About the B+E Accredited Training Scheme
The Government has implemented a voluntary new safe towing scheme designed to ensure fleet and private drivers who tow trailers are safe and accredited.
Bill Keith Trailer Training is a member of Skills for Logistics – B+E accredited training centre network, who are officially recognised by the DVSA to deliver B+E trailer training.
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Department for Transport (DfT) have worked with the trailer training industry by forming the National Council for Accredited Trailer Training (NCATT) to oversee the scheme and set good towing practice. This new accreditation scheme has been developed in partnership with the driving training and trailer industries to provide motorists with the skills, knowledge and competencies to tow safely.
The government is committed to road safety and encouraging drivers who tow for business or leisure to get professional training before towing or to refresh their towing skills.
The B+E trailer training accreditation scheme aims to:
Make sure drivers who want to tow a trailer for leisure or business have the skills, knowledge and competencies to tow safely.
For those towing a trailer in connection with their work, help ensure an employer’s corporate responsibilities to make sure safe working practices are met.
Safety Advice
Driving with a horse box
Reversing
Vehicle checks
Coupling
Uncoupling
Who can take advantage of this training?
From 16 December 2021, people in Great Britain who passed a DVSA driving test, category B, after 1 January 1997, are now allowed to tow trailers up to 3,500kg MAM. Please check the towing capacity of your vehicle.
Any driver who holds a current, full category B driving licence can undertake this training as a way to improve their driving competence. Drivers will therefore have the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to demonstrate that they have maintained and continued to improve their driving competence since they gained their full category B driving licence
How is the training structured?
Drivers must undertake training, covering the contents of this syllabus which provides them with specific training on how to tow a trailer, up to 3,500kg MAM with a category B vehicle.
The one-day training course (7 hours) will be a mixture of theory and practical elements based on what they will be towing.
This syllabus sets out how to train drivers in the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to be safe and responsible drivers when towing with a category B vehicle.
On successful completion of this training, drivers will be able to discuss and demonstrate the following 12 aspects:
Preparing a vehicle and its occupants for a journey
How to guide and control the vehicle whilst towing
How to competently reverse a vehicle and trailer
How to uncouple and recouple the trailer safely and competently
Use the road under the Highway Code
Drive safely and responsibly in the traffic system
Road safety benefits
Fuel-saving driving techniques
Safe driving techniques
Safe loading
Vehicle-handling techniques
Legislative requirements
Successful completion of training is demonstrated by the drivers’ ability to discuss and demonstrate all 12 aspects of driving whilst towing to the satisfaction of the trainer. This will be evaluated throughout the training.
Upon successful completion and reaching the required standard, candidates will receive a Skills for Logistics/DVSA endorsed Certificate of Training that could entitle them to insurance discounts.