Can I Drive A Luton Van? Driving Licence Category Info (2023)

Whether you’re moving house, transporting goods, or simply need a large vehicle for other purposes, you can’t find many better options than a Luton. However, before you think about hiring this vehicle, one of the questions you need to ask yourself is, ‘Can I drive a Luton van?’

This is a reasonable consideration because driving a Luton or any other large vehicle is a completely different experience from driving a regular car. This guide contains all the answers to your questions about driving a Luton, including what category a Luton van is, and what criteria you must meet to hire and drive a Luton and other large vehicles.

Table Of Contents

1 What Category Is A Luton Van?
2 How To Know What Driving Licence I Hold?
3 Can I Drive A Luton Van On A Regular Car Licence?
4 Can I Drive A Luton Van With A Tail Lift?
5 Is There Any Case In Which You Can’t Drive A Luton Van On A Normal Licence?
6 Is It Easy To Drive A Luton Van?
7 Driving Vans Heavier Than 3.5 Tonnes
8 Van Size And Category Relations
9 Van Driving Limits By The UK Regulations
10 Frequently Asked Questions
11 Conclusion

What Category Is A Luton Van?

A Luton is in the category B or private/ light goods vehicle (PLG) category. This category covers vehicles that do not exceed 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kg) in gross weight (maximum authorised mass). B category is featured on a standard UK driving licence, meaning any driver can legally drive 3.5-tonne vehicles.

Gross weight includes the total weight of a vehicle when it’s loaded, including the people in it.

We have an article that helps you find out more about Lutons.

How To Know What Driving Licence I Hold?

To know what driving licence you hold, check your physical licence. Driving licences are in the form of photocards. You’ll see various category codes that indicate what types of vehicles your licence allows you to drive.

Another alternative is to visit the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) website and enter your details. The DVLA offers an online service that indicates driving licence categories and what types of vehicles you’re permitted to drive based on your licence.

Can I Drive A Luton Van On A Regular Car Licence?

Yes, you can drive a Luton van on a regular car licence. A regular car licence is a category B licence. This category B licence allows you to drive any vehicle with a maximum gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kg). You can also drive passenger vehicles with a GVW of up to 3.5 tonnes, which includes minibuses.

You can drive electric vans with a gross weight of up to 4250 kg on a category B vehicle licence. The additional weight accounts for the extra weight of the battery technology.

Can I Drive A Luton Van With A Tail Lift?

Yes, you can drive a Luton van with a tail lift. A tail lift is a platform installed at the rear of the vehicle, such as a Luton van. The primary purpose of a tail lift is to enhance versatility and make your job as efficient as possible. It will simplify the process of loading and unloading heavy or bulky items. The best part is that you don’t need to meet any special requirements for driving a Luton van with a tail lift attached to it, only the standard licence is necessary.

Is There Any Case In Which You Can’t Drive A Luton Van On A Normal Licence?

Yes, there are cases in which you can’t drive a Luton van on a normal licence, but it all comes down to gross vehicle weight. You must make sure that the weight of the vehicle, its load and other attachments don’t exceed 3.5 tonnes (3.5 kg). Also, a standard licence is not sufficient to drive a Luton van if you intend to attach a trailer with a gross weight of over 0.75 tonnes (750 kg).

Is It Easy To Drive A Luton Van?

It’s not that easy to drive a Luton van, but it’s not exceptionally difficult either. Luton vans are much bigger than regular cars, so it might take some time for you to get used to driving one. New Luton drivers have to be very careful to prevent their rear wheels from hitting kerbs and other roadside objects when making turns.

However, seasoned van and truck drivers won’t have any problem driving a Luton. It also helps that most modern vans, including Lutons and Caddy vans, are as refined as some cars, so it’s fairly easy to operate them. Learn what a Caddy van is and how it differs from a Luton.

Driving Vans Heavier Than 3.5 Tonnes

Although there are really no Luton vans over 3.5 tonnes (as people call them trucks), there are other large vans with different licence requirements. While a standard car licence is sufficient to drive any vehicle with a gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes, the licence requirement changes when you exceed that Luton van weight limit. Let’s go over the various categories of licences and the types of vehicles they permit you to drive.

C Licence: You can drive vehicles over 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kg) with a trailer up to 0.75 tonnes (750 kg).
C1 Licence: You can drive vehicles with gross weights between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes (3,500 and 7,500 kg), with trailers up to 0.75 tonnes (750 kg).
C1E Licence: You can drive any vehicle with a trailer over 7.5 tonnes (750kg). However, the gross weight of both cannot exceed 12 tonnes (12,000 kg).
CE Licence: You can drive any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kg) with a trailer over 0.75 tonnes (750 kg).

