More than half of farmers do not have a trailer licence

More than half of farmers do not know if they need a specific licence to tow cattle, a survey has found.

A recent Red C poll conducted on behalf of the Irish Farmers Journal revealed that 54% of farmers did not know that they needed a specific EB licence to tow a trailer.

A further 28% of farmers knew that they required an EB licence to tow a trailer and 18% of farmers were unaware they needed a specific licence to tow a trailer.

An EB licence allows holders to tow livestock or farm materials using a trailer that weighs more than 3,500kg in total.

A separate driving test must now be passed in order to obtain an EB licence. Prior to this, drivers could simply fill out a form and have the EB category added to their driver’s licence.

The poll surveyed 1,000 people between 29 August and 9 September this year and found that 43% of farmers surveyed held an EB licence, 52% held another licence and 5% did not hold a driving licence.

Those caught using a trailer without the correct licence are subject to penalty points and a fine.

It currently costs €85 to take a trailer test and the candidate must first hold a full car licence (Category B licence) and they must obtain a learner permit for the EB category.

The trailer used for the driving test must be enclosed, such as a cattle or horse box, and have a design gross weight (DGW) of at least 1,400kg but not exceeding 3,500kg.

The trailer should also be at least 2.4m long and as wide and high as the towing vehicle or jeep. There should also be 30, 4in cement building blocks securely loaded in the trailer, as the trailer must be presented with a total mass weight.

Methodology

The Red C poll conducted 1,000 interviews via telephone. The margin for error on a sample of 1,000 is +/- 3.2%.

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