O Licence Exemption

[Craig.]

He said he`s got a B+E licence, so it`s OK for up to 3500kgs vehicle & 3500kgs trailer. If he only had a B licence it would be up to 3500kgs combined vehicle and trailer weight.

The hilux is under 3500kgs gross so no O licence for that.

The trailer is 3500kgs so no O licence, depending on use (own goods, or hire and reward).

https://www.gov.uk/being-a-goods-vehicle-operator

Tachograph depending on use and distance from base.

If you work for the company, it`s their responsibility to sort the o licence not the drivers. 

[Ratman]

Yeah b+e reads right [emoji106] still not sure on o licence though, cos in some cases you will be classed as hire and reward so a grey area? ?‍♂️ others may be able to advise more

[JonnyRFT]

I mainly use a 3500kg trailer but unladen it’s 810kg, so I’m thinking the following exemption rule applies...

 

“A trailer with an unladen weight of less than 1,020kg need not be taken into account in the weight calculation for a vehicle pulling a trailer. It therefore can be ignored for the purposes of adding up total gross weights or unladen weights to determine whether they are above the threshold for requiring an operator’s licence.”

 

...so surely (in theory) if I’m below 7000kgs in total with both (for example) a 3.5t truck and a 3.5t trailer that weighs under 1020kg unladen, then no O Licence is needed.

 

I am a little nervy about this because I would hate to not be going by the book.

 

 

[openspaceman]

9 minutes ago, JonnyRFT said:

I mainly use a 3500kg trailer but unladen it’s 810kg, so I’m thinking the following exemption rule applies...

 

“A trailer with an unladen weight of less than 1,020kg need not be taken into account in the weight calculation for a vehicle pulling a trailer. It therefore can be ignored for the purposes of adding up total gross weights or unladen weights to determine whether they are above the threshold for requiring an operator’s licence.”

 

...so surely (in theory) if I’m below 7000kgs in total with both (for example) a 3.5t truck and a 3.5t trailer that weighs under 1020kg unladen, then no O Licence is needed.

 

I am a little nervy about this because I would hate to not be going by the book.

 

 

Yes I agree, because the trailer is under 1020kg it does not require an O licence.

 

As you have B+E you can tow it.

 

As the gross train weight  may exceed 3.5 tonne when laden you may need a tachograph, you almost certainly need a tacho and CPC for carriage of goods.

[maybelateron]

I use to run a Renault Dodge/Reynolds Boughton 4x4 conversion that was 4.4 tons unladen. I did a lot of searching about o licence and tachograph regs. One exemption I found described "dual purpose vehicles, eg Land Rover" as being exempt. Another exemption was vehicles used for horticulture/forestry. I felt comfortable enough that these two exemptions gave me justification in not applying for an o licence, and not using a tachograph that the vehicle had never had fitted.

I no longer run the Renault Dodge (it is now is in the Falkland Islands on a sheep station), but I take the view that my Iveco Daily 3.5T with either a 1.5T chipper or a 3.5T gross Ifor Williams trailer behind it can come under the exemption of horticulture/forestry, and also going no further than 25 miles from base, in my case.

The whole issue of o licences and tacho regs below 7.5T is a but of a nightmare, and I take the view that I am not going to get a custodial sentence if I am picked up, but smile and plead ignorance/exemption clauses.

[openspaceman]

45 minutes ago, maybelateron said:

I use to run a Renault Dodge/Reynolds Boughton 4x4 conversion that was 4.4 tons unladen. I did a lot of searching about o licence and tachograph regs. One exemption I found described "dual purpose vehicles, eg Land Rover" as being exempt.

Yes but it must weigh less than 2 tonnes unladen to be a dual purpose vehicle.

45 minutes ago, maybelateron said:

 

Another exemption was vehicles used for horticulture/forestry.

I think this exemption only applies to vehicles (not being agricultural tractors or machines) that run between land in the same ownership and not more than 6 miles is done on the road in a week. There is also an exemption for works trucks that only travel between land in the same ownership and road distance is 1.5km

 

[Justme]

On 4/28/2018 at 13:49, Jonny69 said:

Sounds like you are up the creek then. Although there is no way that vehicle requires an O licence. You may well need a tacho for towing if you travel any distance. 

 

I can't really understand how the O licence has any relevance to the cost of the vehicle or it's monthly payments.

 

Just go through a different lease company.

if its a full maintenance lease their costs go up.

[Justme]

23 hours ago, Craig. said:

He said he`s got a B+E licence, so it`s OK for up to 3500kgs vehicle & 3500kgs trailer. If he only had a B licence it would be up to 3500kgs combined vehicle and trailer weight.

The hilux is under 3500kgs gross so no O licence for that.

The trailer is 3500kgs so no O licence, depending on use (own goods, or hire and reward).

https://www.gov.uk/being-a-goods-vehicle-operator

Tachograph depending on use and distance from base.

If you work for the company, it`s their responsibility to sort the o licence not the drivers. 

When combined the new vehicle created is over 3500kg. But they exempt trailers under about 1000kg kerb weight that rules most out any way.

[Justme]

20 hours ago, openspaceman said:

Yes but it must weigh less than 2 tonnes unladen to be a dual purpose vehicle.

I think this exemption only applies to vehicles (not being agricultural tractors or machines) that run between land in the same ownership and not more than 6 miles is done on the road in a week. There is also an exemption for works trucks that only travel between land in the same ownership and road distance is 1.5km

 

Can you show me a 2000kg claus for that?

 

The only 2000kg rule is for car derived vans.

[Craig.]

8 minutes ago, Justme said:

When combined the new vehicle created is over 3500kg. But they exempt trailers under about 1000kg kerb weight that rules most out any way.

He said his trailer is 810kgs unladen

Motor vehicles and trailers

You’ll need a goods vehicle operator’s licence for a motor vehicle and trailer combination if:

• the motor vehicle and the trailer(s) are plated and the total of their gross plated weights is more than 3,500 kg
• the total unladen weight of the vehicle and trailer combination is more than 1,525 kg

You don’t need an operator’s licence if your trailer’s unladen weight is less than 1,020 kg and you only carry your own goods.

From the gov.uk link