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

Dec. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- Change in legislation: 3,500kg (3.5t) vehicles and towing trailers

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 see http://www.kfs-specialvehicles.co.uk contact us or call on 01264 350666