Trade plate use???

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Sun 31 Jul 2011 18:24
Trade plate use??? - MrPickles

Hi all,

Some unpleasant types have started renting the house next door to us, which is making our once-quiet road a war zone. The guy who lives there works in haulage - yelled at him a couple of months ago for parking a 10-ton tractor unit on the drive, but that's another story. Anyways, he has a car that's seemingly taxed, but he always puts trade plates on it. Illegal, surely...???

Mr Pickles

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Sun 31 Jul 2011 18:32
Trade plate use??? - unthrottled

Aren't the trade plates for insurance purposes ie a car that doesn't have a unique plicy?

What's the problem with parking a tractor unit on the drive? I'd rather live next door to a Scania than a horrid caravan!

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Sun 31 Jul 2011 18:36
Trade plate use??? - MrPickles

What's the problem with parking a tractor unit on the drive? I'd rather live next door to a Scania than a horrid caravan!

I think you might be a little worried if your drains were less than 2 feet under a drive that was laid to take the weight of a family saloon! :)

Edited by MrPickles on 31/07/2011 at 18:39

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Sun 31 Jul 2011 19:46
Trade plate use??? - Dwight Van Driver

Various uses of a Trade Plate are legal and above board.

Have a look at sections 35 to 42 of :

http://www.tinyurl.com/94g9

If it is being abused then DVLA are the people to complain to

dvd

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Sun 31 Jul 2011 20:17
Trade plate use??? - MrPickles

Thanks for that, DVD - the car is not being used for the purposes listed and so is indeed being used illegally. Were he to have an accident he would not be insured. I suspect the lack of insurance is the motive for using the trade plates in the first place.

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Sun 31 Jul 2011 22:33
Trade plate use??? - jamie745

Trade plates have nothing to do with insurance, this is a common misconception, its solely to allow motor traders and other people in the motor business to use a car without Tax for the express purposes of transporting the vehicle. (to do MOT's, test drive etc) Its people like your neighbour who give honest traders a bad name and why i had to fight very hard to get my trade plates in the first place and i can assure you the list of restrictions on them is very tight. You may ONLY use them to test drive the vehicle (which still needs to be insured, usually through a traders policy if you're legit), take the vehicle to/from MOT or to take it home or to your base from where you've acquired it. Any usage for any other reason is strictly prohibited. I know a trader who was driving a car on trade plates for an MOT and stopped at a McDonalds drive thru on the way and got reported for misuse and the DVLA took them away from him.

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Sun 31 Jul 2011 23:45
Trade plate use??? - MrPickles

Maybe his use of the trade plates is to fool ANPR which might otherwise flag up the car if it's uninsured? His all-round behaviour doesn't give me the feeling that "Honesty" is his middle name...!

Edited by MrPickles on 31/07/2011 at 23:46

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Sun 31 Jul 2011 23:56
Trade plate use??? - jamie745

Police will still be able to identify the owner of the plates with their ANPR's and if they're displaying them as to not obscure the vehicle number plate they'll still be able to see if its insured or not. Traders will have trade insurance where you can add and remove cars in your possession from the MID all you like, provided that type of car is covered under your policy. Nothing fools ANPR's, if the machine cant tell them its a-ok they have every right to stop the car and find out.

And there can be no more than two people in the car when using trade plates.

Edited by jamie745 on 31/07/2011 at 23:57

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Sun 14 Aug 2011 01:14
Trade plate use??? - ebt740

As regards the tractor unit, if it happens regularly and it is really winding you up, just report the registration number to your local VOSA office and it will stop, but just be aware that if he is an unsavoury type this is not going to endear you.

It is a contravention of his Operators licence terms to keep a vehicle at a place other than his authorised operating centre. Doing this will eventually cause his O licence to be revoked, effectively putting him out of business. If he continues to trade after revocation his vehicle will be ceased, permanently. Like I said, effective, but you will make an enemy.

On a pedantic note tractor units do not weigh 10 tonnes, more like 7 to 8.

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Sun 14 Aug 2011 10:44
Trade plate use??? - unthrottled

Not necessarily.

The tractor unit could be registered as a "private HGV" ie not used for reward or hire and held on a restricted O licence in which case it would be perfectly acceptable to park on residential property.

I don't see the fuss. I'd rather live in a neighbourhood with HGVs neatly parked on private driveways than the more commen scenario of a road littered with horrid rusty or garishly painted LWB transit vans and the associated clattering when they are fired up at 6.30 every morning.

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Sun 14 Aug 2011 15:22
Trade plate use??? - jamie745

I couldnt care less what someone parks on their own driveway to be quite honest. I wouldnt expect anyone to care whats on mine.

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Mon 15 Aug 2011 02:57
Trade plate use??? - ebt740
If the tractor unit is taxed as private, he can park it on his drive, and it will not be held on an Operators licence of any sort, but since the original poster said he works in haulage, it is unlikely to be a private vehicle.

If it is on a restricted licence, that is used for the carriage of own goods only, then what I said in my previous post still holds true. Operating centre rules and parking restrictions are no different for vehicles used in hire and reward, or for carriage of own goods.

I have to say that reporting him is not a very neighbourly thing to do, and will only cause recriminations, but the point was made and that's the answer.
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