M3 vosa today

[madmatt]

If your towing a tw190 you NEED a o-licence! even if the trany is empty, its plated weight that they go off.

 

Do you have that as gospel truth and proof of it? If so I'd be very interested to see something. I was told this along time ago by experianced transport manager but the VOSA men were adament I didn't as a transit or defender 130 grosses at 3500kg for the prime mover. And trailers under 3500kg currently don't need annual plating or O licences neither does the transit or defender towing it.

 

If my Landy or a transit grossed at 3501kg then yep they would require an 'O' Licence.

[skyhuck]

I know a guy who was driving a 7.5 tonner and pulling a 3.5 ton trailer both were empty.He was stopped and done for not having a HGV licence and as he had not got the correct licence his insurance was invalid,so he got done for no insurance.

 

I was shocked as the whole rig was empty and would of weighed 5.5 tons if weighed,but the police said its the plate weight that matters.

[madmatt]

Yeah thats right that rig was totally illegal if the driver didn't hold a HGV licence. And a 7.5 tonner needs an O licence full stop wether its solo or not or an exemption apllies.

 

When the police were talking about Plated weights to him they were talking about them in regard to Driving Licences. these rules are not the same for Operators licences.

 

 

I still belive that any vehicle that grosses at 3.5 tonnes can tow a trailer upto 3.5 tonnes without an O licence. but will need a B+E drivers licence.

[skyhuck]

Don't think your right, the chipper manufacturers have gone to great lengths to probuce chippers that are 750kg as this is the weight you can pull behind a 3.5 tonner and not need tacho and o-licence.

[madmatt]

Chipper manufacturers went to great lengths to get chippers under 750kg so post 97 licence holders didn't have to do a B+E test. I belive I'm right in saying that if Vosa can prove you are towing a 750kg unbraked chipper or trailer behind a 3.5tonner for hire and reward yo need a tacho anyway but not an Operators licence.

 

I went through all this 18 months ago when trying to make sure the country park I worked for stayed within the law. I spoke to VOSA/DVLA and the Local traffic police. and they agreed that a 3.5 tonner towing didn't need an O licence.

 

I'm busy invoicing at the moment when I've done I'll ask VOSA again and see what reply I get.

[skyhuck]

My understanding was that tacho's are only ever used with an o-licence?

 

How else can there use be policed?

[madmatt]

Well I no thats definatley not true as my friend is a tacho tester and very knowledgeable on the subject.

 

He is handling the installation of the tacho on my vehicle and has agreed with vosa I won't need an O licence. Tacho Charts as I understand it are only checked/investigated when a driver is under suspicion of breaking the drivers hrs rules or in the event of a vehicle being involved in an accident. I agree with you that policing them is a shady area. As I won't have to use mine if the vehicle is running solo without a trailer or If I'm towing a vintage tractor to a ploughing match!

 

I'll email Vosa Later and IF they reply I'll post their reply on a seperate thread. It would be nice to have a document as a gospel answer.

[Quickthorn]

Chipper manufacturers went to great lengths to get chippers under 750kg so post 97 licence holders didn't have to do a B+E test. I belive I'm right in saying that if Vosa can prove you are towing a 750kg unbraked chipper or trailer behind a 3.5tonner for hire and reward yo need a tacho anyway but not an Operators licence.

 

I went through all this 18 months ago when trying to make sure the country park I worked for stayed within the law. I spoke to VOSA/DVLA and the Local traffic police. and they agreed that a 3.5 tonner towing didn't need an O licence.

 

I'm busy invoicing at the moment when I've done I'll ask VOSA again and see what reply I get.

 

This is what I understand. I went through the tacho stuff myself..if the whole outfit is over 3.5 t gross plated weight (it doesn't matter what it actually weighs on the day), then you need a tacho, unless you're claiming exemption. A forestry exemption (and forestry may not include arb) would allow you to operate within a radius of 100 km from your base without a tacho. GV262, available as a pdf halfway down this page is the reference.

 

Here is the o licence page, and the exemptions are here. On exemptions, what might be of interest are...

 

"Dual purpose vehicles (eg Land Rovers) & their trailers. Includes Range Rovers, Jeeps, certain Japanese vehicles and those designed to go over rough ground as well as on roads. NOTE: All dual purpose vehicles must not exceed 2040 kg in unladen weight."

 

and..

 

"*It is also worth knowing that, when towing a trailer behind a vehicle that is around - or slightly below - 3.5 tonnes gross plated weight (e.g Ford Transit/Mercedes Sprinter sized vehicles), if the combined gross plated weights of drawing vehicle and trailer do not exceed 3.5 tonnes or (where there is no gross plated weight) the total unladen weights do not exceed 1,525 kgs, an operators licence will not be required. Please note that any trailer with an unladen weight of less than 1,020 KGs, need not be taken in to account in this calculation."

 

That's the first time I've noticed the last paragraph..which would be important if you're towing a chipper under 1.02 t with a Tranny or similar.

[madmatt]

You've just beat me to it! LOL thanks for posting that, I new I'd read the multi purpose vehicle exemption some where.

[skyhuck]

So getting back to the the first point you do need a o-licence if you pull a chipper that weighs more than 1020kg with a trany.