You can have a licence for what you want but if you want to pull a trailer you have to have one specified on your licence wether you own it hire it or pull it for a third party.
Thank you for all your responses it is very much appreciated and very informative I understand I need to go LTD and do take on board wife doing the transport manager course the suggestion to also ask small hauliers in the area rental space in their yard may just help with the op center
I’m not looking at owner driver to being my road to riches (the big meal ticket) I see it as a way to do the job I enjoy doing in an environment that I can handle (not having planners boss’s or other drivers same firm trying to get 1 up or trying to ruin my day cause they having a bad 1 etc)
I know the risks are very high and also taken on board the initial issues pointed out ( truck breaking down or even just having issues) in the first couple of months where I trying to build capital I know I am on a tight budget and that in itself is a risk but I do feel that hard work and proper planning ( and the advice from other owners ) it is achievable in my eyes thus far
I understand it is a long road to take and won’t be taking the big step into a dealership till i am fully confident that I have covered everything and ticked every box
How do you get an company name registered as limited if anyone can point me in that direction and although the actual exams are based in a specific place can the classes for transport manager be undertaken in other areas as in derbyshire etc
appreciated on the info of Barron wood Distribution only reason I mention them as I had heard through 3rd hand info that they paid on time, not many empty miles and plenty of work (last thing i want to do is open the doors of the business then get burned big time and go under in first few months)
all info and advice is greatly appreciated
Dee164580:
How do you get an company name registered as limited if anyone can point me in that direction and although the actual exams are based in a specific place can the classes for transport manager be undertaken in other areas as in derbyshire etc
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Google “register limited company online”, there are dozens of sites you can do it through, choose your company name (it has to be a name nobody else has already registered) and fill in the forms. It takes literally 20 minutes to do, and costs £10-£15.
Your CPC course and exams will be taken in the same place, I took my CPC examinations here dillywood.co.uk/ and there will be something similar where you are, again just Google it.
you do not ‘need’ to go LTD, you can go as Sole Trader
as a Sole Trader, if it fails, you can lose your house
as LTD, you are only limited to a pre-set amount of liabilities
but, as LTD, you will find it harder initially to get any sort of finance, as they will be more cautious of your lack of trading and lack of risk
can you be vat registered as a sole trader?
thank you Harry did not know it was that cheap and will search for the courses aswell
kr79:
You can have a licence for what you want but if you want to pull a trailer you have to have one specified on your licence wether you own it hire it or pull it for a third party.
I can’t find anything official on this. Even if you’ve got space on your o-licence for trailers no-one on traction work is actually specifying them.
If an owner driver had an o-licence for a 7.5t but got their C+E and bought unit. Provided they are not operating a trailer from their yard I can’t see a major variation would be required as there has been no material change to either their financial standing requirement or any environmental change the local population would need to be informed about.
Edit - anecdotally from a google search it appears this is the prevailing VOSA view without any real evidence of what it’s based on. Historically this was not the case and I know one company that had vehicles only licence and bet they still do. Seems very muddled thinking.
Dee164580:
can you be vat registered as a sole trader?
if you are looking at being an owner driver, as in, own you own truck, and not just a self employed driver, drive other people’s trucks, then you MUST be VAT registered, as your company earnings will be over the threshold for VAT registration, regardless of whether you are a LTD Co. or a Sole Trader
as an owner driver, you have the choice whether to be a sole trader or LTD Co., but, you do not have any choice in VAT registration
Yes, I believe the current VAT threshold is £79,000 and the OP will be looking at turning over around £120,000 I’d guess so he’ll have to register.
I don’t really have anything to do with the VAT apart from keep books, the accountant does all of that although I could probably do it myself if I could be bothered as it really isn’t all that difficult, quite simply you charge 20% VAT on all the invoices you generate and then give this to HMRC every three months, minus all the VAT you’ve had to pay out on anything you’ve bought for the business.
Of course, there are many things an owner driver can genuinely buy for his business which also come in very handy at home too. 
thank you shuttlespanker I did not know that I knew vat registered I had to be but wasn’t sure with the sole trader limited side of things so if i start as a sole trader to get up and running and a credit file is all that transferable to becoming limited in a later stage?
sorry if these questions sound stupid but I just want a good clear understanding of it all and don’t want to keep on at the wife lol
Dee164580:
thank you shuttlespanker I did not know that I knew vat registered I had to be but wasn’t sure with the sole trader limited side of things so if i start as a sole trader to get up and running and a credit file is all that transferable to becoming limited in a later stage?sorry if these questions sound stupid but I just want a good clear understanding of it all and don’t want to keep on at the wife lol
Not stupid at all, no-one is born knowing this.
