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Pickup & Trailer Drivers’ Hours & Tachographs

Written for Pickups & Trailers

Why a pickup and single car trailer is a goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes in law, the exemptions that may apply, and the rules for solo days and towing days.

The Tachograph, Start to Finish

Which unit your pickup needs, driver cards, the mode switch, the OUT setting for solo driving, manual entries and what to keep.

Instant Certificate

Complete the assessment online and download your certificate straight away.

About This Course

A pickup on its own is a light vehicle. Hitch a single car trailer to it and, in law, you are driving a goods vehicle combination over 3.5 tonnes. The drivers’ hours and tachograph rules that apply to lorries now apply to you, on ordinary UK work, and DVSA has said publicly that it targets pickups towing heavy trailers. A pickup and car trailer on commercial work with no tachograph is one of the easiest roadside stops an examiner makes.

This course is written specifically for drivers of pickups towing single car trailers on UK roads: dealer delivery and collection drivers, motor traders, recovery operators, race and show car transporters, and trades who tow plant on a car trailer. It explains how to tell whether a given day is in scope, which exemptions genuinely apply and which do not, the driving, break and rest limits, the simpler GB domestic rules for exempt days, and how to run the tachograph correctly, including the solo days when the trailer is off.

Who it suits: anyone who drives a pickup and car trailer for work, and the business owners and managers responsible for them. No prior knowledge is assumed. Running HGVs or vans as well? See our HGV Drivers’ Hours & Tachographs and Van Drivers’ Hours & Tachographs courses.
Duration
Approx. 3 Hours
Delivery
100% Online
Access
12 Months
Certificate
On Completion

What You’ll Learn

Drivers’ Hours Rules

  • Why a pickup and car trailer is in scope, and how combination weight is assessed
  • Daily and weekly driving limits
  • Breaks and how they can be split
  • Daily rest, reduced rest and split rest
  • Weekly rest, reduced weekly rest and compensation
  • Rest when your vehicle has no sleeping facilities
  • The exemptions pickup drivers ask about, and their conditions
  • Solo days, towing days and mixing the two in one week
  • GB domestic rules for exempt days, and unforeseen events
  • Working Time rules and how they differ from drivers’ hours

Tachographs & Records

  • Which tachograph your pickup needs, and getting one fitted
  • Driver cards: use, care, loss and damage
  • Mode switching and periods of availability
  • Manual entries and other work away from the vehicle
  • The OUT setting for solo driving, and the country prompt
  • Missing mileage and why it matters
  • Records a driver must carry at the roadside
  • Driver card and vehicle unit download intervals
  • Data retention and analysis for a small business
  • Faults, breakdowns and what to do when a unit fails

Who Should Take This Course?

Pickup and car trailer drivers on UK work
Dealer delivery, collection and trade plate drivers
Recovery, motorsport and show car transporters
Business owners and managers responsible for the vehicles

Why Train With National Compliance Training?

No Day Off the Road

Around 3 hours, self-paced and online, so drivers can complete it between shifts rather than losing a working day.

Built for Fleets

Volume pricing, consolidated invoicing and completion tracking for whole-team rollouts.

Transport Specialists

Written by a compliance provider that trains transport managers and operators every day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this course count towards Driver CPC?
No. This is a standalone online awareness course with its own certificate. It is not a Driver CPC periodic training module and no DCPC hours are uploaded. If you need DCPC hours, see our Driver CPC Training courses.
My pickup is under 3.5 tonnes. Why do I need this?
Because scope is assessed on the combination, not the towing vehicle. A 3.2 tonne pickup and a 2.7 tonne car trailer is a 5.9 tonne goods vehicle combination, and the assimilated drivers’ hours rules and a tachograph apply on commercial work anywhere in the UK, unless a specific exemption applies. The course explains exactly how to tell.
Does it cover international journeys?
No. It is written for UK domestic work only, which keeps it short and relevant. Drivers who tow abroad should take our HGV Drivers’ Hours & Tachographs course as well.
Is this suitable for a brand new driver?
Yes. It assumes no prior knowledge and builds up from what the rules are and why they exist, through to using a tachograph day to day. It is equally useful as a refresher for an experienced driver who has picked up bad habits.
Does it cover the operator side as well as driving?
Yes. Alongside the driver’s responsibilities it covers getting a tachograph fitted, download intervals for driver cards and vehicle units, how long records must be kept, and what infringement analysis looks for, written for the small business where the owner is often also the driver.
What happens at the end of the course?
There is an end-of-course assessment. Pass it and you can download your certificate immediately. Access to the course material lasts 12 months, so you can go back and review any section.
Can you train a whole fleet?
Yes. We offer volume pricing, a single consolidated invoice and completion tracking so you can see who has finished and who has not. Get in touch and we will set your team up.

Get Your Drivers Confident on the Rules

£25 per learner, fully online, with an instant certificate on completion.

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