Do I need a Tacho To Tow .VOSA Have Given Me Fine

Do I need a Tacho To Tow .VOSA Have Given Me Fine

by ian slater
(cumbria)

I was on my way to silloth market towing my wifes donut van. Vosa pulled me over and checked the van i was towing the trailer with and told me i need a tacho due to my van being plated 2800 and the trailer being plated to 1000 they then give me a £200 fine and a prohabition notice can they do this and do i really need a tacho fitted as i am only towing it 12 mile.

The trailer is registered to my wife and the van is registered to me i dont no if this makes a differance.
cheers
Ian

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Do I need a Tacho To Tow .VOSA Have Given Me Fine

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Mar 22, 2011
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What happens if ...
by: diba1958

Hello, with interest i have read these posts, but I need an advice.
My wife is self-employed, has no driving license and carries a business as market caterer on continental markets all over UK.
The whole market equipment is in a 2750 Gross weight box trailer.

Case 1: The trailer is towed by me, with a car 4x4 registered on my name, and I have nothing to do with the business, I only tow my wifes thing from A to B.

Case 2: My wife runs as self-employed a trailer rental business. I rent the trailer from her and run as self-employed as well the catering business, towing the trailer from A to B.

Anything what VOSA can do?

Dec 08, 2010
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REF TACHO / TOWING
by: ROCHDALE AUTO RESCUE

In may this year i got stopped in stafford by VOSA in a transit ST van with a brian james tri axle car transporter trailer carrying a transit st van and was told if i was to use this vehicle for such use ie business i must fit a tacho in which i did straight away at the cost of £1200 i since got stopped by vosa a week ago with a little renault kangoo van in sussex and was prohibited to go any further claiming i was 970 kgs over weight.why didn't vosa at stafford tell me that my van and trailer could only carry approx 250 kgs legally before they had me fit the tacho?

Sep 28, 2010
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vosa help
by: Anonymous

vosa well what can i say, them good old boys pull me today, so i am needing some help here guys, i run my own small business moving new used and damaged cars for customers been doing this for 4yrs, the truck in qustion is a vw crafter 3500kg with a train weight of 5500kg on the truck was an vauxhall astra van (1387kg) on the trailer was the same (brian james clubman 2000kg)(508 unladed) my total weight was 5536kg in total, so was 36kgs over, now the best bit was told i need a tacho to do this, i am not up to date with this so all the help will be appreciated..............

Aug 26, 2010
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vosa prats
by: cardiff boy

i had a chuckle when i saw this post ,having been in haulage for the past 20 odd years ive had my fair share with these muppets,well 2 weeks ago i bought a catering trailer and was towing it back from london and was pulled at the coldra ,jct 28 m4,after the vosa guy spent half an hour lecturing me on towing a LARGE TRAILER like this (12 ft),he put a prohibition on mine too,saying the brakes didnt work,and funny that ,i said its all brand new,and as a matter of fact i can tow safetly as i drive 44 ton trucks for a living,he then tried that tacho lark on me and i had to inform him ,this was not being used for business as i was only transporting it back home ,he walked away looking rather stupid.

Mar 31, 2010
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vosa are wrong YEE HAA
by: ian

Thank you for the prompt replys, After badgering Vosa for 2 weeks about the 50k limit, they relented and removed the prohabition of both van and trailer with no explanation, so i asume the 50k applies to me, i am awaiting a court date to contest the fine, after all they cant fine me for somthing i did not need in the first place (wot a waist of tax payers money.

Thank you for the help

Mar 25, 2010
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VOSA
by: ricam

IF you are less than 50 kms from your base and you need the trailer with whatever is in it or on it to carry out your buisness/trade then I believe you do not need a tacho fitted.

Mar 20, 2010
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VOSA Do Have The Power To Stop You
by: David

Hi Ian,

Can't really be of much help with this one, as it's never happend to me.But I do know that VOSA have the power to stop drivers, lorry drivers if they think or have some reason to suspect something is not right with the vehicle.

Here is an article I found, hopefully someone else can comment and give you some better information
VOSA Website

Regards
David

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