It's all about the weight. That was the message coming from Garda Pat Coleman at a farm walk held in Laherdane, Co Mayo, last week.

There was massive farmer interest in the demonstration from the local garda and lots of questions on how to determine what weight you can carry in a livestock trailer. Garda Coleman said the reality was that a lot of farmers are driving around illegally when carrying very heavy loads in livestock trailers.

Q1. What can I tow on a category B car license?

If you hold a standard B license you can only tow a trailer with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of 750kg. This includes the weight of the trailer and what’s in the trailer. If the MAM of the trailer is over 750kg you can still tow a trailer on a B license provided the design gross combination weight (DGCW) of the two items (jeep and trailer) doesn’t weight more than 3,500kg. As a general rule, a category B license holder would not be able to tow a livestock trailer as the gross weight of both would be over 3,500kg.

Q2. What can I tow on a learner BE permit with a car, van or 4x4?

You need to have BE permit to learn how to drive when towing a trailer. In order to get this BE permit, you must pass a written theory test that can be completed in regional centres around the country. Once you have a BE permit you can tow a trailer once the laden weight of the trailer doesn’t exceed the manufacturer's guidelines.

The heaviest trailer that can be towed on a BE license is one with an MAM of less than 3,500kg. Therefore, the DGCW (both weights) of the towing vehicle must be less 7,000kg. BE learner permit holders learning to tow a trailer must be accompanied by a qualified driver who holds a full BE,C1E,CE,D1E or DE license.

Plate displaying towing capacity and weight limits of Izuzu DMax 2015 registered jeep.

Q3. How do I know what the legal towing capacity of a jeep is?

Every vehicle has a plate as shown in photo above displaying the gross vehicle weight and the gross carrying weight. The example in the photo was taken from a 2015 Izuzu D Max 2.5l jeep. The gross vehicle weight was 3,050kg and the gross carrying weight of this jeep was 6,000kg. In order to determine the weight of a trailer you need to look at the stamped plate on the trailer.

Gross carrying weight of Jeep: 6,000kg.

Take of vehicle weight: 3,050kg.

Weight of trailer: 650kg.

Weight of livestock allowed: 1,300kg.

The plate displaying the towing capacity of the Toyota Landcruiser.

The photo above was taken from a D4D 2007 Toyota Landcruiser long wheel base model. The plate shows that the gross carrying weight of the jeep is 5,550kg. The vehicle weight is 2,750kg, so the weight of the trailer and livestock that is being towed behind this jeep must not exceed 2,800kg.

Garda Coleman also highlighted that the maximum speed you can travel at while towing a trailer is 80km/h. A coupling device as shown in Photo 6 is a legal requirement when towing a trailer on a public road.