If you drive a panel van and tow a trailer, it’s highly likely that you could break the law.
The rules surrounding the use of trailers are pretty straightforward but it’s amazing how many of us don’t understand them. This article breaks the problem down into two areas – the law, and then the practicalities, dos and don'ts of how to pull a trailer safely.
First the law: are you actually allowed to tow that trailer, and if so, does your vehicle need a tachograph?
Licences:
If you passed your driving test for a car before January 1st, 1997, you can drive any vehicle up to 7.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (gvw), which will safely cover most vans and trailers.
If you passed your test after that date, you are only allowed to drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes gvw. So if your van has a gvw of say 3.0 tonnes and your trailer has a gvw of one tonne, then you’ll need to take another test before you are legally allowed to tow. Take a tip – if you fall within this category, don’t be tempted to flout the law and drive anyway.
VOSA, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, is increasingly turning its attention to vans and trailers precisely because so many people are driving them illegally.
You’ll not only face the full force of the law but just remember – if you have an accident, your insurance company won’t pay out. If you’ve hurt someone in a crash you could spend the rest of your life crippled financially.
Tachographs:
The world of tachos, as inhabited by all those firms who operate big trucks, seems a scary place for van drivers, but it shouldn’t really be.
Basically, the truck boys have to abide by a set of rules including how many hours a person can drive. Tachos are there to protect everyone from the dangers of people falling asleep at the wheel. Not funny if you’re in charge of 40 tonnes.
So do you actually need a tacho when towing a trailer?
The rules are simple – if your van plus the trailer has a gross vehicle weight above 3.5 tonnes combined, you’ll need one (with a few exceptions that we’ll mention later).
So if you drive a 3.5-tonner such as a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, you’ll knock it over the legal limit as soon as you attach any kind of trailer.
For small vehicles it’s a simple question of maths. A two-tonne vehicle with a one-tonne trailer equals three tonnes and therefore can legally be driven without a tacho.
O-licences:
Don’t forget, too, that if you have a tacho fitted you’ll need an O-licence (operator licence).
Now, the Exceptions:
So can you get round the law in any way? Well yes, provided you fit into one of two main categories.
- Firstly, tachos are only needed if you drive for hire and reward. If, for example, you take a large camper van and trailer on holiday you won’t need one.
- More pertinent is that if you do not travel further than 50km (33 miles) from your base, you won’t need one either. This is an area where you may be able to stretch the boundaries a tad, but don’t expect the VOSA boys and girls to take your word for it and wave you on your way if they come knocking on your side window. They’ve seen every trick in the book and are quite savvy with the tacho rules for vans so they’re more likely to come sniffing round your office demanding proof that you don’t stray far from home in the course of your business.
Original article : Peter Witherington, Business Vans Website
Views: 20046
Replies
Where and how could I fit a tacho.
>>>So if you drive a 3.5-tonner such as a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, you’ll knock it over the legal limit as soon as you attach any kind of trailer.
I don't agree with that one bit Gazza
I spent 3 weeks every evening getting up to speed with towing back in March this year
I have purchased a Takeuchi 1.6 mini digger and trailer and was researching which vehicle was the best to tow it and the most cost effective way, turns out by installing a tow bar on my existing Merc van was the most cost effective and saved having to purchased another vehicle which was going to be a Land rover disco or an Isuzu what have a train weight of 6500kg (would have to stick pins in my eyes before I would be seen in a disco:-))
what you have not mentioned is the train weight
my merc sprinter loaded = 3240
my trailer and digger = 2140 (twin axle trailer)
total train weight = 5380
I am allowed a train weight of 5500 on the Merc Sprinter 311
because the mini digger is "NOT" being rented out for financial gain but is being used on my own work it does not require a tacho to be installed
by installing the tow bar and now towing a trailer has actually made me legal, before I had it fitted I would not think twice of putting a bulk bag of sand or MOT in the rear of my van, now I can legally tow 2 bulk bags and still be under the train weight
I also contacted my insurance company and there was no additional charge for towing a trailer and they did not need to put any record on my account either
I went looking for information and was directed to the article (as mentioned at the bottom of OP) which was written by a motoring / van journalist. So, it was repeated verbatim in good faith.
If you believe it is incorrect, you must be guided by your own understanding, as I am no expert...just someone relying on what I assumed was an expert's viewpoint.
Just shows how complex and open to interpretation this area is
Mick Gammage said:
I agree it is very complex on how its worded which is why I deliberated over it for 3 weeks
I found the the basis for the article; in that he is talking about the std, short wheel base Sprinter (MAM =3500kg ?).
Once you go to the medium/long wheel base the towing capacity goes up ? Does that explain the difference(s) ?
"You must hold a full driving licence to to drive vehicle and trailer combinations weighing up to 8.25 tonnes. However, if you passed your test between January 1, 1997 and January 19, 2013 then these restrictions apply:
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-weights-explained : MAM, GVW, GTW ..hell :-)
Up to 100km from base in our game.
I think you will find the original post you made Gary relates to Hire or Reward
Exceptions to the rule
http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/fleet-management/compliance-should-your-...
The law states that the weight of the trailer must be added to the gross vehicle weight of the van.
So if the van has a gvw of 3.5 tonnes and it’s towing a two-tonne trailer, the vehicle effectively weighs 5.5 tonnes and must have a tachograph – and you’ll need an O-licence to operate it too.
There are exceptions to this rule and the main two that may apply to Fleet Van readers are:
If the vehicle is not being used for hire and reward
If the vehicle doesn’t travel more than 50km (33 miles) from its base.
What is not Hire or Reward
You are NOT usually operating for Hire or Reward when you carry goods you own or goods you have used or will use in the course of your business.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_dat...
because most of us here travel from A to B in the course of our day then its classed as NOT for hire or reward therefore we do not need an operators licence or need to use a tacho
I used the term "train weight" as that's what it was called in the 80's, the correct term is now called Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) or Gross vehicle weight (GVW)
you will also have to do cpc driver training
4x4 are covered the same if it is used for work it covered .
MWJONES said:
Is that not what the article said and the exceptions noted in it at the end gives us our ability to use ?
If I have ended up with too many 'nots' in the OP and it has or, I have, become confused ..sorry :-)
Mick Gammage said:
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