Buying a Wrecker (Heavy haulage recovery vehicle)

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Morning all,

Asking for a quick confirmation / opinion(s). I’m buying a wrecker, fully loaded all singing and dancing, have contracts set up etc (but would like opinions on how to obtain more work to maximise the work load).

My question is… (Ill be calling VOSA to confirm) Do you need to put the wrecker on the operators licence if it is only used to move / recover disabled vehicles / machines?

Cheers guys

2

i know in the past you had to go in person to sign at the licencing office to start off its road tax could only start in january and the code was 888 . might have changed now tho . id befriend local bods who do recovery and offer to take their work they dont want to do,to get your foot in the door. to get on the police register you need a secure yard

3

Here’s a useful guide:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210144/guide-for-recovery-operations.pdf

As far as I understand it there’s no need to add to the O licence, but if you have one then why not? Shows willing and best practice.

4

if I remember rightly, moving it from where it failed or crashed, no operator licence needed, from where recovered to then onto repair, no operator licence, if moved as sold as scrap or sold spares or repair this is haulage and needs an operator licence.

5

Hi guys,

Cheers for all the replies. Found out if the vehicle(s) are disabled you don’t need the license. If moving a vehicle which is to be delivered / able, you need the license.

With that in mind, and just a thought… If you were to buy a tractor unit and low loader trailer, would you need a license if you are only moving disabled / rescuing vehicles■■?

Ill be buying the two slide bed units and the wrecker. Ive now seen a secure yard and looked at the revenue raised for storage etc.

Again, thank you for the replies

6

Didn’t recovery used to have a reputation for being just a step removed from ‘ice cream wars’ ?

7

dutchvs:
Hi guys,

Cheers for all the replies. Found out if the vehicle(s) are disabled you don’t need the license. If moving a vehicle which is to be delivered / able, you need the license.

With that in mind, and just a thought… If you were to buy a tractor unit and low loader trailer, would you need a license if you are only moving disabled / rescuing vehicles■■?

As I remember it it fitted the definition of recovery it can be run on trade plates. :bulb: :confused: