Hi Guys
A shift manager at a company I do agency work for told someone in the office today it was illegal to tow a third party trailer because it would not insured, apparently law changed in April.
Is he talking out of his arse I’ve never heard of this, I would have thought that once coupled up to your unit that it would be included on the companies cover, after all trailers are not registered.
It’s common practice everywhere I’ve worked for companies to use other companies trailers and vice versa, so what’s the law and how does it apply?
Tosh. We have about 7 companies at anyone time hauling our trailers including a couple of EE outfits. If it was against the law then we would of stopped months ago.
peirre:
The “we can’t shift that trailer, it’s not ours and we’re not insured for it” line is usually trotted out someone doesn’t want to shunt a trailer
Agree, usually yard shunters.
We pull trailers from 7 different companies from 3 other countries, Hungary, Greece and Portugal. To say you cant pull others trailers and transport would come to a stop…
In this country once hitched up the combination is regarded as one vehicle, as opposed to many European countries where the trailer is registered as a separate vehicle, hence you see many foreign trucks with a different number plate on trailer to that on the truck
Thanks Guys for all of your replies,
I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t heard of this new law, as you say the system would not work if that was the case.
The trouble is you have to work under these idiots.
Remember get home safe, no job pays enough to lose you life.
bigphilH:
Hi Guys
A shift manager at a company I do agency work for told someone in the office today it was illegal to tow a third party trailer because it would not insured, apparently law changed in April.
Is he talking out of his arse I’ve never heard of this, I would have thought that once coupled up to your unit that it would be included on the companies cover, after all trailers are not registered.
It’s common practice everywhere I’ve worked for companies to use other companies trailers and vice versa, so what’s the law and how does it apply?
Cheers Phil.
hi
make sure your insurance does actually cover somebody else’s trailer, not just your own , don’t assume. I did and went right down the plughole when my driver turned over with a 3rd party tilt, wrote off the load , tractor unit and trailer. Turned out - load covered (GIT)/ unit covered (3rd party ) / trailer not covered . this was 1982 and cost me a fortune, so its not a recent thing.
legal from the police prospective?, well it was then , and I don’t see why that should have changed , seeing as how trailers don’t have a separate reg number, and they’re the ‘dumb’ part of the combination really
however if your insurance doesn’t specifically cover another persons trailer, if it does get written off or requires repairing the insurance wont cover it.
I had no legality problems insurance wise after the accident , but when it came to repairing/rebuilding the trailer , my insurance wouldn’t pay as it wasn’t my trailer so wasn’t on my insurance. its been over 30 years but I imagine still works the same.
I know it was a bloody nightmare
Sounds like you’re still living with the memory all these years on, I know when it’s your ‘baby’ it’s hard to swallow and although it’s only metal it leaves a bad feeling for years, whilst the staff move on without a care in the world, I had to let a driver go after his second accident, his attitude was that it was in the firms time so the firm should pay for the damage (go figure)despite the fact he was to blame.
Back to the insurance, a unit on it’s own is no use to anyone, so logically you would assume that the whole combination would be covered despite who owns the trailer.
I had to let a driver go after his second accident, his attitude was that it was in the firms time so the firm should pay for the damage (go figure)despite the fact he was to blame.
Phil.
Would have to agree with the driver. Frustrating as it may be for an employer, you cannot expect an employee to underwrite a company’s operation with their own bank balance…
Hi Lank,
I know what you mean, big boys toys and ■■■■ happens, but these were small incidents that were totally the fault of the drivers shoddy attitude, and too small to bother making a claim for, the driver needed to know that there are consequences for his lack of attention so to speak, before you know it all of your motors are looking rough and you’re shelling out, it all affects the bottom line and peoples wages.
Cheers Phil.
make sure your insurance does actually cover somebody else’s trailer, not just your own , don’t assume. I did and went right down the plughole when my driver turned over with a 3rd party tilt, wrote off the load , tractor unit and trailer. Turned out - load covered (GIT)/ unit covered (3rd party ) / trailer not covered . this was 1982 and cost me a fortune, so its not a recent thing.
tony
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i had someone elses trailer on rent when i was subbing for them 20 years ago that subsequently went on fire as i was driving along the motorway…the insurance paid out on the unit trailer and g.i.t. etc,but they refused to pay the weekly rental of the trailer so i got stuffed with that…best to make sure you know whats what before assuming anything insurancewise.
