Many people think that driving a tractor can be compared to driving a car and that, having obtained the right to a car, you can drive any vehicle. This is a big mistake! Today we will find out what the rights to a tractor are, how to get them, and why it is important to do everything according to the law.
What is the difference between tractor rights and motorist rights?
First, find out what rights are needed on the tractor. Perhaps this is the first question that arises for future tractor drivers. The rights of a motorist are a standardized plastic card. It necessarily indicates brief information about the driver and the category of car, which he has the right to drive. The name of the state authority that issued it to the motorist is always present on the card.
Tractors are construction equipment and are not considered a motor vehicle. Therefore, in order to legally manage them, it is not enough to present a driver’s license. You must have a tractor driver’s license here. Before you receive it, the driver needs to take special courses and pass the final exam.
Another important point. Having received a driver’s license, you have the right to drive vehicles not only in your country, but also abroad. With special equipment, things are different. The certificate of the tractor driver-driver allows you to control the equipment only in the state where it was issued. Abroad, it is simply not valid.
What are tractor driver rights?
The form of rights is regulated by the State Technical Supervision Service, so wherever you receive a certificate, it will look the same. The right to drive a tractor is a card filled out on both sides. The first side contains basic information about the owner, his photo and signature. On the second side is information about the category of equipment to which he is admitted. Thus, from the point of view of information, the driver’s license is similar to a driver’s license, only here the categories are different, and the color of the card may vary. The basis for its issuance is a certificate of completion of a special training course, which is issued upon completion of theoretical and practical classes.
This certificate does not give the right to control the equipment. It is only a kind of admission to the exam in the bodies of Gostekhnadzor. If the training center that issued this certificate to the driver does not have accreditation in technical supervision, it does not have the force. But there is an exception. You can control special equipment with a motor power of less than 4 kW without a tractor driver’s certificate, with only one document from the training center. In the presence of full rights, both the tractor driver and his employer are usually interested. Indeed, in case of violation of the law, it is the firm that will have to pay the fine.
Categories
So, we learned what the rights to a tractor are. How to get this document is the next question. First you need to decide what technique you want to work on. Depending on this, the school will select the appropriate course for you. It is important that the training takes place exactly on the type of equipment that you are going to manage. The rights to a tractor and other self-propelled equipment are of several categories:
- Category A Gives the right to drive off-road vehicles not intended for common roads. This includes: snowmobiles, ATVs, storage equipment and other vehicles with a capacity of less than 4 kW.
- Category B. It allows you to work on wheeled and tracked vehicles, the motor power of which falls within the range of 4-25.7 kW (or up to 34 horsepower).
- Category C Allows you to control wheeled vehicles with a capacity of 25.7–110.3 kW (from 34 to 150 hp).
- Category D Gives the right to "drive" wheeled vehicles with a power plant with a capacity of 110.3 kW (from 150 hp).
- Category E. Allows you to control tracked vehicles with a capacity of more than 24.7 kW.
- Category F. Allows you to drive self-propelled agricultural machinery.
Discharges
In addition to the category of the vehicle, its category is indicated on the tractor driver’s certificate. It is assigned by the inspector who takes the exam. On all further documents, the category is indicated next to the specialty, for example, “driver of the 3rd category loader”. Consider each of the categories:
- 2nd category. Indicates that the driver has the right to operate the equipment under the supervision of a more experienced partner. The driver of this category is also allowed to repair loading or load-gripping mechanisms and devices.
- 3rd category. It gives the driver the right to control battery-powered loaders and other load-gripping mechanisms, load and lay loads in piles, repair and maintain tractor mechanisms.
- 4th category. It implies that the driver can work on loaders with a capacity of up to 100 horsepower and any other mechanisms used to move or stack cargo. The duties of the owner of the 4th category includes independent repair and maintenance of equipment.
- 5th category. Allows the driver to control tractors with a capacity of more than 100 horsepower or less, if they are used as scrapers, excavators, bulldozers and other machines.
- 6th category . Need for those who want to control a tractor with a capacity of more than 200 horsepower, when it is used as a bulldozer or excavator.
Documents
The certificate (“tractor-driver” - the so-called specialty indicated in it) can be issued to any citizen over the age of 18 years. To enroll in courses, you need to have a passport, 6 photos 3 x 4 cm and a medical certificate.
Learning process
In most schools, tractor driver training lasts up to a month and a half (depending on category). The course program is approved by the State Technical Supervision and the Ministry of Education. It is conditionally divided into two parts: theoretical and practical.
The theoretical part includes the study of the construction of special equipment and the rules for working with goods. If you do not have a driver’s license, then this course will also include traffic rules. Knowledge of the theory at the end of training is tested on the exam.
The practical part of the course takes place at the training ground. Here they learn to drive a tractor, maneuver on it and handle cargo. Without fail, the trained driver must try himself in real work, on the ground and asphalt. The tractor driver, whose training included a small amount of practice (this happens in small schools), runs the risk of not passing the exam. Therefore, you need to look for a good training center with a conscientious approach to work. Finding out where to get tractor rights in your city is pretty simple.
Exam
Certification takes place in two stages. Drivers first pass the theory, either verbally or on a computer. In case of successful passing, they are admitted to practical exams.
The practical part of the exam assesses the driver’s ability to manage special equipment. Conditionally, the test is divided into two stages. The first is riding on a training ground in ideal conditions. This usually happens at the same training ground where the person studied. The second stage is work on a real object. The inspector of the Gostekhnadzor must attend the exam, it is he who makes the final verdict. If the first time it was not possible to pass this or that part, you will have to come for a retake at least a week later. Those who have completed all the tasks receive a certificate. Well, the rest of the students are preparing for retake. After three unsuccessful attempts of the failed driver, they are sent for re-training.
A little more about choosing a school
Now you know what tractor rights are, how to get them, and what to look for. As mentioned above, the training center must be accredited without fail. Another important point - it should be in the region in which you live. If a person lives in one area, and receives rights in another, he will not succeed. However, there are some exceptions. A number of prestigious educational institutions have the right to educate both nonresident people and foreigners. Before you take the documents to the training center, make sure that you are really taught here, and that you will be given real rights in the end.
Why don't I just buy tractor rights?
How to get rights? A question that many tractor drivers panic. And all because they simply bought them. On the Internet you can find a ton of offers selling fake certificate of training. As you already understood, by purchasing this document from an unaccredited organization, you will not be admitted to the exam. Therefore, the "sellers" of these certificates simply profit from the lazy "tractor drivers", and the certificates themselves are worthless. But this is not so bad. For the certificate (“tractor-driver” - such a specialty should be indicated in it) you need to pay the Technical Supervision, as well as for the rights of a motorist to the traffic police.
In general, someone who is not able to obtain the rights to a tractor and special equipment himself will easily find a way to buy them. But what will happen next? What happens if an ignorant person drives a heavy machine? How much will he have to pay for damaged cargo or damage to expensive equipment? A competent person who wants to become a professional will never bypass the law when receiving a document imposing so much responsibility on its owner! So we do not recommend you buy a tractor driver's license. Moreover, you already know where to get the rights to the tractor and what you should pay attention to.