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Trailer Training, trailer test, B+E test,

Before you go out and buy yourself the largest trailer on the market, you should make yourself aware of all the rules and regulations that must be set in place before you tow your trailer for the first time.

There are many methods to learning how to pull a trailer and develop the confidence you need to do so. At Get Towing we provide trailer training courses with an expert driver, to allow you to learn firsthand the skills needed to tow safely and efficiently. One-on-one teaching is the best method to learn any new skill as you get the individual attention from an expert in that field. They should be able to answer almost any question you have, when you have it, and can also create a focus around the areas you personally struggle with most; this makes it personal and effective for you. As well as this you are acquiring the important experience of towing a trailer first hand which, like learning to drive, is possibly the fastest and effective way to learn how to control your trailer, whilst having guidance to correct any mistakes.

If you feel that one on one lessons are not for you, here are few other methods you could use to support you whilst learning how to tow your trailer:

TRAINING BOOKS/MANUALS

For some people having a step by step guide to help you learn can be useful, especially with the aid of photos to help for visualisation. Books will allow you to learn in your own time and you are able to create notes and bookmarks at places of importance. This gives you the opportunity to personalise your own learning and easily go back to sections you may struggle with.

BLOGS

Blogs can be very useful when it comes to learning new skills as each person experiences the process differently. By reading blogs you may come across issues and relatable content that an expert driver may not have come across before or you may be too embarrassed to ask about. There’s many blogs around about trailer training courses and the trailer B+E test

VIDEOS

If you have the internet at hand, videos are a great recommendation as you can find a wide variety of both expert opinions and the opinions of others in a situation similar to your own. You also get a large amount of useful information in at once, which may be harder to find and take longer to cover in a book or blog. Videos are great because they allow you to watch demonstrations as many times as you like and they often show common mistakes and not how to do it, making it both cost and time effective. I recommend watching videos especially for how to reverse with a trailer as knowing the signs and what to look out for are important.

PRACTICE!

Like with learning to drive, practice will always be your best chance at improving your skills. Finding somewhere quiet to trial is recommended. Also being aware it is easy to make dents in the car with the trailer, when you are not yet familiar with how to reverse it, should be noted to avoid frustration and upset! Get Towing can teach you how to pass a trailer test

Learning how to tow and reverse a trailer does not have to be a difficult process, and by using the tools and resources available online and in the local area it can be made considerably easier and give you the confidence and the knowledge needed to get you from A to B with ease.

B+E car and trailer training driving test pass

Here at Get Towing we can get you through your car and trailer driving test.

Our professional driving instructors have the skill and patience to train you to driving test standard to pass a B+E driving test, with an intensive trailer training course

Caravan towing lessons are very popular during the summer months so book early to be able to tow your trailer safely and legally

A towing test can be an awkward test but with the correct training it can seem easier

B+E car and trailer training and driving test

There are 2 main courses available for trailer training and these are completed on consecutive days and normally have 5 to 6 hours per day. The last 1.5 hours are arranged as the trailer and car practical test. There is no theory test with the trailer B+E category.

After completing your B+E (car & trailer) training you will need to take your Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). On arrival at the test centre the driving examiners will ask to see both parts of your driving licence and from there you will go outside to perform an eyesight check. You will need to be able to read a number plate from 20.5 metres (62 feet) away. If you cannot read the number plate, with or without glasses/lenses you will not be allowed to take your driving test.

After successfully reading the number plate you will need to answer 5 safety check questions. Driving instructors commonly refer to these as the show me tell me questions as they all start with – Show me how to check or Tell me how you would check.

Its then time to complete the reversing exercise. You will need to drive the car and trailer onto a purpose built pad and reverse from one end of the pad to the other whilst avoiding a cone in the middle of the reversing area. The trailer will need to end inside a box, made of cones and with the back of the trailer over hanging a hatched area.

After the reversing exercise you will be taken out on the road for approximately 40 minutes. Whilst out on the road you will be expected to be able to deal with all the normal junctions and hazards you will find in and around town as well as deal with the traffic on a dual carriageway.

Common things to fail on, whilst out on the road are,

  • Hill starts
  • Clearance to vehicles
  • Crossing lanes on roundabouts
  • Checking Mirrors
  • Blind Spot Checks when pulling away

Once back at the test centre you will need to perform an un-hitch and hitch exercise. During this you will need to unhitch the trailer from the car and park the car next to the trailer. Then you will need to be able to re-hitch the trailer making sure you have performed the checks needed to ensure it is connected properly.

Then it’s the big moment when the examiner tells you whether you have passed or failed. It is at this point that your trainer should listen to the debrief to ensure you understand what when wrong and when, if you did do anything wrong of course.

RECAP

The steps of the test are:

  • Document Check
  • Eyesight Check
  • Safety Check Questions (Show/Tell)
  • Reverse exercise
  • On Road Drive
  • Un-couple and re-couple
  • Debrief

Presuming you pass you will get a new driving licence with the B+E (car + trailer) category on it. This will allow you to tow larger and heavier trailers.

