeds and controls of tracked vehicles vary massively. I would not recommend taking your test in a tiny plastic 250kg 10mph argo, that has been converted into a 'tracked' vehicle, then driving around in a 50mph 8 ton cvrt or 12 ton 30mph 432-recipe for a nasty mishap.

this is one of very few countries where you can still drive armour on the road, and all it takes is for our bad news media to get hold of a story........... 

I agree and it's precisely why I think the DSA regulation I stated above is wrong.  I can see their point about poor visibility, so perhaps in that case they should allow a "commander" during the test as you would when driving normally.   Either that or take the test off-road, as I did with SVT in Norfolk.

Andy

[terryb]

Off road tests were allowed some years ago, but now a H licence test must be conducted on the Queen's highway in and out of traffic-hence the legal requirements of registered,insured, etc etc. I think it is still allowed to have a 'commander' with you during the test if your vehicle has restricted views

it really is essential that you take your test in the type of vehicle you want to use.speeds and controls of tracked vehicles vary massively. I would not recommend taking your test in a tiny plastic 250kg 10mph argo, that has been converted into a 'tracked' vehicle, then driving around in a 50mph 8 ton cvrt or 12 ton 30mph 432-recipe for a nasty mishap.

this is one of very few countries where you can still drive armour on the road, and all it takes is for our bad news media to get hold of a story........... 

[terryb]

Interesting story of the chap who had his category H revoked after taking his test in a tracked Argo. The company had merely slapped on a set of plastic tracks, without notifying DVLA, so his test was not legally taken in a tracked vehicle!!!

    

[SirLanceUK]

If this is Still a live thread, Nick Mead (Tanks-A-Lot) put a post on FaceBook about DVLA examiners and what they will and wont allow. I did speak to him the other day and it is still a very very sore point. He was supplying 432's with a part off road - part on road setup. He did mention he thought other people were still being allowed  to provide H-License training.

I was one of the people that passed their test on a tracked Argocat, but then managed to get an "old" hand, to let me drive his Scorp round an industrial estate in the way of a conversion, and managed to get a driving experience in a 432 At this point I concede that driving an Argo does little to prepare you for driving a CVRT, 432 etc 

[andym]

What did Nick say, out of interest?

Andy

[SirLanceUK]

18 minutes ago, andym said:

What did Nick say, out of interest?

Andy

He said that they examiners had been out and said what he was doing was fine, after he built an area to do the manoeuvres on and had access to the road in a circuit fashion. Then on the evening of when they were coming out to examine a class of students, they phoned up and said it was not ok after all and he had to make other changes, but they were unclear as to what those changes were…..

Sorry Nick if I didn’t get that 100% right

[Rodney Maynard]

Would like to know a company that can do the Cat H and Cat G dvsa tests without breaking the bank. I have exhausted most avenues on this over the years. I live in Norwich and nothing in my area. Thanks Rod 

[MatchFuzee]

I assume that you have seen this company:-

http://www.armedforces.co.uk/companies/raq45f8078ec68bd#.YOhoPrfTWDY

You could ask your local farm machinery or construction equipment seller who they use.

[Rodney Maynard]

Yes spoke with this company but they have stopped testing and training on their site. They just send out instructors to people now and basically told me that's life lol. Asking local farmers tried that not interested either to busy or won't risk the machine which I can understand. I have been down the plant route but none of my local firms have equipment that is road legal and not interested in helping really even when I have offered to pay. 

[MatchFuzee]

If nothing closer, a 2 day course including the test:-

https://tanks-alot.co.uk/h-licence-training/

As you are tested by a DVLA tester, the DVLA should be able to tell you where H license training is done.