Thanks again – still awaiting VOSA input regarding this tachograph ‘minefield’.

There are specific exemptions for some vehicles/activities. The only exemptions which could conceivably apply are:

“Specialised breakdown vehicles operating within a 100 km radius of their base.”

“Vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 7.5 tonnes that are used: …for carrying materials, equipment or machinery for the driver’s use in the course of his work. These vehicles shall be used only within a 50 km radius of the base of the undertaking and on the condition that driving the vehicle does not constitute the driver’s main activity.”

“Vehicles used for the carriage of goods within a 50 km radius from the base of the undertaking and propelled by means of natural or liquefied gas or electricity”

I assume that none of the above apply, so you’re left with:

“Vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 7.5 tonnes used for the non-commercial carriage of goods.”

The decider for whether the activity is ‘non-commercial’ seems to me to be similar to the difference between a market-trader towing a trailer to market and an individual towing a trailer to a car boot sale. The extremes are easy to identify but there’s an obvious grey area between them.

Presumably a driver would not suffer fatigue towing a trailer during a 100km round trip, indeed similar apparently applies to someone driving privately (with or without trailer)from one end of the land to the other in a day !

There are incentives other than financial to do so but presumably common sense would prevail regarding stops/breaks.

The 50km get out isn’t relevant anyway unless you’re doing breakdown recovery is it? So that’s a blind alley.

If what you’re describing is being done as a ‘hobby’, with any commercial gain you might make being incidental and anyway only used towards you carrying out that ‘hobby’ then it’s not business use and there’s no need to worry about a tacho.

If however you run it as a business, even if it only produces a small profit, then I think you’d need a tacho.

As I say though, it’s a bit outside my area of knowledge.

Shall presume a tachograph need not be fitted. Argue the case in Court should it come to that.

The query being (summing up) the definition of “hire/reward” or “commercial purposes” relating to the subject.

A person uses a vehicle combination, light commercial vehicle + vehicle transporter trailer of gross weight and over distance requiring a tachograph to be fitted according to regulations / legislation.

BUT the vehicle being transported is their own property (purchased just prior to transportation) to be used or disposed of at that persons discretion.

The transported vehicle is taken to that persons home or base to be used / disposed of or dismantled at a later time, with any further transportation of that vehicle or it’s remnants subsequently being limited within the tachograph free distance prescribed.

Somewhat similar to a person purchasing and transporting a scrapper for stock car racing and later selling the wreck/parts (within 50km of home/base).

Is a tachograph required in such overall circumstance and if so why.

Thank you for your time.

1) do i need a tacho for the above use?
2) roughly what would you say is my top legal weight i can carry?
3) im looking into doing the occassional car transport work for extra income, will i need a tacho?

Many thanks