You must be applying for the plates for GENUINE motor trade use,not just because you've got several cars & don't want to tax them!
The local VLO (Not police)will check your premisies, initially & then as & when they feel appropriate.
You will be only entitled to use the plates for motor trade related purposes, you can't take the kids to Yarmouth for the day, do your shopping etc etc, or you face a fine, plus they will be withdrawn.
Displaying the plates in the prescribed manner is also required.Hardly anybody does, though.They usually end up sliding around the dash/parcel shelf!
Trade insurance is required, although you don't have to produce it, to get plates issued.
If you've a real need, you won't have a problem getting them.
Mark
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Thanks Vansboy
I've been trading on and off for a few years now but mainly using a recovery truck to move vehicles around (no need for trade plates).
Just recently I have been retailing cars so the need for trade plates is necessary.
The reason for asking is that some traders have reported problems getting plates so I would like to know any common pitfalls before filling in the application and attending the VRO interview (interrogation).
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You will be only entitled to use the plates for motor trade related purposes, you can't take the kids to Yarmouth for the day, do your shopping etc etc, or you face a fine, plus they will be withdrawn.
Also I think I'm right in saying that you should not carry passengers (unless you're demonstrating the car) or goods.
A colleague of mine at a garage picked up his son's bike in a van with trade plates on. He was stopped by police who he told that he used the bike to ride to collect the van and had taken the commonsense approach of putting it in the van for the return journey. They bought it.
In addition , if you have to change them due to wear and tear, you will get a completely different set in return, different numbers etc.
Also, make sure you don't get them nicked when you're out and about. This can cause real problems. That is why a lot of traders display them inside the cars, although you should not.
H
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Can someone explain what's the benefit of trade plates? I quite often see hitch hikers carrying them as if to say "I'm OK, I've got trade plates"
Are they some kind of Get Out Of Jail Free Card?
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Nah, it means "I have just delivered a vehicle (or I am on my way to pick one up) and even though I've been paid for the train fare, I'm gonna hitch-hike and keep the money".
I think waving the plate tends to ensure that others in the trade recognise them and are more likely to pick them up.
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Er No they don't get the train fare home and the pay is pathetic.
GH (ex part-time trade plate driver)
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Er Yes they do.
MW (ex full-time trade plate driver)
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I think that it depends on the company that you work for. I've heard some drivers say that they have to hitch back home, yet others say that they can hire a car if they go over 200 miles from home.
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