"W" on your driving licence

calistro

Anyone know if the "W" on your driving licence covers forklifts. I know it stands for work vehicles and was just wondering what "work vehicles" it covers. Cheers

Berty

No it does not. You need to go on a forklifting course for that.

2qk4u

Berty wrote: »

No it does not. You need to go on a forklifting course for that.

No you dont, it allows you drive ride on lawnmowers an small tractors and mini digers, road sweepers ect.

-Corkie-

2qk4u wrote: »

No you dont, it allows you drive ride on lawnmowers an small tractors and mini digers, road sweepers ect.

Berty is right. OP will need a ticket for the relevant machine. btw you would need c1 licence for a roadsweeper.

calistro

2qk4u wrote: »

No you dont, it allows you drive ride on lawnmowers an small tractors and mini digers, road sweepers ect.

Cheers. I was thinking that was the case. I've driven forklifts for the past 18 years and I remember when the "W" covered this. Seems crazy to be allowed drive tractors and mini diggers etc. IMHO i think the forklift licence in a money making scam. They have to be renewed every 2 years I think whereas a driving licence does for ten!

Del2005

calistro wrote: »

Cheers. I was thinking that was the case. I've driven forklifts for the past 18 years and I remember when the "W" covered this. Seems crazy to be allowed drive tractors and mini diggers etc.

You can drive this on a W

calistro wrote: »

IMHO i think the forklift licence in a money making scam. They have to be renewed every 2 years I think whereas a driving licence does for ten!

I always assumed that the W covered you for driving forklifts, it's just that due to H&S regs you now need a separate course to proof that you are "trained" to drive one!! Same as you can drive a HGV on an C licence but to earn money driving you need the CPC.

Henry Ford III

2qk4u wrote: »

No you dont, it allows you drive ride on lawnmowers an small tractors and mini digers, road sweepers ect.

Surely you don't need a license to drive one of these?

Cookie_Monster

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Surely you don't need a license to drive one of these?

the larger council type ones that are on the roads (or more frequently driving along footpaths) I assume you would.

OP - surely you only need a licence for the forklift if it going to be on the road anyway, not that likely in most cases. If on private grounds you won't need a licence

Alun

What exactly does W cover BTW? I just exchanged my Dutch licence for an Irish one as it was about to expire, and apart from B and BE, I seem to have magically acquired W as well, despite not ticking the box on the application form. I have no intention iof ever driving a tractor, so it seems pretty useless to me.

seamus

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

OP - surely you only need a licence for the forklift if it going to be on the road anyway, not that likely in most cases. If on private grounds you won't need a licence

This is correct, but you do need a licence if you're going to drive it in a public place. If your employer has a car park for public/customer use which you have to drive the forklift in, then you will need a licence for class W vehicles. Of course if you have any other class on your licence, you're covered for these vehicles.

What exactly does W cover BTW?

"Work vehicles and land tractors". It's a fairly broad definition, but it basically covers any vehicles which are exclusively designed as work machinery. i.e. a commercial van is not covered (because it doesn't have a specific function) but a forklift is, as would be a baggage trolley in the airport (for example).

It's a bit of an archaic class - it's primarily to provide for situations where a young person is working on a farm and needs to be legally able to drive farm machinery between the fields.

Cookie_Monster

seamus wrote: »

Of course if you have any other class on your licence, you're covered for these vehicles.

I don't get this bit. I only have B on mine, not W as I didn't think to tick the box at the time.

seamus

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I don't get this bit. I only have B on mine, not W as I didn't think to tick the box at the time.

You don't need it because the B licence generally covers these work vehicles. However if you're going to be driving exceptionally large work vehicle (i.e. over 3.5 tonnes) you'd need to have the W added to your licence to cover you. Adding a category to a current licence is free.

MetzgerMeister

2qk4u wrote: »

No you dont, it allows you drive ride on lawnmowers an small tractors and mini digers, road sweepers ect.

ACtually you do need to do a forklift training course. You get an American style licence when you have completed it.

Del2005

einheisserschre wrote: »

ACtually you do need to do a forklift training course. You get an American style licence when you have completed it.

You need to do the course to drive a forklift for a living. Forklifts are in the W classification so it can be driven by everyone with a B or W, they just can't do it professionally.

rebel.ranter

The "ticket" you need to drive a forklift in the workplace is like the SafePass that you need to have when working on a building site. It is generally needed for H&S and insurance purposes.

**Timbuk2**

I think it's unusual that W is automatically given on your licence. Just by passing your driving test through town at 50km/h in a Yaris for 20 minutes, you are able to drive a huge JCB on the road, which is a bit mad if you think about it!

-Corkie-

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

I think it's unusual that W is automatically given on your licence. Just by passing your driving test through town at 50km/h in a Yaris for 20 minutes, you are able to drive a huge JCB on the road, which is a bit mad if you think about it!

And a 30ft trailer behind it laden with round bales.:eek:

ShayK1

seamus wrote: »

You don't need it because the B licence generally covers these work vehicles. However if you're going to be driving exceptionally large work vehicle (i.e. over 3.5 tonnes) you'd need to have the W added to your licence to cover you. Adding a category to a current licence is free.

Iirc correctly that changed in either 2008 or 2003. W is not automatically given anymore.

Del2005

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

I think it's unusual that W is automatically given on your licence. Just by passing your driving test through town at 50km/h in a Yaris for 20 minutes, you are able to drive a huge JCB on the road, which is a bit mad if you think about it!

There's a lot wrong with our drivers education/testing, letting someone out on the road in a JCB after passing a driving test is the least of them.

The fact that you only have to answer a few questions and are allowed to drive this on your own is one of them, there's no requirement for an accompanying driver on your learners permit if the vehicle doesn't have a 2nd seat.

calistro

OP here again. Okay so although I have a work vehicles license and got a forklift certificate some years ago I still have to go through a forklift refresher course every 2 years (€€€'s). Even though my B licence covers me to drive faster vehicles on a daily basis and I only have to renew this (and not re-test) every ten years. Something wrong somewhere methinks. Scam, scam, scam. Surely if you pass a forklift test you shouldn't have to repeat it every 2 years!

Opions please!

galwaytt

calistro wrote: »

OP here again. Okay so although I have a work vehicles license and got a forklift certificate some years ago I still have to go through a forklift refresher course every 2 years (€€€'s). Even though my B licence covers me to drive faster vehicles on a daily basis and I only have to renew this (and not re-test) every ten years. Something wrong somewhere methinks. Scam, scam, scam. Surely if you pass a forklift test you shouldn't have to repeat it every 2 years!

Opions please!

Opinons all day, but that won't change the law I'm afraid.......

If you are using a forklift on the public road, you need a licence. If not, you don't.

If you are using a forklift in a professional capacity (anywhere), you need the 'ticket'. You need to keep a log of your hours on it (there's a proper book), and yes, you have to renew it.

Now, you can claim work related expenses back from your taxes, remember, so the cost of the course is reclaimable iirc.