Towing for work question

[Nigel Worc's]

What ho chaps.

I have the possibility of buying a 'machine' and can either tow it on a trailer to my workshop, or pay to have it transported.

It is within the towing weights of my car, I have the correct licence (pre 97), I regularly tow a caravan, the car is insured for full business use.

I am being advised however, by a business associate who was himself nicked by VOSA, now DVSA, he claims for doing exactly what I am thinking of doing that I need a tacho because it is for work, and all sorts of other stuff like trailer plated max weight etc.

In simple terms, what are the rules please ?

Car is a Honda CRV, towing limit 2000 KGs.

[dundarach]

I'm assuming you have business insurance on the car, ring and add it?

[cts1975]

You can drive plant and machinery to/from site without a tacho as long as the site location is within 100km of your base.
The above scenario means you are exempt from EU Tacho Requirements.

[littleredrooster]

dundarach said:

I'm assuming you have business insurance on the car, ring and add it?

The question related to tacho rules and towing. The OP has already confirmed that he has business use insurance.

[Dixy]

Just the random answer of some bloke on the internet but I think there may be a system to do a one off written tacho on a bit of paper.

[Richard-D]

There is a distinction made between driving as a job in itself (eg. a transport service) and driving to allow you to do your job (where driving is not in itself the job). As mentioned above there is a 'distance from base' limit that applies for the latter though.

Your mate was very unlucky to get pulled up for this though and must have given the 'wrong' answer. What's the machine, is it conceivable that it could be for personal use? Plenty of people (ok maybe not plenty but some) have lathes/milling machines etc. in their garage. I do and wouldn't hesitate to tow a heavy trailer with a big lathe any distance.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

The chances of getting caught is very slim and I'm not sure you'd be doing much wrong anyway. Picking up a one off machine for your own workshop is far removed from carrying goods for hire or reward all day every day.

[cts1975]

Matt_E_Mulsion said:

The chances of getting caught is very slim and I'm not sure you'd be doing much wrong anyway. Picking up a one off machine for your own workshop is far removed from carrying goods for hire or reward all day every day.

^^^^^

[R0G]

Nigel Worc's said:

What ho chaps.

I have the possibility of buying a 'machine' and can either tow it on a trailer to my workshop, or pay to have it transported.

It is within the towing weights of my car, I have the correct licence (pre 97), I regularly tow a caravan, the car is insured for full business use.

I am being advised however, by a business associate who was himself nicked by VOSA, now DVSA, he claims for doing exactly what I am thinking of doing that I need a tacho because it is for work, and all sorts of other stuff like trailer plated max weight etc.

In simple terms, what are the rules please ?

Car is a Honda CRV, towing limit 2000 KGs.

Is it more than 100km radius from your workshop?

Trailer plated MAM has no bearing on max tow weight
Trailer can be plated at 3500 MAM and be 1000 empty with a 1000 load on it which would be legal

[Nigel Worc's]

R0G said:

Is it more than 100km radius from your workshop?

Trailer plated MAM has no bearing on max tow weight
Trailer can be plated at 3500 MAM and be 1000 empty with a 1000 load on it which would be legal

Thanks Rog.

It is a plastic bag making machine, and I would be towing it back to my workshop to refurbish and eventually sell onwards, my company is a limited one, so it is all business.

I have never truly been able to get to the bottom of what my mate was done for, he was towing a robotics machine, on a trailer behind a land rover discovery to deliver it to a customer, within all weight limits, but all in all it cost him over ten grand.

100KM radius is tight, machine is in Hereford, workshop in Droitwich.

It may just be easier and safer to get it transported I suppose, it was the chap I am buying it off who suggested he could get it put on a trailer for me.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

Nigel Worc's said:

I have never truly been able to get to the bottom of what my mate was done for, he was towing a robotics machine, on a trailer behind a land rover discovery to deliver it to a customer, within all weight limits, but all in all it cost him over ten grand.

100KM radius is tight, machine is in Hereford, workshop in Droitwich.

Well if you don't know the full story of what your mate did/didn't do then I always take any 'facts' with a pinch of salt.

Off the top of my head I would have thought that Droitwich to Hereford is way less than 100km as the crow flies.

[Adrian E]

I imagine because it would fall under 'for hire or reward' and with sufficient weight that speed/weight/drivers hours regs begin to apply. We had similar (which I vaguely recall) with a large US truck that was modified to tow a trailer with scientific equipment in it for testing the coefficient of friction of the road surface - after much work to adapt and fit it out, there was a realisation it would need a tacho fitting in order to be used on the public road.

The details are somewhat hazy as it was a good 20 years ago!

This probably covers it:

https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/fleet-management/fleet...

[cts1975]

R0G said:

Is it more than 100km radius from your workshop?

Trailer plated MAM has no bearing on max tow weight
Trailer can be plated at 3500 MAM and be 1000 empty with a 1000 load on it which would be legal

If the ROG who posted this is also ROG who has posted on coachdriverforum and Truck.net then his advise would be the most current and accurate in my opinion.

[C350Akra]

Matt_E_Mulsion said:

Off the top of my head I would have thought that Droitwich to Hereford is way less than 100km as the crow flies.

Correct, it is about 60km from Hereford to Droitwich by road, less as the crow flies.

[Evoluzione]

Nigel Worc's said:

I have never truly been able to get to the bottom of what my mate was done for, he was towing a robotics machine, on a trailer behind a land rover discovery to deliver it to a customer, within all weight limits, but all in all it cost him over ten grand.

As per many of the above replies, it's because it was classed as towing 'for hire or reward', IE, he was getting paid to tow.

[GC8]

I think that your business colleague 'knows a bit': this isnt a compliment.

The DVSA will not give a fig about a one off journey.

[R0G]

cts1975 said:

If the ROG who posted this is also ROG who has posted on coachdriverforum and Truck.net then his advise would be the most current and accurate in my opinion.

Yes that is me

[sherbertdip]

I had the same discussion with a farmer delivering hay, he said he didn't need a tacho as it was part of his daily activities to deliver hay, he only needed it if he was using the trailer for hire or reward, i.e. if he was contracted and paid by another farmer to deliver hay on that farmer's behalf.