UK license categorys?

[PowderedToastMan]

Hi all
I'm a 17 year old, just coming out of a level 2 in Ag-Engineering and am moving onto level 3 in September.
My plan is to get a Tractor license soon as well as the license that allows you to drive a telehandler on the road.

I am, however, unsure of which category the Telehandler would fit in.
I have had a look on .Gov and it doesn't really explain anything.

In terms of tractors .Gov says
"Agricultural tractors require a category F licence to drive on the public road. Category B (car) licence holders automatically have category F entitlement"

That's nice.

Does anyone know which driver category I would need to drive a telehandler on the road?
( I already have an operators license so it would be pretty useful)

Thanks.

 

[C.J]

As you're 17 , just get your car licence - that will cover you for tractor , quad and telehandler( subject to age and weight restrictions)

 

[Shutesy]

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/agricul...l#minimum-ages-to-drive-agricultural-vehicles
I had in my head that it was 21 for a telehandler on the road. The above link says 18 due to the weight unless its more than 7.5t in which case it is then 21.

 

[Exfarmer]

Be aware that there are weight limits when driving a tele handler and you cannot take a self propelled harvester or sprayer on the road till you are 21

 

[Beretta]

As you're 17 , just get your car licence - that will cover you for tractor , telehandler and quad.

CJ that is not correct a car licence does not cover you for all, telehandlers have different ages connected to machine weight, you cannot pull a trailer on telehandler unless you have your trailer licence. Tractor test only allows you to pull an implement or carry one on links if it is less than 2.45m wide and certain weight. Trailers pulled on tractor licence have to have close coupled wheels of certain distance apart. It is very restrictive until 18 or 21 years of age

 

[ewald]

You can drive a telehandler on the road at 18yrs with a car licence (‘B’) as long as it weighs less than 7.5t. (Typically up to about 3t capacity machines). Above 7.5t you must be 21yrs.

 

[C.J]

Most people know that in order to drive a tractor on the road a driver needs a category F driving licence. There are two ways to get a category F licence:

• The F category is automatically acquired when a car driving test is passed - it is an entitlement that that is linked to the car category B. With a category B licence a driver gets the entitlement to drive a car and also gets the entitlement to drive a tractor.
• Take a stand-alone tractor test. If the test is passed the applicant is issued with a category F licence. This allows the holder to drive agricultural tractors and trailers only. It will not cover any other type of vehicle.

What about other agricultural machines such as telehandlers and sprayers?

A category B licence also allows the holder to drive on road other vehicles which are registered as agricultural machines. This includes vehicles such as sprayers and telehandlers. There are however age restrictions on the maximum vehicle weights that can be driven by younger drivers.


Description

Min age

Agricultural vehicles up to 3.5 tonne

17

Agricultural vehicles 3.5 tonne to 7.5 tonne

18

Agricultural vehicles over 7.5 tonne

21

The above is taken from the NFU website.

 

[Exfarmer]

Ignore the rubbish on here. The fact is a cat F aquired in any fashion allows unlimited driving of tractors and trailed equipment.
Gaining this by passing in a car for cat B and F is just the same as passing Cat F in a tractor.
There are quite tight limitations when driving a teleported on a Cat F licence it must be registered as an agricultural machine and not industrial be aware the weight restriction probably applies to gross weight so towing everything but the lightest trailer is not legal till 21

 

[TripleSix]

Ignore the rubbish on here. The fact is a cat F aquired in any fashion allows unlimited driving of tractors and trailed equipment.
Gaining this by passing in a car for cat B and F is just the same as passing Cat F in a tractor.
There are quite tight limitations when driving a teleported on a Cat F licence it must be registered as an agricultural machine and not industrial be aware the weight restriction probably applies to gross weight so towing everything but the lightest trailer is not legal till 21

It's not actually legal to tow anything with a Telehandler anyway.

 

[youngscot]

I was always of the impression that a telehandler came under self propelled vehicle the same as a combine etc so would be 21?

 

[Exfarmer]

It's not actually legal to tow anything with a Telehandler anyway.

It is quite legal to tow with a telehandler, provided it is not classed as a mobile crane. It actually counts as an agricultural tractor and weight and braking regs are the same

 

[Matt L]

As above. All depends on what it’s tax class is.
As has been mentioned before, if you get cat F, be very aware of width restrictions 2.45m and axles with close coupling which is 800mm between axle centres iirc.

 

[Exfarmer]

It is only 16 year olds who have any restrictions

 

[ewald]

Most telehandlers are not registered as tractors, but as agricultural vehicles or agricultural machines: thus they cannot be driven on a cat F licence.
Originally they were registered as mobile cranes and couldn’t tow a trailer. Nowadays they can tow - the manufacturer normally stipulates the max towing weight, which is generally 8 to 10 tonnes gross.

 

[Matt L]

It is only 16 year olds who have any restrictions

Yes, sorry my mistake. Missed the 17 in the op.

 

[PowderedToastMan]

So then, a lot of you seem to be suggesting about weight limits for an age group but preferably am looking for a specific license category.
I am going to get category F soon but to make a perfect pair with my RTITB operators license I would like to know which category it is to drive handlers on the road.

Thanks!!

 

[Gav]

Category B for a lot of the pre 2018 ones, since January 2018 manufacturers have been making use of the new classifications brought in for tractors of T1 so any with that stamped on the data plate would come under category F on your licence. Most new machines at this point in time are now T1 tractors with the exception of any articulated telehandler, anything that isn’t a T1 will have the weight related age restrictions on it mentioned earlier in this thread also.

 

[farmerm]

When did the world get so complicated!

 

[roscoe erf]

When did the world get so complicated!

since we joined the e.u

 

[farmerm]

since we joined the e.u

What will we all do when when can no longer blame everything on the EU