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Theory topic 14 · Düsseldorf

Topic 14: Driving with and without a trailer

Topic 14 is the second of the two extra lessons for class B that the FahrSchAusbO (the regulation on driving school training) adds on top of the general material. It's about what makes each type of vehicle different, from a car on its own to a car with a trailer (B96, BE) and the B197 test drive. Once you've got this topic sorted, you know exactly what your licence lets you drive.

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In class
90 minutes, as often as you like
This is topic 14 of 14. You can come to this double lesson as many times as you like.
Flexible times
8 theory classes a week
Lessons run on six days a week. The 14 topics follow on from each other in a loop, so you simply join at the next lesson.
Four languages
German, English, Arabic, Berber
Lessons are taught in German. If something isn't clear, you can ask in English, Arabic or Berber.

What you learn

What topic 14 covers

This is what's on the plan in the lesson, and it's what the theory test (Theorieprüfung) will ask you about.

  • What a class B licence covers (cars, and trailers up to 750 kg)
  • When you need B96 (a combination of more than 3,500 kg and up to 4,250 kg permitted total weight)
  • When you need BE (a trailer of more than 750 kg and up to 3,500 kg permitted total weight)
  • What changes when you tow a trailer: speed, braking distance and how the car behaves on bends
  • What the B197 test drive makes possible: you learn on an automatic but your licence covers both kinds of car
  • The speed limits for a car with a trailer (80 outside towns, 100 with Tempo 100 approval)
  • How to load a trailer safely: noseweight, weight distribution and securing the load

The key rules

What you need to know for sure

A lot of the test questions on this topic come back to these points.

  1. Class B: a car on its own and trailers up to 750 kg

    Class B lets you drive cars up to 3,500 kg zGM (zulässige Gesamtmasse, the permitted total weight) and tow a trailer up to 750 kg zGM. You can also tow a trailer heavier than 750 kg, as long as the whole combination doesn't come to more than 3,500 kg zGM.

  2. Class B96: combinations up to 4,250 kg

    B96 extends class B to combinations with a total weight of more than 3,500 kg and up to 4,250 kg. There's no test. Instead you do a training course of seven hours in total: two and a half hours of theory, three and a half hours of driving exercises and one hour on the road. Your licence then gets the Schlüsselzahl (key number) 96.

  3. Class BE: trailers up to 3,500 kg

    BE is a class of its own. It lets you tow a trailer of up to 3,500 kg zGM with a class B car. You only need to pass a practical test, because there's no separate theory test for BE. The minimum age is 17 with BF17, otherwise 18.

  4. B197: learn on an automatic, drive both

    Since 2021 you've been able to take your practical test in an automatic. The key number 197 is entered on your licence, but it doesn't restrict anything. After at least 10 lessons in a manual car and a test drive of at least 15 minutes, in which you show your instructor that you can change gear safely, you may drive both automatics and manuals.

  5. Towing: special speed limits

    With a trailer, a car may do 80 km/h outside towns, both on country roads and on motorways. If the trailer has Tempo 100 approval (it meets the technical requirements), you may do 100 km/h on motorways and Kraftfahrstraßen (roads for motor vehicles only). The Tempo 100 sticker must be on the back of the trailer.

Common mistakes

Where the test often trips people up

In these places a question often means something different from what it seems to say when you read it quickly.

Thinking B96 is a separate class
B96 isn't a class of its own. It's the key number 96, which is added to your class B licence. There's no test, just a training course and a certificate. Afterwards you have to apply to the driving licence office (Straßenverkehrsamt) to have it entered.
Working out the trailer weight wrongly
What counts is the zGM, the permitted total weight, not what the trailer actually weighs. You'll find it in the Fahrzeugschein (the registration document) under F.2. If you go over it, you'll be fined and, depending on the case, you may even be driving without a valid licence.
Thinking B197 only lets you drive automatics
That's not true. B197 lets you drive both kinds of car. Only drivers who took the automatic-only class B (key number 78) are limited to automatics. B197 is the version that covers both.
Forgetting the noseweight
When you load a trailer, put heavy items over the axle where you can. The Stützlast (noseweight), which is the weight pressing down on the tow ball, has to stay within the limits shown in the papers for the car and for the trailer. If it's too low or too high, the combination becomes unstable.

Sample questions

What the questions in the theory test look like

Click on a question to see the answer. You can practise the full set of official questions with our learning app.

You're driving a car with a trailer on a class B licence. What is the heaviest trailer you may tow?

A trailer up to 750 kg zGM is always allowed. A heavier one is only allowed if the whole combination is no more than 3,500 kg zGM.Above that you need B96 (combinations up to 4,250 kg) or BE (trailers up to 3,500 kg).

What is the speed limit outside towns for a car with a trailer that has no Tempo 100 sticker?

80 km/h, on country roads and on motorways.With Tempo 100 approval on the trailer, it's 100 km/h on motorways.

What's the difference between B197 and the automatic-only class B (key number 78)?

With B197 you may drive both manuals and automatics, once you've had at least 10 lessons in a manual and done a test drive with your instructor. With class B and key number 78, you may only drive automatics.B197 has existed since 2021. The rules are in § 17a FeV and § 5a FahrSchAusbO.

In the driving lesson

Where you'll meet topic 14 again in the car

We train for classes B, B197, B78, BF17, BE and B96. If you choose B197, you learn and take your test in an automatic, have at least ten lessons in a manual car as well, and finish with a test drive of at least 15 minutes with your instructor. That's not a test, and there's no examiner in the car. The BE test includes hitching and unhitching the trailer and reversing round a corner to the left.

Questions and answers

Common questions about topic 14

Short answers to questions around this topic.

When is B197 a better choice than the standard class B?

When changing gear would make the test harder for you than it needs to be. You learn and take the test in an automatic, but afterwards you can still drive manual cars. In return you need at least ten lessons in a manual and a test drive of at least 15 minutes. You'll find what that costs in our price list.

How much does B96 cost on top of class B?

B96 is a training course of seven hours: two and a half hours of theory, three and a half hours of driving exercises and one hour on the road. There's no test. At the end we give you a certificate, and you take it to the driving licence office to have key number 96 added to your licence. You'll find what the course costs in our price list.

Do I need B or B96 for a caravan?

That depends on the weight. For a caravan up to 750 kg, class B is enough. If it weighs more than 750 kg, what counts is the weight of the whole combination. If that's over 3,500 kg, you need B96 or BE.

What is the noseweight?

It's the weight that the trailer's drawbar puts on the car's tow ball. The manufacturer sets the permitted value, and you'll find it in the papers for your car and for the trailer. If it's too low or too high, the combination becomes unstable.

How do I practise reversing with a trailer?

Reversing round a corner to the left is a required basic manoeuvre in the BE test. As a rule of thumb, you turn the steering wheel the opposite way to where you want the trailer to go, and steer back as soon as it starts to follow. Practise slowly on an open practice area and use both mirrors.

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