Lorry Insurance

[jimbomit]

Just a few things, wondered where any of you who run a race truck get your insurance from?

Also, I was talking to a chap at the festival and he thinks that you need to have an operators licence if you carry someone elses car even if it isn't for 'hire or reward'. Anyone know any more on the law regarding what you must and mustn't have / do?

Cheers

[kickstart]

Got mine from Competition Car Insurance - about £600 for the year for a 7.5 Tonner fully comp

[midgetman]

Jimbomit, I'd agree with the bloke in the paddock. You're carrying other peoples' goods, and the fact that you're not being paid for it (or maybe you are getting a contribution to petrol) is your commercial loss. In fact one ministry man told me a few years back that the fact I was racing for prize money (£75 quid in those days IIRC) was enough to qualify me as carrying my car for hire or reward!

But I am a bit out of date on O Licence rules.

Max

[thatorangething]

Hi, had a chat with the DVLA about this recently. in short, if it is decided that it is "more than a mere social kindness" then you need an O license. So a fellow competitor's car on board a private truck should be ok. But, if one has a race prep firm that races their own car, and carries 'fellow competitors' cars at 'no cost', that is defined as more than a mere social kindness, so therefore requires an O licence, and as a result tacho, driver's hours, working time directive, proper plating and tax.

Also, and this is important, if it's a camper and it's got a car in it, its a truck, not a camper, as it has goods carrying capacity, so it needs plating, not an MoT test.

If it's a camper based on an ex 7.5 tonne truck, now running at design weight somewhere above the plated weight, i.e. over 7.5 tonnes, but is registered and tested as a camper, one needs an HGV license to drive it, as it's design weight is over 7.5 tonnes - even if one could drive it on a car license when it was a 7.5 tonne truck. If it used to be a coach, and it's now a camper, it's actually a truck if you can put a car in it. Also, if one still thinks it's a camper, I would refer them to the previous paragraph...

So where does that put those of us that are insured and have recovery cover as campers, if the insurance companies have mistakenly taken on all these lorries?

Things that make you go mmmmmm!

[R59]

And of course, to get an Operators Licence, you must pass a CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence). WTD? Oh noooooooooooooooooooo.......

Not for Hire or Reward used to do the job. Even the F1 boys run that, though they use tacho's to make sure their rears are covered.

Now, insurance - try the NFU Mutual. You won't beat their cover, you may beat their price by a little though (and I'm only talking a couple of quid)

Rob.

[midgetman]

>>>>>>And of course, to get an Operators Licence, you must pass a CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence).

Or find a mate with one who can act as your transport manager. Always thought there must be an opening for taking a CPC then offering my services to a network of owner/operators. Seems like there's a growing market here.

[thatorangething]

Interesting idea, but I dont fancy trying to make a load of race truck and horsebox owners get planning permission to park their trucks. I certainly wouldn't fancy being responsible for their tacho records, insurance, or having their trucks inspected every six weeks, let alone every six months (or is it years?!)
I can see the ministry man rubbing his hands together! Besides, in that situation, they would have to start putting proper HGV tax discs on their trucks. That little lot would soon have 'em buying campers and trailers!

[thatorangething]

Another thing the DVLA man said was that of course they could not do much about those big 'campers' that turn up for MoT with welded down rear doors and a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig 'bedroom' in the back, but if they pull you on the road....

[R59]

Make sure you've got clean sheets?