Chrisb Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 Due to being stopped for speeding a couple of weeks ago, I have recently changed to a French Driving Licence.I didn't look very closely at it when it arrived, but showed it as ID to someone yesterday who said that she was very impressed that I had my 'poids lourd'. It appears that every category has been stamped, bar the motorbike one. So I can now drive lorries up to 12 tonnes and coaches pulling trailers (or whatever EC and ED mean) , which I'm sure I wasn't entitled to do with my UK licence!! Strange, eh?Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 A whole new career opens up ... bonne route! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Trollope Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Isn't this a straight interpretation of a UK licence? I've got all these on my (UK) licence (inc the bike one) - although I think that the 12T comes from the UK 7.5T class. No? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 They've given you the same entitlements as on your old UK licence.Your UK category C1/C1E gave you light trucks up to 7500kg towing a trailer, but as France doesn't have this separate sub-category, you get a category (E)C (equiv to UK Class 1 artics) with a code 76 restriction (7500kg PTAC with a trailer combination weight of up to 12000kg).Your UK category D1/D1E minibus entitlement is replaced by new category (E)D with a code 77 restriction (maximum 17 seats plus same trailer weights as above).You don't get owt for nowt over here...[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisb Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 OK, so I won't be trucking off into the wide blue yonder quite yet![:)]Many thanks for the explanation, much appreciated!RegardsChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Trollope Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Many moons ago, when I was young, single, foolish etc etc, I had a (what was then called) a Class 1 HGV licence. I would jump at the chance to try one of the modern tractor units - on a quiet French road, of course. NO WAY would I drive an HGV in the UK (anywhere!) nowadays! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroStar Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I too am impressed about Chrisb's 'poids lourd'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chezstevens Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I presume that your license would allow you to drive an A class motorhome - something that a french driver would need to take a test for. Nice one!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audois Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 Strange that - did you have a visite medicale??? Technically to get anything other than a car licence (without a trailer) you need one ...Due for another visite next year, but they always fall around the time of our fete! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onion van man Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 [quote user="Nick Trollope"]NO WAY would I drive an HGV in the UK (anywhere!) nowadays! [/quote]Bah, Wheres your sense of adventure man? Nothing like going round marble arch with a 44' trailer on the back. Did you actually drive a truck here or did you just do the test and forget about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroStar Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I drive HGV's for a living in the UK and think it is a great adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Trollope Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 [quote user="Onion van man"]Bah, Wheres your sense of adventure man? Nothing like going round marble arch with a 44' trailer on the back. Did you actually drive a truck here or did you just do the test and forget about it?[/quote]I did (all over Europe, in fact), but that was a very, very , very long time ago - early 80's (I was very young...)Plenty of London (to large concert & sporting venues). Deep joy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bones Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I have one of the new plastic licences (left it late to pass my test!).My older, less handsome friends with the old style 'paper' licences tell me that they're entitled to drive heavier vehicles because the rules changed after going plastic. I drove an eleven seater land rover in France for a while and apparently I didn't really have the right. [:-))]There was some talk about it not being illegal to have more than nine seats unless you were actually stopped with more than nine passengers.Anyway, that's all irrelevant now that I have my trusty old 1987 205. [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroStar Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 I have a plastic licence and found that to drive HGV's, I had to get another licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onion van man Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 [quote user="EuroStar"]I have a plastic licence and found that to drive HGV's, I had to get another licence.[/quote]UK licences now have all your entitlements on the one licence. You would only have to get a new licence to have categories added or removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroStar Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 When I first got my licence I wasn't entitled to drive HGVs but have since changed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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