Shafted by the EU vans and trailers now need an O licence

For the last 20 years I've run my own light haulage business using a pickup truck

For 15 of those years I've been towing a trailer, it's a 3.5t iveco daily pulling a 3.5t trailer

I've just found out I've got until June to get an operators licence

I'm luckier than most because I did my CPC 15 years ago , when I say luckier I mean it may be viable for me to carry on

Those that don't have a CPC will need to employ a competent person as transport manager for 8 hours per week per vehicle

With diesel at £1.46 a litre , margins getting tighter and now this I can see a lot giving up

Anybody know if I need to do the driver CPC now, I was told last year it didn't apply to 3.5t vehicles towing trailers but they've moved the goalposts since then

Also I can't see whether I need a speed limiter or not as when I'm not towing I dont need to use the tachograph so limiting it doesn't seem right

eh?

You'll have to excuse me, i'm a bit thick and struggle with all the legalese.

Do i need to worry about this towing a light (exact weight unknown, but easily moved by hand) catering trailer with a toyota camry? Currently am confident that I am ok - does this change anything?

Thanks.

Although i'm sure its just a matter of time!

Wish they would just feck off and leave us to get on with it......

It's a tax by another name, last week I didn't have to give them anything, this week it's £250 to apply £391 for the licence, if you haven't got a CPC you need to employ someone who has for 8 hours a week, what the hell will they do for 8 hours a week with a transit van and a trailer, paint it

Pity you cannot use a dual purpose vehicle and trailer as that would have got you out of the O licence
How come you can wait until June?

Only need that if the towing vehicle is plated at more than 3500 kgs GVW

No legal requirement for a speed limiter on a B category vehicle

EU tacho regs - I hope you are recording all the work when not towing for UK domestic regs as that will also count as 'other work' for the EU regs
CAVEAT - that does not include PRIVATE driving but be careful as commercially driving from point A to point B and then 'clocking off' to drive privately back from B to A will not count - that is still commercial driving

Thanks for that info, one less headache to worry about

They've allowed 6 months where they're not prosecuting to allow us to comply

I don't do any other work , even when I'm not towing I use the tachograph and stick to the 4/2 hours and required breaks, it'd be a right pita to keep records without using the tachograph

I have a defender as well and seriously thought about putting a tachograph in it but I couldn't face towing 400 miles with it

I thought about a newer 110 high capacity pickup and trailer but I'm not sure I'd fancy driving it any distance

I'm using an iveco daily pickup and 3.5t trailer , it tows really well even fully loaded , I wouldn't want to spend a packet on a 110 to find it terrified me every time I took it out.

It's going to cost me another £72 for the application now as I'm under the 9 week time it takes them to set the licence up.

Back to a log book then, essentially?

Heaven forbid that anyone having to work in that manner ever takes their vehicle abroad, as the first print out on foreign soil will bring a jackpot fine!

Perfectly legal, but try explaining that to a Gendarme who speaks pidgin English and has Euro signs in his eyes... Ever since theyve been able to fine for any infractions that they find, not just those committed in their own country, then its been even more about the money...

I've dug my CPC certificate out

It's dated June 1996 issued by RSA

All the references I can find to valid CPC certificates are issued by OCR

I assume this certificate is still valid as I went to night school for weeks to get it then passed 2 exams

Anybody know for sure ?

What youre saying makes sense but It's the government, they change the rules when they want money .