Do trailers only used for storage need to be on O Licence?

Hi, hopefully should be fairly simple to answer, we have one trailer permanently attached to a loading dock that is not fit for use and is only there as storage. We are currently using 2 additional trailers for storage as well (these are fully maintained) but have not been on the road for 6 months. The ‘broken’ one is on our O Licence, do the other 2 need to be added? I believe they are on an O Licence for another site but will not be used by us for anything apart from storage. appreciate any help you can give

Individual trailers are not specified on an O licence. What is specified is the maximum number of trailers which may be OPERATED under an O licence.
You may own as many trailers as you wish, and keep them at your operating centre, as long as there is sufficient additional parking for the total number of trailers which are permitted to be OPERATED.
As you have trailers which are not being operated, but are at your operating centre, it would be goid practice to display VOR boards on those trailers, and it will not be necessary to keep maintenance records for them. Any which you intend to return to service at a later date will require to be in test, and to have a PMI, before going back on the road.

Thankyou, this forum is awsome!

Interesting topic.

So let’s say a business currently has two trailers (one which it owns and another hire one). The company has two tractor units. It intends to buy a third trailer of its own, but only has two trailers on the O licence. Because there are only two tractor units it is impossible to operate three trailers at any one time.

Question is, are we allowed to buy a third trailer and then VOR it whenever we don’t use it or just change them?

Hi, thanks for the replies, I have decided to relocate the trailers back to their home sites and look at other storage options. I think it may be asking for trouble keeping them where they are. Although we have no intention to use them, it may be difficult to convince someone of this, both being perfectly useable. Another point to note is that we don’t actually have any tractor units at this site, units are based at another O Licence site with other trailers within the same company. I have a fleet of 7.5t’s and 17T’s, one broken trailer on our O Licence and 2x working trailers that we would have to get someone in to move for us. thanks for your help.

If you don’t keep or operate tractor units or motor vehicles from your other site, it doesn’t have to have an o licence attached.

TIP. Central Trailer Rentco. Graylease all have/had hundreds of trailers and no operators licence

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Hi all,

I have been advised by DVSA to send an email to notifications@vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk,
they could not give me an answer and I believe the guy on the phone was worried about making a decision…

Any thoughts? Email as follows:

"

Dear Sir / Madam,

I have been given this email address by one of your colleagues over the phone (DVSA helpline)
as I have a query relating to a potential O Licence change that we may or may not need to make.

I work for a national company and operate a fleet of 7.5T and 17T vehicles from an O Licence site in Southampton,
all of which are registered on our O Licence, along with a single trailer which is permanently attached
to one of our loading docks and used for additional warehouse storage only. We do not have any
motive units and this trailer was dropped by one of our other O Licence sites which operates these larger vehicles,
based in Bournemouth, 1 year ago.

My first question is, does this trailer need to be on our Southampton O Licence?
It is registered currently, as we could not find a straight-forward answer to the question and
it was added to be on the safe side. This trailer is not operational (VOR’d) and would need to be
recovered / disposed of, should we stop using it for storage purposes. Also, are there any rules which state
that this cannot be permanently ‘parked’ on a loading dock for storage-only purposes?

My second question relates to us adding additional ‘operational’ trailers for further storage.
Our O Licence site based in Bournemouth have offered us 2x additional trailers which would be used
for the same purposes as above, for a period of 3-4 months, at our Southampton site.
Our Southampton site cannot ‘operate’ these as we do not have any motive units.
These trailers are registered on the Bournemouth site O Licence and would be dropped by their motive units at our
Southampton O Licence site. These would be subsequently attached to 2x of our loading docks and left there.
As these trailers are on the Bournemouth O Licence and are operated and maintained by them,
do we need to move them to our Southampton O Licence for the time they are here,
considering they will not be operated by us and just used for storage only? Would the 28-day rule
apply here for trailers and would they need to be moved / swapped after this period?

Hopefully you can help as I have not been able to find an answer to this question,
The helpline are hesitant to provide an answer in case I have explained the situation inaccurately.
Please let me know if you require any further information.

Regards,

"

Trailers used solely for storage, or being used to move products around a closed site, DO not need, to be registered,Mot, insurance or service records,as they are not being used.

You can have a yard full of trailers and you don’t need an O license for them, as said look at all the big hire companies.

Hi Biggriffin,

Would love to show all your responses to company directors,
I believe that what you are all saying is true.

However, need something from an official document that confirms this
as will change national company policy.

Is there anything you can point me to?

Thanks again.

Basically a trailer being used for storage, with no veiw to going on the road is a big Shed on wheels.

Thanks for the help Biggriffin. Agree totally.

Garoar:
However, need something from an official document that confirms this
as will change national company policy.

Is there anything you can point me to?

I concur with the others, you only need an O licence to operate vehicles, not trailers.
Try contacting the Central Licencing Office, I’m sure they’ll be able to give you something to satisfy the guys at your company
gov.uk/government/organisat … nd-opening

It’s in the Le*islation. legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/23/section/2

In the first sentence it clearly states ( and is the common sense and practical comments above) “… use on a road…” so using a vehicle not on a road does not fall under the regulations. Vehicle includes trailer towed on a road.

That should be sufficient for the bosses.