To drive a vehicle with a heavy trailer, you need category B on your driver's license. Driving this road train without a license of the appropriate category is prohibited by the rules. For this violation, the driver may fall under administrative liability in accordance with the Traffic Regulations and the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.
Therefore, it is worth considering in more detail such questions as: what prospects open up for the driver if he opens the BE category in his license, what cars he can service, how to obtain the BE category, what exercises he must master in order to pass the exam for opening the “BE” in rights
Category "BE" in a driver's license
The BE mark on a driver's license (VU) indicates only one thing: their holder has the right to drive a car with a heavy trailer, but at the same time must fulfill certain requirements in connection with the peculiarities of operating a vehicle of this type.
The main thing for a driver sitting behind the steering wheel of a car with a heavy trailer is to have driving skills that will allow him to avoid accidents on the road.
It is very difficult to drive a car that is coupled to a trailer. Therefore, special training is required to open a category and then operate a car on many kilometers of highways.
Just a moment! Before receiving category BE, your license must have category “B”, opened 1 year (or more) ago.
A driver driving a vehicle of category “B” without this mark on his license will face administrative punishment in the form of a fine. The amount is set individually depending on the situation and ranges from 5 thousand to 15 thousand rubles. At the time of arrest, the driver is removed from driving, and the car is sent to the impound lot.
Driving license category Be – what is it?
Be is a subcategory of the B license. It can only be obtained after the person has completed training and is able to drive passenger cars. Until the condition is met, the citizen will not be allowed to take the exams. Having received the Be subcategory, a person will be able to drive passenger cars with a heavy trailer.
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The requirements for cars that can be driven after receiving a driver’s license in 2021 are reflected in Article 25 of Federal Law No. 196 of December 10, 1995 “On Road Safety”. It says here that after opening the Be subcategory, a person gains access to driving a car coupled to a trailer whose weight exceeds 750 kg. A standard B license will not be sufficient if the weight of the trailer is greater than the unladen weight of the vehicle. If there is an open subcategory Be, the total mass of the train may be more than 3.5 tons.
You can get acquainted with the weight characteristics of the car by studying the passport. The data is reflected in the PTS in paragraphs 14 and 15.
What cars can be driven with category “BE”?
Category BE includes:
- Category B motor vehicles with a trailer. The maximum permitted trailer weight in this version is over 750 kg. It may well exceed the weight of the machine itself without load, and in this case the weight of the machine does not play any role here;
- Category BE also includes vehicles from category B that have a trailer hitch. But there is one condition here, which is that the weight of the trailer (maximum permitted) can have a mass of over 750 kg, and the transport train itself, in terms of maximum weight, must necessarily exceed 3500 kg.
If on the first point (regarding a car with a trailer) the road service employees are well informed and do not ask any unnecessary questions, then on the second point the disputes between drivers and traffic cops do not subside. Law enforcement officers constantly ignore this definition and pick on drivers. This question is controversial, so it’s worth taking a good look at everything again, in particular, whether or not you should open the BE category if you are a fan of caravanning and can’t imagine a vacation without a trailer house.
What vehicles can be driven with category Be?
Category Be in 2021 applies to vehicles whose requirements are reflected in Article 25 of the Federal Law “On Road Safety”. This includes passenger cars with trailers. The car must have no more than 8 seats, not counting the driver. It is necessary to open category Be if you plan to drive a car with a trailer whose weight exceeds 750 kg and the weight of the vehicle itself without load.
There are other cars that require the Be license to operate them. These are cars with no more than 8 seats and coupled to a trailer weighing more than 750 kg. However, there are restrictions on the total weight. The transport train must weigh more than 3.5 tons.
Rights to a camper: is “BE” needed?
If the maximum permitted weight of the trailer is less than the weight of the B-category vehicle to which the trailer is attached, but at the same time the condition is met that the weight of the entire vehicle in the coupling is less than 3,500 kg, then a driver with an open B-license will be allowed to drive it. category.
If the driver has received a driving license giving him the right to drive all types of transport of categories “B”, “C”, “D”, then he can also take control of a vehicle with a trailer whose permissible weight is less than 750 kg.
If the trailer has a mass of more than 750 kg, then the holder of a license with open categories “B”, “C”, “D” will not be able to drive such a train until the permitting category o appears in his driving license.
In fact, it turns out that if the maximum permitted weight of the entire train exceeds 3500 kg, then only the driver whose driver’s license contains categories “B” + “E”, “C” + “E” or “D” has the right to tow it " + "E".
