When do I need an operators licence/tacho?

[Crazy Cutter]

There is an exemption for small trailers weighing less than 1020 kg unladen weight, so a small chipper and some Ifor type trailers will fall into this category.

You also dont need driver CPC if driving the vehicle is not your main job, ie if you are only driving it as part of your other work.

 

Does the 1020kg still stand as my 3500kg trailer weighs under that when empty?

[openspaceman]

 

Tacho rules do have some exemptions for B category vehicles & trailers as well as smaller LGVs where the combination MAM is under 7.5 tonnes

 

This bit is interesting to me because it defineitly says permitted weight, which means once I put a 750kg chipper behind the 7.5 tonne lorry I must use the tacho graph as my license allows me a combination weight of 8.25 tonnes, perversely I can never achieve this as the nose weight of the chipper always counts on the gross weight of the lorry as well as the gross weight of chipper.

 

Drivers of all LGVs (vehicles over 3.5 tonnes) using them for any commercial purpose will have to do the driver cpc - the cut off date for most will be 09/09/2014

 

I had interpreted this the same way as crazy cutter, the exemption still applies for driving to a job with tools, there remains the big grey area as to whether hauling arb arisings from the site fall within "material or equipment for the drivers' use in the course of his work". My strict interpretation was it does not but the nice VOSA lady said she wouldn't be picky.

 

What doesn't seem to have been said is the exemption is for keeping a record of drivers' hours but the time limits do still apply.