There are rumours that the car and trailer test will be changing to be in line with the changes presently being made to the car practical test. This has not been confirmed and if it does happen your trainers will be given lots of notice so they can make adjustments

B+E (Towing a trailer driving test)

When something goes wrong with the lights on a trailer, people automatically assume the problem is in the trailer. However, reality tells us something different. A bunch of the time, the problem is in the tow vehicle. If the “I’ve seen this problem before” approach doesn’t fix the problem, start with the tow vehicle. First of all, make sure all the lights are working correctly on the tow vehicle. Once this is verified, go to the connection at the tow vehicle and test there. Prove to yourself that the tow vehicle is putting out the correct voltages on the correct connector pins. Again, I am not a big fan of using a voltmeter for this task, I prefer to use a bulb with two test leads. If you prefer, you can also purchase a little LED (light emitting diode) tester that plugs into the tow vehicle jack (receptacle). Besides providing a load to draw enough test current, this tester quickly show when too many lights are coming on. For example, the running lights come on when the brakes lights come on.
A typical tow vehicle jack is an in-line four-pin jack. It has three female pins and one male pin. The female pins carry the voltages for the different lights, the male pin is the ground or return for all the circuits. Starting with the male pin and working toward the other side of the jack, the correct voltages and wire colors are:
White – Ground
Brown – Running (tail) lights
Yellow – Left turn/brake light
Green – Right turn/brake light
To test the voltages at this jack, turn on the running lights and then connect your test bulb between the white wire pin and the brown wire pin. The test light should come on. Connect your test bulb between the white wire pin and the yellow wire pin. The test light should stay off. Connect you test bulb between the white wire pin and the green wire pin. The test light should stay off.
Turn off the running lights, then repeat this basic test approach for each turn signal and the brake lights. Remember, always connect one test lead to the white wire pin (ground) and see what is on the other pins. The test light should only come on when you are on the correct pin. Also keep in mind, when testing the brakes, the test light should come on at both the yellow and green wire pins.

B+E trailer test passed

Well done to Dave who passed his B+E driving test today at West Thurrock Driving Test Centre. In Essex
Dave met me at Southend-on-Sea in Essex and completed a 2day intensive trailer training driving course and B+E driving test
The Examiner for the B+E driving test complemented him on a safe trailer driving test drive with only 3 minors
The reversing exercise was completed with no minor faults
After that Dave had to carry out the un-couple and re-couple exercise, which also scored no minors faults on the trailer licence test
His drivers’ licence should be back to his home address within 2 weeks as the trailer test examiner sent it off for him as his address on the licence was the same as where he currently living.
We carry out these trailer training courses and tests all over the Essex area

Well done again Dave you can now to the digger for work

Registering Trailers

Have you registered your trailers?

I’m sure you don’t want your trailer to end up looking like the one in the above picture?

If your trailers’ coupling was unsafe and became unattached from your towing vehicle this could happen!!

Here at Get Towing we have Commercial trailers over 750kg that must now be registered with the DVLA before towing them internationally, or in the EU. so we have!! Have you??
What trailers should be registered?

Commercial trailers over 750kg and all trailers over 3,500kg must be registered before towing them through most mainland European countries to comply with road traffic regulations.
This means that towing a trailer and making international and EU journeys must:

display their own registration plate (separate from the vehicle towing them)
have a trailer registration certificate that can be shown to a foreign authority on request

Registration is quick and easy. Register your trailer online now.
Which countries require trailers to be registered?
Countries you need to register a trailer for
You do not need to register trailers that are only used in the UK and Ireland.

At get towing we offer trailer training courses and trailer tests in licence category B+E training to help you obtain your trailer licence to tow caravans, trailers, plant equipment, chippers,

Trailers can be serviced at a recommended business listed below

www.ckbtrailers.co.uk

Test Tips, ‘The Trailer’ used for a DVSA car and trailer (B+E) driving test

Rules for the trailer used on the DVSA B+E driving test…
The trailer you use on your B+E training course, and the load it carries, must meet certain rules.

Your B+E the trailer driving test test will be cancelled and you’ll have to pay again if a trailer or its load doesn’t meet the DVSA rules.
The trailer you use for your trailer trailer towing course must be a closed box body, you can use a horse box trailer for your horse box driving lessons, or trailer training intensive course, if the load is correct and meets the trailer test specifications.
Be ‘around’ the same width and height as the car – you ‘must’ only be able to see to the rear by using external mirrors, and ‘not’ through the rear window
Have a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of at least 1,000kg – you need proof to show the B+E driving test examiner, for example, the manufacturer’s plate
The MAM is the limit on how much the trailer can weigh when it’s loaded.

Rules about the load.

The trailer must carry a load of at least 600kg. The combined weight of the trailer and load must be at least 800kg as a minimum.
The load must be ‘secured safely’ inside the trailer. Your B+E driving test will be ‘cancelled’ if it isn’t.
The load can be either:
Bagged aggregates weighing at least 600kg, for example, sand, stone chippings or gravel (but not toxic materials) or a 600 litre or 1,000 litre intermediate bulk container, must be carried on your trailer training course and test, and be completely full of water.
Intermediate bulk containers are industrial containers for transporting liquids. They’re made from semi-transparent plastic and are usually reinforced with a wire frame.

Bags of aggregate

Each bag of aggregate must:
Be sealed
Weigh at least 10kg, but typically 20kg, (all bags must weigh the same)
Have the weight clearly marked on it
You can also use a single bag if it weighs 600kg or 1,000kg.

Water in containers:

Water must be in an intermediate bulk container. The examiner must be able to see that it is full.

MY TRAILER AND VEHICLE MEETS ALL THESE SPECIFICATIONS SO IT IS IDEAL FOR YOUR CAR AND TRAILER TRAINING COURSE AND B+E DRIVING TEST

GOODLUCK ON YOUR TRAILER TEST!!