I was under the impression that only spec lift type recovery trucks were MOT exempt, & have just the vosa roadworthyness test, so how does this flatbed plus others i’ve spotted seem to have one?
As the title says; Why do recovery vehicle have no need for a VOSA mot?
Ive always wondered why because some of these especially some 7.5 ton tin wormed old Ivecos look like they shouldnt be on the road and would never pass the mot test!
Why is this please?
Trickyd
Tricky Dicky:
As the title says; Why do recovery vehicle have no need for a VOSA mot?Ive always wondered why because some of these especially some 7.5 ton tin wormed old Ivecos look like they shouldnt be on the road and would never pass the mot test!
Why is this please?
Trickyd
If you mean heavy recovery and cranes. I would imagine it is because of the low mileages they do and the peculiar wheelbase dimensions that make them suitable for recovery. If you mean the man with a home made transporter who gets his work from ebay then VOSA should be very interested
motionlotion:
Hi have a look here it may help you.chrishodgetrucks.co.uk/pagelaw/law4.htm
i can’t trawl through all that 
basic as have just asked a friend in the know …sort of
recovery vehiles do not require tacho graphs to be used within 100kms of it’s base
if a recovery vehicle can carry the recovered ie; johns rusted iveco carry ‘a’ car recovery services & AA relay 7.5t , then it does have to be tested although may run at a lower tax rate approx £400
the chap i asked also runs 2 T cabbed scania’s with recovery trailers & are also taxed at approx £400 per annum as this is their sole job
specialist vehicles ie; multi axle rigids fitted with a zak lift or crane only pull or lifts so is currently exempt from ministry test
but DVLA & VOSA are in talks to make changes to these rules so that all recovery vehicles are tested
what does annoy me is why do these so called recovery specialist keep their light bars & becons on when the recovery has been made
Tricky Dicky:
especially some 7.5 ton tin wormed old Ivecos look like they shouldnt be on the road and would never pass the mot test!
I thought it was the ones that could only tow and not transport scrap vehicles that were exempt?
Linemarking vehicles are exempt too. 
. You don’t even need a HGV licence to drive them either, even tho they weigh anything from 7.5 to over 18 tonnes. Strange really, a truck’s a truck, doesn’t matter what it’s doing.
beavertails are NOT mot exempt…only spec lifts over 3.5 ton(also called front end lifts or whatever you call them)
3.5ton to 7.5 tonne is only £185 tax(was last time i taxed a 7.5 ton)
A lot of the police contracts and breakdown clubs require these vehicles [heavy underlifts etc.] to under go a ‘roadworthiness’ check. Usually carried out by VOSA. These can include mechanical checks, brakes, lights etc, equiptment carried [fire extinguishers, first aid] and axle weights. The last one can be interesting as lots of spec/underlift type trucks are built and ballasted so the the front axle is close to its full weight when not towing.
The law is changing shortly and there will be very few exemptions.
Many years ago, I had a Bedford CF recovery truck and that was M.O.T. exempt.
Which was just as well because it would never have passed one 
I used to go everywhere in it and was forever getting flagged down by stranded motorists,I used to make a tidy profit taking folks cars either to my garage or their homes.
Ahh happy days.
oatcake1967:
Many years ago, I had a Bedford CF recovery truck and that was M.O.T. exempt.
Which was just as well because it would never have passed oneI used to go everywhere in it and was forever getting flagged down by stranded motorists,I used to make a tidy profit taking folks cars either to my garage or their homes.
Ahh happy days.
Would be suprised if you managed to tow anything heavier than a moped with a Bedford cf tbh
I could lie and say she had a V8 in her, but your right she was a bit gutless with a 2ltr petrol.
we’re exempt from construction and use regulations.this allows us to run at design weights rather than plated weights.
when vosa start mot’ing breakdown vehicles they will in doing so remove the exemption,which will make it impossible to tow anything on an underlift without overloading the rear axle.
everyone will have to go back 30 years and re-employ a holmes 750 along with a straight bar.
apart from that things like rear underun bars,lighting positioning,heavy front bumpers,ballast weights etc etc will need attending to.
as for roadworthiness tests.they are technically worthless,it is also near impossible to brake test.there are no dft no’s available for loaded underlifts.
there’s a lot more to it than it first seems.
running under stgo cat 2 relieves the weight issues but you need a movement order to move that artic off the m6 at 3am.who’s giving those out with a 60 minute eta?