Trailer Training

Trailer training in Essex

Did you know that anyone who has passed their car driving test since 1st January 1997 will not automatically receive the trailer towing (BE) entitlement on their licence?

Whether or not you need the BE entitlement to legally tow a trailer on the road depends on factors such as when you passed your car driving test and what combination of car and trailer you want to drive.

We know that working out whether you need to take the trailer towing test or not can get complicated so we will try to explain the current* rules as best as possible at the bottom of this page.

Whether you are wanting to tow a trailer for work or pleasure purposes, you may need to take the trailer towing test. At Supreme Driver Training we specialise in providing high quality, up-to-date training to help you pass the test quickly, but more importantly to help you become a safe and confident driver when towing.
Our courses cover all aspects of trailer towing including; relevant towing law, hitching and unhitching, loading and unloading, stability, reversing and safe handling of trailers. We have various training options available to suit all budgets and training requirements so whatever your level of experience you can rest assured we will tailor our training to help you the best we can.To book a trailer course or for more details please contact us

As we have said at the top of this page, knowing what you can and can’t legally tow can be a bit of a minefield, which is why we have tried to explain the current* rules as best as possible. It is worth mentioning however that we always advise people to take trailer training and pass the trailer test if you are going to tow any type of trailer on the public roads, after all, it isn’t just yourself that you could put in danger but the other people around you and possibly the load you are carrying too. To book a trailer course or for more details please contact us

The BE licence category (or B+E) covers car and trailer combinations, and whether you need it depends on when you passed your category B (car) licence and what car and trailer combination you intend to drive. Someone who passed their category B licence test before 1st January 1997 should already have a category BE included on their licence and will therefore be licensed to drive a car and trailer combination of up to 8,750kgs MAM, we advise you check the back of your licence where the categories are listed to confirm you have a BE entitlement.

The MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) of a vehicle or trailer is important as this is what is used to calculate what you can and can’t drive. The MAM is basically the maximum weight that a vehicle can legally weigh when fully laden, not what it actually weighs.

Someone who passed their category B licence test on or after 1st January 1997 will not have received the BE entitlement and will therefore be limited to what they can legally tow. Generally, someone in this position will be allowed to drive a car and trailer with a combined MAM of 3,500kgs and the car must weigh more than the MAM of the trailer.** Remember though that this just a legal requirement and as such does not mean that you will be safe towing a trailer.

Please Note: We have given the information above as a guide and in no way constitutes legal advice, Supreme Driver Training always recommends that you should undertake suitable trailer training and pass the trailer test before towing any trailer on the road. If you have any queries about trailer training and licensing please feel free to contact us.

*current – these rules are correct at time of website publishing.
**Information taken from GOV.UK website on trailer towing licensing.