If you’re thinking of hiring a van, then you might be wondering what sort of van you can drive on your current licence. This post will tell you all you need to know.
If you are looking to hire a van, don’t forget that you’ll need appropriate insurance cover! We can help you get instant online temporary van insurance to last from one hour to 28 days. Get a free quote online today.
What Size Van Can I Drive On Your Licence?
Presuming you have a standard driving licence, then you can drive a van of up to 3,500 kg, or 3.5 tonnes.
Note that this maximum weight refers to the van’s gross-vehicle weight (GVW), and not the weight of the van itself.
What is Gross-Vehicle Weight (GVW)?
A van’s GVW is the maximum amount a van can weigh when loaded with cargo. So, it’s the maximum-allowed weight of both the van itself, and its cargo.
If you’re looking to hire a van for a house move, then the good news is that your standard licence will allow you to drive most, if not all, of the available vans at a van rental firm. Any company that rents vans should make it clear what sort of vans you can and cannot drive on a standard licence.
Examples of Vans You Can Drive on a Standard Licence
- Pick-up trucks and small “car-derived” vans.
- Mid-size panel vans, Luton vans, and crew vans.
- Certain larger vans, such as the Ford Transit.
- Minibuses with up to 16 passengers. However, in this case your standard licence will only allow you to drive if it’s not “for hire or reward”. So, you can rent a minibus to take some friends or family on holiday. But you cannot rent a minibus and start using it as a taxi service. Learn more about the rules for minibuses.
What Vans Can’t I Drive on a Standard Licence?
In short, you cannot drive any van with a GVW of 3,500 kg or above. This precludes you from driving box vans, chassis vans, dropside vans, and other larger models. Plus, it may mean you cannot attach a trailer to a van, if doing so would make the GVW exceed 3,500 kg.
Want to find out what types of vehicles you can and cannot drive on your current licence? You can look up your licence information online.
There’s also a guide on the government’s site on what to do if you want to add some higher categories to your driving licence, to allow you to drive larger and heavier vans.
Are You Going To Drive a Van For The First Time?
If renting a van means you’ll be driving a van for the first time, it’s important that you know what to expect. We have multiple guides on our site to help you.
- Tips for driving a van for the first time. How to deal with a raised view height, a larger turning circle, an increased stopping distance, and more.
- Parking vans in residential areas. There may be parking restrictions for vans in certain areas that do not apply to cars. Make sure you know the rules where you’ll be driving.
- Taking a van to the tip. If you want to hire a van to get rid of a large amount of household waste, then make sure you know the rules for taking vans to the tips in your area.
Get The Cover You Need For Driving a Van, For As Long As You Need It
If you are looking to hire a van, don’t forget that you’ll need appropriate insurance cover!
Whether you need a van for a day, a week, or longer, we can help you get instant online temporary van insurance to last from one hour to 28 days. Get a free quote online today.