If you’re lucky enough to have obtained your full car licence before January 1, 1997, you can drive vehicle and trailer combinations up to 8.25 tonnes (8,250kg).

Van Size And Category Relations

There is no relationship between the dimensions or size of a van and the category of licence you need to drive it. The DVLA categorises vehicle licences using gross weight rather than length or width. A Luton van falls under the 3.5-tonne category of vehicles, and as such, you only need a Category B (normal car licence) to drive it.

As we said, the gross weight of a vehicle includes the actual vehicle weight, the weight of the drivers and passengers, fuel and cargo. You must ensure that your vehicle’s gross weight doesn’t exceed the weight entitlement of your full driving licence before getting on the road. Learn more about Luton van size here.

Van Driving Limits By The UK Regulations

In addition to having the appropriate driving licence, you must also pay attention to various other driving limits you must not exceed.

Van Speed Limit

Vans have lower speed limits than cars and car-derived vans. Exceeding these limits incurs a £100 fine and three penalty points on your licence.

Town, cities and other built-up areas: 30 mph (48 km/h)
Single carriageways: 50 mph (80 km/h) (10 mph less than cars)
Double carriageways: 60 mph (97 km/h) (10 mph less than cars)
Motorways: 70 mph (113 km/h)

Driving Time Limit

The UK has a daily duty limit that prevents you from working for more than 11 hours and driving for more than 10 hours in a day. This limit doesn’t apply to working days when you do not drive.

You’re exempt from these daily driving limits if your vehicle weighs less than 3.5 tonnes and you use it in any of the following situations:

as a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or vet
for inspection, maintenance and cleaning
working for the AA, RAC or RSAC
as commercial travellers when carrying goods strictly to solicit orders
for cinematography, radio or TV broadcasting

Weight Limits

Your van has a maximum weight that it must not exceed when loaded. This is often known as the ‘design gross weight’, and you can find it on the vehicle identification number (VIN) plate.

This limit includes the weight of the van and extras such as:

The driver and passengers
Fuel load
Cargo
Vehicle attachments (the tail lift or lift gate)

Tip: You can visit a local weighbridge to determine how much your van weighs.

Overloading your van or its axles can affect its performance. You can also get fined up to £300 or get a court summons if your van exceeds its maximum authorised mass.

Calculating Your Van’s Payload

To ensure you don’t exceed your van’s gross weight, do not carry more than the vehicle’s payload. The payload is the maximum weight a vehicle can carry in passengers and cargo.

To determine the payload, subtract the unladen weight of the van from its design gross weight. The unladen weight is the weight of a van when it’s empty but fueled. So a Luton van with a gross weight of 3,500 kg and an unladen weight of 2,300 kg will have a payload of 1,200 kg. We have an article that helps you learn more about Luton van capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Drive A Luton Van On A Normal Car Licence?

Yes, you can drive a Luton van on a normal car licence. A normal licence is a category B licence, and it allows you to drive a van with a gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kg). You need to take an extra car driving test and obtain an additional category if you intend to drive vans or lorries with a maximum weight that exceeds 3.5 tonnes.

In What Category Falls A Luton Van?

A Luton van falls into the private or light goods vehicle (PLG) category and B driving category. The PLG class covers private cars and goods vehicles that do not exceed 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kg) in gross weight. You can drive a Luton van and other vehicles under the PLG category with a standard driving licence because it includes B category.

How Easy Is It To Drive A Luton Van?

It is not as easy to drive a Luton van as it is to drive a car, but it’s not super hard either. Even though you only need a category B licence to drive Luton vans, they are more difficult to drive since they are bulkier and handling is somewhat different.

How Fast Can A Luton Van Go?

A Luton van can go as fast as 70 mph. The speed limit for Luton vans in the UK varies across roads. Here’s how fast you can travel on different kinds of roads:

Town, cities and other built-up areas: 30 mph (48 km/h)
Single carriageways: 50 mph (80 km/h)
Double carriageways: 60 mph (97 km/h)
Motorways: 70 mph (113 km/h)

Are There Special Requirements For Driving A Luton?

No, there are no special requirements for driving a Luton. You only need a category B licence without having to sit for an additional driving test. However, you must keep up with the speed limit, as vans in the UK have a different speed limit from conventional cars on some roads.

Conclusion

Most people question themselves with, ‘Can I drive a Luton van?’ thinking Luton vans have different licence requirements from regular cars, but that’s not the case. You can drive a Luton and most other conventional vans if you’ve passed your driving test and are a category B licence holder. So, nothing’s stopping you from hiring a 3.5-tonne Luton box van for house removals and other transportation needs.

Can I Drive A Luton Van? UK Driving Categories & Van Limits