7.5 ton truck for private use.

[SteveW]

A few years ago I had a 7.5 Beaver tail truck which I used privately, it was registered to me and I used it privately......not in connection with any business.
It didn't have a tachograph and I didn't have an operators licence. I'm pondering buying another one, again for private use.
They are very good value when compared to 3.5 ton stuff.
Has the law changed? Can I still use one?

[P4ulie]

Getting it insured will likely be the most difficult part of it. I know you don't need a taco fitted it you're never further than 60 miles from base and are exempt from logging drivers hours. None of our 7.5 were taco fitted but they were only used for travel to site being Tree contractors

'Vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 7.5 tonnes used for the non-commercial carriage of goods.
Examples could include a person moving house and goods carried by a non-profit making group or registered charity.

European Court of Justice case law provides that the term non-commercial also applies to the carriage of goods by a private individual for their own purposes purely as part of a hobby where that hobby is in part financed by financial contributions from external persons or undertakings and where no payment is made for the carriage of goods per se'


That's straight from current legislation, i'd argue that has you covered?

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Loads of people use 7.5-tonners as horse boxes, motorhomes and race-car transporters. You don't need an O licence. Just make sure that anyone who drives it has C1 entitlement on their driving licence...a pass in a car now only gets you up to 3.5 tonne entitlement.

Be aware though, DVSA (formerly VOSA) specifically target these vehicles at weekends and find loads are overweight or unroadworthy.

So, be sure that it's 'MoT standard' all the time.

[SteveW]

Thanks Chaps.
It looks like the law hasn't changed.
I used my 7.5 ton beaver tail for transporting a 3t digger between my house and some land I was developing (Not for profit you understand!)
Richard is correct, I was targeted by VOSA, the police (working with VOSA) pulled me on the M6 and took me to the vehicle inspection site on the M65, they didn't want to believe my story....they went through the truck with a fine tooth comb.
My story was legitimate and the truck was straight, they fecked me about for a couple of hours though.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

It's pretty much 'stop on sight ' now for anything over 3.5 tonnes that can't be linked to a legitimate o-licence or business.

The DVSA and police cars have ANPR cameras which flag up suspect vehicles. And you will get stopped, and they will test everything.

[herman]

As above, we even have to be careful that we don't gain from winnings, chance would be a fine thing, or producing a horse on and making a profit on it. Don't even say " I am taking it to a mates to help him do his drive" etc as they will then ask you what is he doing for you.

[micksea]

also be aware dvsa are now self funding and can give you on the spot fines at the roadside (see the connection?) even a faulty side marker light will lighten your wallet by about £120 so carry a full spare bulb kit at the least

[SteveW]

It's an interesting and tricky subject.
For example we use 3.5t vans at work. We have a scissor lift we often tow behind.
Let's say the trailer is rated at 2.5t, in effect we are driving a 6t gvw vehicle.
We are legal to do this provided our main job of the day is using the scissor lift to carry out our work, if however a we are just delivering the scissor lift to our guys on site, then the driver is a delivery driver and we'd need an operators licence and a tachograph.
A few years ago I took the day off work to go and pick up a flat-pack kitchen from Ikea. I used my Nissan Navara (3.5t)and a trailer (2.5t)
It just so happen we were doing a job at a site pretty much next to Ikea. We needed some heavy components delivering to site, So, with economy of movement in mind I thought I'd put the stuff on the trailer, drop them off on site, then go round to Ikea and pick the kitchen up.
I got a pull on the M6. The officer asked me what was I doing today?
I innocently told him my story. "Well then you are a delivery driver"
I was okay to use the trailer for the flat pack kitchen because that was "personal"
He said he was reporting me, but that was 8 years ago and I've not heard any more about it.

[P4ulie]

It's turned into a p*ss take in reality, slightly off tangent but got a parking ticket in Westminster (even though we had a valid permit for the bay) because we weren't authorised i.e. paid the tax to use a commercial vehicle in the borough.

You will be regularly pulled, I'd be tempted to paint the whole thing in primary colours with 3 foot letters saying Buntins Circus & live Tigers in transit

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Look out also for the Driver CPC. You don't need one if the truck you are driving is carrying tools or materials that you will use in the course of your day doing your main job, but you do if delivering tools or material for others to use.

ie if you drive a truck loaded with scaffolding, it's OK for as long as you are involved in putting the scaffolding up yourself.