Here is a ready-made example: a trailer weighing (total) 1,100 kg was hooked up to a car whose total weight when weighed was 2,600 kg. The total mass of this composition became equal to 3,700 kg. To manage it, you must have categories “B” + “E” or “C” + “E”. But if the “B” + “E” category is open, then the brake system of the trailer must be inertial and its weight without load must be less than the curb weight of the towing vehicle.
The vehicle's operating manual always contains information about the permitted trailer weight, and if you follow them, there will be no problems.
How to open a new category of driver's license?
Greetings, our dear readers. Often, visitors to our site wonder how an additional category is opened on a driver’s license?
Basically, car owners need to open category A (C), while category B is already open, or, conversely, category B when category C is open. Our article will help you understand the sequence of actions in the process of opening the category of driver’s license you need. In addition, we will list all the main stages of the exams that are required to be passed when opening a new category or subcategory of your driver's license.
We will try to comprehensively give you answers to questions such as:
- – how categories A and M, as well as subcategories A1 and B1, are opened;
- – how to open category B;
- – how categories C, D are opened, as well as, if necessary, subcategories C1 and D1;
- – consider the opening of categories such as BE, CE and DE (subcategories C1E and D1E);
- – is it possible to improve driving skills to switch from automatic transmission to manual transmission;
- – the need for the participation of a driving school in preparation for exams.
To begin with, I would like to note that a driver who opens a new category of driver’s license will in no way avoid passing the necessary qualifying exams, while the procedure for passing the exam for different categories is strictly defined and different, which we will tell you about later in our article.
Please note that opening a new category in a driver’s license implies that the driver has reached the required age, because the age threshold is set individually for each individual category.
Now let's move on to a more detailed consideration of the issues of opening new categories of driver's licenses.
How to open categories A, M (subcategories A1, B1)
The opening includes the delivery of a motorcycle race track.
In particular, to open categories A, M or subcategories A1, B1, you need to pass the following:
- – theory exam. Tickets for the theoretical exam on knowledge of traffic rules are the same as the set of tickets for category B.
- – passing the practical exam for two-wheeled vehicles at the race track includes three exercises (approved from 09/01/2016), described below.
ex. No. 1 – snake, high-speed maneuvering, clearance corridor, clearance figure eight;
ex. No. 2 – parking and exiting a parking space;
ex. No. 3 – a stop that meets safety requirements for boarding or disembarking passengers.
How to open category B
The test at the race track is taken in a passenger car.
When opening category B, the following is given:
- – theory exam. Tickets for the theoretical exam on knowledge of traffic rules are the same as the set of tickets for category A.
- – passing a practical exam at the race track, consisting of 5-6 exercises selected by the examiner. Exercise No. 8, “signalized intersection,” can only be completed using an automated circuit.
ex. No. 4 – stopping and starting on an uphill slope;
ex. No. 5 – maneuvering in a confined space, including: a snake, a ninety-degree turn, and a turn in a confined space (the examiner can choose any two of the exercises listed);
ex. No. 6 – entering the box in reverse;
ex. No. 7 – parallel parking performed in reverse;
ex. No. 8 – driving through a controlled intersection.
– passing a practical driving test in the city.
How to open categories C, D (subcategories C1, D1)
The opening of these categories involves the delivery of the circuit by bus.
When opening category C, D or subcategory C1, D1, you need to pass the following exams:
- – theory exam. Tickets for the theoretical exam on knowledge of traffic rules of category C are the same as the set of tickets for category D.
- – passing a practical exam on a racing track, consisting of five exercises (6 on an automated one), selected by the examiner.
ex. No. 4 – stopping and starting on an uphill slope;
ex. No. 5 – maneuvering in a confined space, including: a snake, a ninety-degree turn, and a turn in a confined space (the examiner can choose any two of the exercises listed);
ex. No. 6 – entering the box in reverse;
ex. No. 7 – parallel parking performed in reverse;
ex. No. 8 – driving through a controlled intersection.
- – passing a practical driving test in the city.
How to open category E (BE, CE, C1E, DE, D1E)
When passing the exams to open these categories and subcategories, circuit exercises are performed on a truck with a trailer.
Thus, to open categories BE, CE, DE or subcategories C1E, D1E, we submit:
– theory exam (set of exam tickets for knowledge of traffic rules).
– passing a practical exam at the race track, including 4 exercises (the number was increased to 4 from 09/01/16).
ex. No. 9 – coupling and uncoupling of the trailer with the tractor;
ex. No. 10 is a stop that meets safety requirements for boarding or disembarking passengers.
ex. No. 11 – entering the box in reverse;
ex. No. 12 – parallel parking next to the loading dock.
