Change in legislation: 3,500kg (3.5t) vehicles and towing trailers

Plant Hire Vehicles Testimonial

"Plantool have been operating a Plant & Go vehicle for some 18 months now and have found the unit to be particularly flexible with regards to the deck height for loading and unloading of the full range of equipment we offer. The unit has proved both reliable and extremely economical, and removed the need to tow a trailer allowing anybody in the company to drive the vehicle without worrying if they have the correct classification on their licence."

Ben Jones, Operations Director, Plantool Ltd.

Plant Hire Vehicles Case Study

Artisan Hire Finds an Alternative to the Ford Transit for Plant Transport

Chris Comer, Managing Director of Artisan Hire, has a number of depots throughout the South West. He came to the Executive Hire Show in 2010, looking for a 3.5 ton truck which would give him the capacity to carry light plant, scissor lifts and general items without...

You are here: Home

Change in legislation: 3,500kg (3.5t) vehicles and towing trailers

12-Dec-2011

As from the 4th December 2011 if you tow a trailer and are moving goods for hire and reward with a light commercial vehicle with a gross weight of 3,500kg (3.5 tons), you will be required to hold an operators licence and comply with all the relative legislation.

Historically companies or individuals have been able to tow a trailer behind a vehicle which has a gross weight less than 3,500kg (based on the trailer weighing less than 1,020kg/1 ton) with the vehicle running on a tachograph only while towing.

To bring us in line with European legislation as of the 4th December anybody towing for hire and reward will have to hold an operators licence which will require someone in the organisation holding a CPC, submitting the vehicle/s and trailer/s to periodic safety checks and keeping detailed records of the vehicle usage and various other mandatory obligations.

The introduction of the change in legislation on towing a trailer has received little publicity and will effect hundreds of companies and individuals who move products, plant and equipment or cars around the country for hire and reward by using a 3.5 ton truck and trailer.

Steve Elwell of KFS Special Vehicles commented "We see the above having a massive impact on companies in the UK who currently deliver goods in this manner. Where companies have Mercedes, Iveco, Ford or Fiat 3.5 ton trucks, although lending themselves to towing with high gross train weights do not particularly have good payload capacity on the truck itself. If the operator does not want to go down the route of applying and maintaining an operators licence what they can now carry on the vehicle itself will be greatly restricted due to it’s high kerb weight and low payload.

With the range of 3.5 ton vehicles developed by KFS Special Vehicles such as the Ultra 3.5t Car Transporter for the car logistics and movement market and the Plant & Go 3.5t Plant Transporter range for the hire market, the ability to carry a far greatly range of goods is catered for”.

For more information on the range of light weight bodies from KFS Special Vehicles Ltd contact us or call on 01264 350666.