Licenses and Transport

[SirLanceUK]

I am not sure if this is under the right heading but :_

I have been chatting to some one who has owns a “drops”, sorry I don’t know what type. This got me thinking about using it to take the Spartan around the country, something I am keen on doing.

I duly go on the DVLA website and get totally confused by what it is, or what it is not telling me.

As I am not driving heavy goods vehicles or Buses for a living, so it seems I don’t need a Goods Vehicle Operators License. But then there does not seem to be the old HGV 1, 2 or 3 anymore either.

It seems to say I can apply for a “simple” license if this is not going to be a way of earning money….

 

Normally I would call DVLA and ask them what this is all about but everywhere I look they have notices saying not to contact them because of COVID.

So dear people can anyone else explain what is going on?

[Zero-Five-Two]

Are you getting confused between a driving licence, and an operating licence. Obviously you need the appropiate category of driving licence to legally drive the thing, but you would only need an operators licence if you are setting up a business to move other peoples stuff. What they call for hire and reward 

[Mk3iain]

You would need a category C licence (or a CE to include a trailer over 750kg). HGV 1,2 and 3 are long gone.

Registered as private and not used for  business , not even your own or any kind of reward (not even a bag of chips) you do not need an operators licence or a CPC (operators or drivers).

 

https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories

Edited September 26, 2020 by Mk3iain
add a bit

[SirLanceUK]

32 minutes ago, Zero-Five-Two said:

Are you getting confused between a driving licence, and an operating licence. Obviously you need the appropiate category of driving licence to legally drive the thing, but you would only need an operators licence if you are setting up a business to move other peoples stuff. What they call for hire and reward 

I don’t think so I just was so unclear what category I needed. Thanks to Mk3iain I understand I need a category “C” licence. All this has changed since I  used to play with heavy goods there were 3 categories HGV 1, 2 and 3 depending on what you were driving.

 

[john1950]

If you have a plastic card licence it has your entitilement codes on the front (9) and the category,s on the reverse plus dates from and to expiry.

[andym]

On 9/26/2020 at 9:45 AM, SirLanceUK said:

I don’t think so I just was so unclear what category I needed. Thanks to Mk3iain I understand I need a category “C” licence. All this has changed since I  used to play with heavy goods there were 3 categories HGV 1, 2 and 3 depending on what you were driving.

 

There were four actually - HGV4 was for an artic tractor unit although I never understood why it really existed.

I took my test as HGV3, which seems to have translated into C, C1, CE and C1E with odd little codes at the end which specify I didn't take an HGV1.

Andy

[oats and barley]

A HGV 4 was a short lived licence for an also short lived lightweight transit type artic a C licence is your old class 1/2 rigid and CE is your old class 1  which also covers the C 1 E Drawbar i took my CE /CLASS 1 test in an artic and can drive a drawbar unless things have changed i does not work the other way very complicated

[cosrec]

basically look at your licence to see what you can drive. Do you get reminders to renew that include a GPs form to complete

 

[SirLanceUK]

Just now, cosrec said:

basically look at your licence to see what you can drive. Do you get reminders to renew that include a GPs form to complete

 

No i don't for DVLA i do for the ambulances but not got HGV any more as i didn't need it and i am getting old.

[andym]

2 hours ago, oats and barley said:

A HGV 4 was a short lived licence for an also short lived lightweight transit type artic a C licence is your old class 1/2 rigid and CE is your old class 1  which also covers the C 1 E Drawbar i took my CE /CLASS 1 test in an artic and can drive a drawbar unless things have changed i does not work the other way very complicated

The only good thing with the new categories is that having taken HGV3 I originally couldn't drive a rigid with more than two axles and now it's turned into a category C I can.

Andy