- – passing a practical driving test in the city.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that in order to open category E, the corresponding category, B, C or D (or all indicated at the same time), must be open on the driver’s license for at least one year.
So, if you want to get category DE, then your driving experience in driving a bus (category D) must be at least 1 year.
Advanced training from automatic to manual transmission
It is possible that a situation may arise where a driver, having received a category B driver’s license with a mark indicating the ability to drive vehicles equipped only with an automatic transmission, wants, over time, to retrain to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission.
In this situation, in order to improve the qualifications of such a driver, he only needs to pass a practical exam at the race track.
When is it not necessary to take the exam?
When opening a new category (subcategory) of a driver's license, in any case, it is necessary to pass both a practical exam and a theory exam. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Self-preparation for the exam
Today, throughout Russia, it is impossible to prepare for passing the traffic police exams on your own.
To obtain a driver's license with any open category or subcategory, you are required to complete a training course at a driving school. Previously, until November 5, 2013, self-preparation for passing the exam for categories A and B was allowed, whereas now, we emphasize once again, such preparation is prohibited.
We hope that after reading this article, you will be able to easily open any new category of your driver’s license.
Have a nice journey and good luck on the roads!
How to open the "BE" category
When replacing a driver's document, the BE category should be entered automatically if the E-category was already open in the old license. Everyone else will have to receive it in stages:
- use the services of a driving school, where future vehicle drivers are trained to obtain a license of the category that satisfies their needs;
- before starting training, you must pay for it;
- undergo theoretical training to pass the exam for the required category and a practical driving course;
- successfully pass all examination tests in driving theory and practice;
- become the owner of a driver's document, where the VE category will be opened upon receipt of it at the traffic police.
Obtaining a medical certificate
You cannot avoid undergoing a medical examination, which will attest to the absence of deviations in your health. These deviations may be an obstacle to obtaining a license of the category that allows driving a car with a trailer. In other words, you must have a medical certificate in your hands. A small recommendation: get a medical certificate in advance, before you take the documents to the driving school and pay for the training. If deviations are identified, then you can’t even dream of obtaining the BE category of rights.
How does training work in a driving school at "VE"
It does not take much time to obtain a driving license with the right to drive a car with a trailer. The duration of training for category BE is only 1 month. The training course includes:
- attending classes on driving theory and traffic rules. Although this point is not mandatory, and the student can decide for himself whether to attend these classes at a driving school or conduct the training on his own. This attitude towards students develops for the reason that they all already have a B-category and have been working for a long time.
- learning the skills of driving a car with a trailer and preparing to perform special exercises on the race track to obtain certification;
- passing an exam conducted by a driving school, with the right to receive a certificate of successful completion of school and obtaining the right to admission to the exam in the traffic police.
The cost of training for a BE license is influenced by your region of residence. On average throughout the country, this service is from 15 thousand rubles. up to 18 thousand rubles, this also includes the fee for practical lessons in driving a car with a trailer.
How to get a CE or C1E category license
If the old driver's license had categories E and C, when replacing the license, C1E and CE are automatically opened. Future drivers will need to undergo training at a driving school and pass an exam at the traffic police.
Age and absence of medical contraindications
A driver candidate must be at least 19 years old. This is due to the fact that it is possible to open the CE (C1E) category only one year after receiving a driver’s license for a truck. Accordingly, the trainee must have at least 12 months of driving experience. The candidate driver must have no medical contraindications, which must be confirmed by a medical certificate
Price
Many people are interested in how much training costs. Contrary to expectations, training for a light truck with a trailer (C1E) does not cost less than for the CE category. The cost is absolutely the same. The average price in Russia is 20,000 rubles.
Deadlines
Driver training for the CE category includes a theoretical course. It consists of:
- Traffic Rules. The lion's share is devoted to self-preparation, since the student must know traffic rules;
- Providing first aid on the road;
- Maintenance, design and basics of driving a truck with a trailer.
After theory, practice is taught at a specially designated area (autodrome). There, the student will receive practical skills in driving a vehicle of the CE category and become familiar with the exercises that await him in the exam at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. In total, the training period for the CE and C1E license will take 1-1.5 months, after which the student will be admitted to the exam at the State Traffic Inspectorate
Testing theoretical knowledge
The examinee must answer 20 questions on the ticket. Theoretically, he can make two mistakes on the ticket. For each, you will additionally have to solve 5 tasks, this time without errors. Upon successful completion of the test to obtain a CE or C1E category of license, the student is admitted to the second stage.