The trouble with changing from sole trader to limited status later on is that you will have to re-do the whole O licence application again, from the newspaper advert onwards, and you don’t get a lot of change out of £1,000 for an O licence. So if I were you, I would have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each, decide which one suits you best, and get it right in the first place.
thanks Harry very much appreciated
where it comes to the course which is £1000 I have seen people mention study guides and books you can get to help pass the test I had a look on Amazon and theres quite a few of them but guessing they all pretty much the same type of book so instead of spending a fortune on the books is there particular ones I should obtain in order to help with the test?
Dee164580:
where it comes to the course which is £1000 I have seen people mention study guides and books you can get to help pass the test I had a look on Amazon and theres quite a few of them but guessing they all pretty much the same type of book so instead of spending a fortune on the books is there particular ones I should obtain in order to help with the test?
Buying and reading a reasonably up to date version of Lowes would set you in the right direction for a lot of information. The exam percentage required to pass is very low so depending what you’re like with studying and exams there’s enough info out there with past papers to do it without paying for a course.
dee I don’t want to sound negative towards your dreams/plans, but can I just say you have got things a bit back to front, a big common mistake when becoming self employed. you have to have the mindset of finding work FIRST then do all the other stuff, the idea of just buying a truck and working from the back of magazines will in my opinion sink you without trace before you,ve even got going, especially as you say your funds are tight. to find someone to pay you weekly is VERY difficult until you have a good working relationship with them. please don’t be offended but your dream of owning and driving a truck is blinding you to the hard things that need to be attended to when you start any business. my best avice is think like a businessman 1st and a truck driver 2nd and ten go on from there, however it can be done if you go about it properly so good luck, don’t be afraid to ask for advice good and bad
Own Account Driver:
Dee164580:
where it comes to the course which is £1000 I have seen people mention study guides and books you can get to help pass the test I had a look on Amazon and theres quite a few of them but guessing they all pretty much the same type of book so instead of spending a fortune on the books is there particular ones I should obtain in order to help with the test?Buying and reading a reasonably up to date version of Lowes would set you in the right direction for a lot of information. The exam percentage required to pass is very low so depending what you’re like with studying and exams there’s enough info out there with past papers to do it without paying for a course.
Do you have an operators CPC?
weewulliewinkie:
dee I don’t want to sound negative towards your dreams/plans, but can I just say you have got things a bit back to front, a big common mistake when becoming self employed. you have to have the mindset of finding work FIRST then do all the other stuff, the idea of just buying a truck and working from the back of magazines will in my opinion sink you without trace before you,ve even got going, especially as you say your funds are tight. to find someone to pay you weekly is VERY difficult until you have a good working relationship with them. please don’t be offended but your dream of owning and driving a truck is blinding you to the hard things that need to be attended to when you start any business. my best avice is think like a businessman 1st and a truck driver 2nd and ten go on from there, however it can be done if you go about it properly so good luck, don’t be afraid to ask for advice good and bad
100% top advice,
the fact that the OP has asked if he needs to be VAT reg has started my alarm bells ringing already.
Don’t be be offended Dee but you sound like you have a lot to learn I recommend you do a 2 week operator cpc course ,it’s not as easy as reading the book as some would make it sound .
Dan Punchard:
Don’t be be offended Dee but you sound like you have a lot to learn I recommend you do a 2 week operator cpc course ,it’s not as easy as reading the book as some would make it sound .
Yes,
and complete the National operators CPC yourself,
DON’T send the wife and DON’T hire in an outside “transport Manager” 
Big Truck:
Dan Punchard:
Don’t be be offended Dee but you sound like you have a lot to learn I recommend you do a 2 week operator cpc course ,it’s not as easy as reading the book as some would make it sound .Yes,
and complete the National operators CPC yourself,
DON’T send the wife and DON’T hire in an outside “transport Manager”
This is correct ,if she leaves you what then ,also think about if things go wrong for what ever reason would you want her on the chopping block ! I know someone who got in trouble with vosa ,his wife didn’t have a clue what to say.