I have a 40ft trailer that I use as a workshop and am looking for some advice on the following.
I need a Safety Inspection Cert and a Brake Inspection Cert , the trailer is based in West London and the trailer would have been tested 4/5 months ago so its still in test.
Also is it possible get insurance for it when its dropped and left in a secure yard in Europe
Thanks in Advance
This is going to depend on how old the trailer is. Regardless of how often the trailer or vehicle is used, or what for, it needs a periodical safety Inspection. Your O licence agreement with the TC will stipulate whether it needs to be done every 13 weeks, which is the maximum allowed, or more frequently - typically 8/9 weeks. However if either is 12 years old or more then this automaticaly drops to a 6 week frequency. The only way around the six week (or other) requirement if it/they are used only three or four times a year, is to keep a diary noting every day it is parked off road, then arrange a “season’s first use inspection” a few days before it is required. There will also need to be some means of identifying to anyone looking at it that the trailer or vehicle must not go on the road during this period. A safety inspection should include roller brake test. Part of your O licence application will have included nominating a contractor and drawing up an agreement with them about maintenance. That signed agreement should have been sent to the TC.
Thanks cav551,
I just own the trailer I don’t own a tractor unit for moving it , so I hire in a outside company to move it when I need it moved, so no o licence needed.
The haulage company I use was looking for these certs within the last 9 weeks although the trailer is still in test been only about 5 months into test.
But have the inspections sorted now ,
So still unsure on the insurance of the trailer for when the trailer is dropped and left un accompanied on it s own in a yard while I am not using it.
If it can be classed as mobile plant, it won’t need any test or periodic checks,
Don’t know how it needs to be fitted out/set up to class as plant, might be worth checking out,
Maybe with a fitted genny & compressor installed it might qualify?
I knew of a firm that bought some old skelly’s, put containerised gennie’s on them, and put a bit of weld between the containers and the trailers, they then became classed as ‘mobile plant’ and as such were test exempt.
Another mate of mine has a trailer mounted soil screener, this too is classed as ‘mobile plant’, has no brakes or lights, just a fifth wheel pin. Perfectly legal to bang a unit on, put a lighting board on it & tow it down the road.
That’s useful info , thanks much appreciated toddy , will look into it
I agree with the possibility of classifying the trailer as mobile plant, but it will be down to the haulier towing it for you if he is prepared to do so. Once it is behind his tractor unit it becomes his responsibility and it will be his O licence that will ‘be at risk’. The TC takes into account the standard of maintenance of all vehicles in the control of an operator not just those specified on the licence. It sounds like your haulier is fully aware of his responsibilites, if had not already got things in place I would have said that letting him do the inspections might have been a reasonable idea.
It is fairly common in the bus world for operators to borrow vehicles from one another, very often these will go through the borrowing operator’s workshop for a safety inspection before going out in service. Some years ago, I was working as a contractor for a company which was negotiating a contract with one of the large bus operators to be allowed to provide vehicles and drivers for rail replacement services run by that larger operator. Six vehicles were going to be supplied, an area mechanical engineer came to do his own inspection on every one of them. He was unbelievably ■■■■ about things. A domed head coachbolt securing the driver’s transparent shield three inches above the cash tray had the tiniest burr around the screw slot - ‘which could have grazed a passengers hand’ .