C1 Licence

B B G

Hi all, here's my story,

I'm a landscaper in Cork. I was driving a Renault Master untill today. I now own a Renault Mascott, similar to the one below,



It's a 03 crew cab, tipper with a Ferrari crane.

The important bits:

1. I only have a B licence.
2. Renault Mascott: plate near seat says: 6.5 GVW, 2.2t on each axle.
3. Typed Reg. into motor tax: tax is €420 and tax band is 3001 to 4000

The question:


Do I need to get a C1 licence? Roughly how much?


I'm not interested in doing a full C licence as I'm only a landscaper.


Also: Should I take off the tow bar for the moment as I don't have a trailer licence?


Thanks in advance everyone.

CiniO

B B G wrote: »

Hi all, here's my story,

I'm a landscaper in Cork. I was driving a Renault Master untill today. I now own a Renault Mascott, similar to the one below,



It's a 03 crew cab, tipper with a Ferrari crane.

The important bits:


[*]I only have a B licence.
[*]Renault Mascott: plate near seat says: 6.5 GVW, 2.2t on each axle.

This doesn't add up. How there can be 2.2t on each of two axles and total of 6.5tonne?
However I believe 6.5tonnes GVW is correct.
In which case you will need at least C1 licence.

[*]Typed Reg. into motor tax: tax is €420 and tax band is 3001 to 4000

Because motor tax is based on unladen weight, while driving licence requirements come from GVW (gross vehicle weights).
So it might be between 3 and 4 tonnes unladen, and GVW of 6.5.
You will need C1 for anything over 3.5 tonnes gross.

The question:


Do I need to get a C1 licence? Roughly how much?


I'm not interested in doing a full C licence as I'm only a landscaper.

Cost of C1 shouldn't be too much.
Theory test 40.
Driving permit 35.
Driving test is something about 140.
And new licence 55.

(all costs are completely approx as I just wrote them from memory)
You don't need to do CPC, as you won't be working as a driver.

Also: Should I take off the tow bar for the moment as I don't have a trailer licence?


Thanks in advance everyone.

No need for taking off the towbar.
You can drive a vehicle with towbar no matter if you have a licence for trailers or not.
You can also tow a trailer of up to 750kg GVW with this vehicle once you get C1 licence.

B B G

Thanks, CiniO,

So the van is between 3 and 4 tonne itself and can take roughly 2 and a half tonne of weight (passengers, tools and materials etc.

So a C1 licence would set me back roughly €300. is their a need to get lessons do you think? I'm a careful driver with 5 years ncb. Will I be driving a 7.5t rigid truck for the test?

CiniO

B B G wrote: »

Thanks, CiniO,

So the van is between 3 and 4 tonne itself and can take roughly 2 and a half tonne of weight (passengers, tools and materials etc.

That's only my assumption which I based on what you said

So a C1 licence would set me back roughly €300. is their a need to get lessons do you think? I'm a careful driver with 5 years ncb.

This is all up to yourself. Remember thought that passing a driving test is not really about knowing how to drive and being a good driver, but about knowing how to pass the test.
I was doing C category driving test last year, and I must say there was no chance I could pass it without few lessons from instructor which told me what driving test was all about. But I was never doing any other driving test in Ireland, as I got all other categories I have abroad.

Will I be driving a 7.5t rigid truck for the test?

According to this you can take you own vehicle for C1 test assuming it's 03 or older.

Vehicles(largervans/lighttrucks)withpassengeraccommodation
for notmore than8 persons, having a designgross vehicleweight
of atleast 4,000 kg., but not exceeding 7,500 kg., and capable of
a speed of at least 80km/h.

If it's 04 on newer it need to fulfil conditions below:

Vehicles(larger vans/lighttrucks) with passenger accommodation for notmore than 8 persons, a design gross
vehicle weight of at least 4,000kg., but not more than 7,500 kg., a length of at least 5 metres and capable
of a speed of at least 80km/h. The vehicle must be fitted with anti-lock brakes and recording equipment
(tachograph). The cargo compartment shall consist of a permanently mounted cube shaped closed box body,
which is atleast as wide and as high as the cab.

fiverfriday

Quick question- does anyone know anywhere in Dublin that rents a c1 vehicle for a driving test?

Thanks.

B B G

Thanks again CiniO,

The whole thing is fairly confusing:) I have three schools of motoring in Cork that do C1. I will ring them on Monday morning and see what the story is. It would be handy to be able to use the Mascott as it's roughly the same cab shape as the Master.

CiniO

B B G wrote: »

Thanks again CiniO,

The whole thing is fairly confusing:) I have three schools of motoring in Cork that do C1. I will ring them on Monday morning and see what the story is. It would be handy to be able to use the Mascott as it's roughly the same cab shape as the Master.

If it's fully road legal and fulfils the conditions above (first one if pre 04 and second one if 04 or newer) then there is nothing stopping you to use it for the driving test.

garclo

fiverfriday wrote: »

Quick question- does anyone know anywhere in Dublin that rents a c1 vehicle for a driving test?

Thanks.

I think vanrentals.ie rent box bodies. I've seen a few of their vans around. think they're based in ballymount.

seven_eleven

Question: Is it cheaper to learn how to drive and get a C1 license compared to a C, or are they the same price roughly? I have no interest in the C, and only want a C1 but if the lessons and license are going to be the same cost either way I may as well go for the C

CiniO

seven_eleven wrote: »

Question: Is it cheaper to learn how to drive and get a C1 license compared to a C, or are they the same price roughly? I have no interest in the C, and only want a C1 but if the lessons and license are going to be the same cost either way I may as well go for the C

Theory test, Driving test, all paperwork and medical check which you have to do (I probably forgot to mention this earlier) is the same cost.

Lessons surely will be more expensive for C.
Also as I assume you drive van's normally, driving slightly bigger van (for C1) shouldn't be much more difficult.
Driving a big 18tonne truck might be much more demanding, and therefore you might need extra lessons to get used to size of the vehicle.