Test at the race track
Recently, the number of exercises for driving vehicles with heavy trailers has increased. Now, in order to open the CE (C1E) category on your driver’s license, you will need to complete the following exercises at the race track:
- Demonstrate the ability to couple and uncouple a trailer from a truck;
- Driving and maneuvering in reverse;
- Entering “backwards” into the garage;
- Performing maneuvers in a confined space: stopping to pick up passengers (there will be an “intersection” at an angle of 90 degrees, after passing which you must stop no further than 1 meter from the curb, without driving over the stop line);
- Parking at the loading dock. In reverse, you need to park so that there is no more than one and a half meters left to the loading platform (the exercise is similar to parallel parking in a car).
Exam in the city
There shouldn't be any difficulties here. To open a CE category driver's license, you need to drive through a city with active traffic, following the same rules as for trucks and buses. In this case, the duration of the route can last up to 30 minutes. If any part of the exam is not passed, the examinee is not allowed to proceed to the next stage. You can retake exercises or tickets no earlier than 7 days later. We see how complicated the rules for obtaining a driver’s license with category C1E or CE for trucks with a trailer have become. I would like to believe that this was done to ensure road safety, but alas, they were introduced based on the requirements of the Convention on Road Traffic. This has made life much more difficult for ordinary car enthusiasts, but these are the realities, the fight against which is like fighting windmills...
Exam for "BE"
The exam is held at the State Traffic Inspectorate, where a three-stage knowledge testing system has been developed. Moreover, at each level, those drivers are eliminated who do not demonstrate strong knowledge to obtain category BE in their license.
Theory
In the theoretical part of the exam you will have to answer 20 questions. You are allowed to make only 2 mistakes, which are not forgiven by the examiners. If 1 mistake is made, the examinee must additionally answer 5 questions correctly. Well, if 2 mistakes are made, then 10 additional questions will be added at once. And only correct answers will help you get credit for the theoretical exam.
Test at the race track
The driver driving the vehicle train must undergo several special exercises at the race track to make it clear whether he is worthy of obtaining a driving license with category BE, or whether time is required for additional training.
The practical driving test includes 4 exercises: (from September 1, 2021, the number of exercises has been increased to four)
- ex. No. 9 - at the beginning, the trailer is coupled to the car, then uncoupled;
- ex. No. 10 - complete stop of the car to board or disembark passengers;
- ex. No. 11 - entering the hangar in reverse. Special precision is needed here, because... this maneuver involves “backing” the trailer at 90° and the ability to fit into the established frame;
- exercise No. 12 - parallel parking at the platform where loading takes place.
Of the four exercises, ideally you need to do all of them perfectly. But if the driver makes a mistake in only one case and immediately corrects his mistake, he will still receive credit.
Driving around the city
It seems that everything is clear here, and in order to open the BE category, the driver will have to drive a car with an attached trailer onto the highway in the same way as it was when passing for a B-category license. You can get acquainted with the routes using the official website of the traffic police. This allows the driver to prepare in advance by clarifying what signs are encountered along the road and what the trajectory of the roadway is.
This will end the driver’s check and, if he successfully passes all exams, he will have the right to travel on highways in a car with a trailer on completely legal grounds after receiving the appropriate mark from the VU.
Anyone who has completed training and can drive a car with a trailer in accordance with the traffic rules can obtain a license with open category BE from the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate.
Last update: 04-09-2020
Features of training for category BE
Theoretical training will take place over two weeks. Whether or not to go to classes is up to everyone to decide for themselves. Usually, after completing the course, you need to take an exam at a driving school and pick up documents about completing this training. They are issued to everyone who signed up for this course and paid the tuition.
As soon as the documents are received, you can go to the MREO, to which the driving school that issued the training documents is attached. Here you need to find out when you can take the exam.
There is another option - with documents from a driving school, go to any MREO in your city and take the exam there yourself.
IMPORTANT! Those who are in a hurry to obtain the BE category need to know that exams for its receipt are not held often (as well as for the CE category), since a small number of people want to have it. They arrive at different MREOs at different times. Usually the break between the next exam is 1-2 months.
To speed up the process, you need to:
- Try to find one of the MREOs where the next next exam will be held, and join the group of drivers who want to take it. This will reduce the wait from two months to one week.
- Sign up to take the exam. To do this, you need to detach yourself from the MREO to which the driving school is attached.
- For this purpose, it is necessary to contact the specialists of this MREO, who are responsible for conducting exams, and put a stamp on the back of the card issued to the driving school student.
- Submit documents confirming completion of the training course, driver's license, passport to the selected MREO and wait for the exam date.
