How can you find out whether you're able to drive a certain type vehicle?

Nine_Lives

I would've put all my savings on having posted about this here before. A search of all the threads i've made shows nothing though.

Basically we have a JCB loadall at work. I've had no 'official' training as such - no certificate. All i've had is someone the company deems 'competent' showing me what is what & then deciding i'm 'competent'. As far as i was aware, this was being competent to drive it in the yard - private land (yes customers will be present).

At times our department are asked to drive it on the road & i'm not 100% sure that i can legally do it.


Don't get me wrong - i'm not trying to get out of doing something my boss tells/asks me & i'm not trying to be difficult ........ i don't want to get into bother from work, but equally i don't want to get into bother from the law.

I've got the reg number, the VIN number, the machine type & obviously my licence.


Question is - which body do i contact to find out whether it's a yey/nay? Is it DVLA & only DVLA? HSC? ACAS? VOSA?

Who?

I meant to do this late last year but kept forgetting to write the letter up.

Splott

Needs to be insured to go on the road, taxed and registered as Special Vehicles Concessionary Duty classification, as 'Works Truck'. It is only allowed to operate "in the immediate vicinity" basically no more than half a mile from the site it is working and you're not allowed to tow with it.

You can drive it on the road if you have Category B, car, on your driving license.

Ideally you'd want a CPCS card but it is legal for the company to do an "in house" training course however you can only use it on your company sites. The training course should be around 4-5 days for somoene who has never driven one before.

Nine_Lives

Thanks for your post. Hopefully you don't take offence to this - but over something like this i need to get in touch with some official body.

I go down the road & get stopped. What do i tell them? Some chap off the internet told me XYZ.
I'm not saying i doubt you, but i need a response from some sort of official - i was just wanting to know who i'd direct my question to.

forgotmyname

You can tell them what you like. But its down to you to contact the correct organisation to check you are legal.

If not YOU are the only person that will get into trouble. And if driving something thats not fully legit then it will be impounded, You will get 6 points on your licence or more.
No licence, No insurance etc..

DVLA and VOSA are your 1st ports of call and getting something in writing would be a bonus.

Nine_Lives

forgotmyname wrote: »

You can tell them what you like. But its down to you to contact the correct organisation to check you are legal.

If not YOU are the only person that will get into trouble. And if driving something thats not fully legit then it will be impounded, You will get 6 points on your licence or more.
No licence, No insurance etc..

Sorry to point out the obvious - but i know this & this is why i was asking for a name of who i would contact.I assumed DVLA, but wasn't sure if 1 or more of the others would be contacted too.

DVLA and VOSA are your 1st ports of call and getting something in writing would be a bonus.

Thanks.

I would assume it'd be the following point of contact:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/contactus/drivers_enquiries.aspx

Drivers Customer Services (DCS) Correspondence Team
DVLA
Swansea
SA6 7JL

?

mgdavid

to be certain, you need to see the V5 document of the thing you want to drive, and then talk to DVLA and/or VOSA to see if your licence covers that vehicle classification.

InsideInsurance

Also remember the Road Traffic Act does not just cover public roads and some "private land" are equally covered by it (eg supermarket car parks)

forgotmyname

Also as my old firm found out the works carpark if not gated and signposted to exclude the public.

STOCKWIRE

You will find you can drive anything at work without any formal training if your employers let you. That is until you have an accident and injure or kill someone. They face the fine - you face the manslaughter charge.

STOCKWIRE

You will find you can drive anything at work without any formal training if your employers let you. That is until you have an accident and injure or kill someone. They face the fine - you face the manslaughter charge.

mttylad

You can say that again.

Oh you did...... lol