Lorry driving question

[Benthejockey]

FIL has asked if I could drive a lorry to kent for him next week. I have my class C so I can drive anything rigid. Never did my CPC. I understand the drivers hours which is fine because I'll be driving down there, staying overnight and driving back the next day so even a bad journey isnt going to take me over my daily hours. Hes moving some stock from one premises to another up here - electrical stuff. I wont be paid for it, it would just be a favour for family. Can I do it or will I get a fine off VOSA if I get caught doing it?

[Lansdowne]

Why not ask the police or Vosa.then you will get the right answer to the law .then you will not get fined 

Edited October 6, 2019 by Lansdowne

[Benthejockey]

I will but its Sunday morning, it was before 9am and theres undoubtedly a lorry driver on here. Knowing PW theres probably the second in command at VOSA and a traffic law specialist lawyer so I thought I'd ask here first.

 

[snow white]

What are you asking if it’s doing it for nothing how can you get fined for helping somebody out 

[Benthejockey]

7 minutes ago, snow white said:

What are you asking if it’s doing it for nothing how can you get fined for helping somebody out

That's what I'm asking. If I was doing the driving as a favour for him and it's not for hire or reward, would this be acceptable to VOSA if I was to be pulled  over? 

[figgy]

You have your license so I don't see a problem. 

Also when was the last time you saw a driver pulled over?

They have the vosa depot places along some motorways and they are rarely in use.

Ben I don't think the vosa people are out to nail people for the sake of it. They would have to prove you were getting paid and your not it family. Any different from sticking a family members horse in a box with yours if your going somewhere, or moving one as a favour. 

Plg car insurance is same you can't use for business etc, you do your insurance is null and void. When did you last hear of anybody getting pulled about it.

Edited October 6, 2019 by figgy

[mossy835]

i drive a lorry for bt,we never had to do a CPC,but if i left bt and drove for another company i would have to have CPC,so if driving for a friend i dont see a problem.

[Benthejockey]

That's sort of what I thought.

[Mice!]

@hawkfanz pretty sure this fella will know, maybe 🤣

[wraivi]

You would only need it if driving for hire or reward, personal use is exempt. Get it clarified by DVSA though because the issue may be that the transport you are providing is on behalf of a business. Private use such as Chris Eubank driving around in his rig is fine, but as you're gonna be hauling on behalf of a company, private or personal use exemptions may not be valid. 

[bluesj]

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driver-cpc-exemptions-examples

Google is your friend. Short answer no you don't need a cpc for what you are going to do.

[mel b3]

3 hours ago, Benthejockey said:

FIL has asked if I could drive a lorry to kent for him next week. I have my class C so I can drive anything rigid. Never did my CPC. I understand the drivers hours which is fine because I'll be driving down there, staying overnight and driving back the next day so even a bad journey isnt going to take me over my daily hours. Hes moving some stock from one premises to another up here - electrical stuff. I wont be paid for it, it would just be a favour for family. Can I do it or will I get a fine off VOSA if I get caught doing it?

I've just had a look at the link to the vosa site , it seems that if you're moving them as a favour , and they aren't going for sale , then you don't need cpc, but you may need to prove it if you get stopped. Just don't have a crash or you might find yourself in a world of grief and aggravation. 

[Walker570]

Reminds me of an incident back in the late 60s. A friend who had a big recovery business had an artic to return to a firm in Aylesbury which had broken down near the present NEC B'ham.

Come and give me a hand he said so I turned up at 8am and he opened the drivers door of the ex RAF recovery monster and said jump in. Not to be fazed, I did as I was told.  Now let me just say, I was the local police constable at the time....  We checked all was well and I was instructed what all the levers did and selecting 1st gear we edged out onto the A452 from his depot.   Heh!   I quickly rrealised just how easy it is to drive these things  OK things got a bit tricky in Aylesbury town centre but I just about managed to miss everything.  Delivery was made and we had a real burn up on the way back.

Hope you have a safe journey Ben.

 

[flippermaj]

The grey area on CPC is if you are not driving for hire or reward.  

The often quoted example where you do not need CPC is you work for a scaffolding company and you drive from your depot to site and unload and spend the day erecting the scaffolding.  As you are transporting your tools and equipment you do not need CPC.  However if said driver delivered the scaffolding to site A then went on to deliver the rest of the load to site B then he would need CPC as he is effectively now doing deliveries and is a "delivery driver". for his company.

Moving stock from one site to the other in my view would require CPC as you are acting as a delivery driver for your company and not moving the tools and equipment of your trade to site to carry out your work at site.  

Does the regular driver have a CPC card?

If you are caught it's not only you in trouble, it will have an impact on the owners O license and his rating with DVSA and may lead to more stops in the future.

I drive and have been a CPC trainer in the past so have half an idea but it is a "grey" area.   The matter of payment it you or not is irrelevant, it's the act of what you are doing that counts.

In reality you though the chances of you getting caught are almost zero!

[Benthejockey]

@mel b3I try my best to avoid crashing all the time the car doesn't like it 😂

@Walker570an old girlfriend had an 18tonner that had a wheel in each corner, it had the turning circle about the size of the west Midlands! It was a pig but I enjoyed driving it because it had a nice gearbox and comfy seat, it was a lovely drive unless you had so ewhere tight to go but itd go most places backwards.

@flippermaj cheers I will look in to doing my cpc at some point.

[Jay_Russell]

obviously to late, but you a carrying out comercial work weather you get paid or not.  you would need your cpc ticket. you could argue with vosa but i doubt you would convince them as its not persoanl property. 

 

if you had hired the truck yourself  to move say your furniture to your new house then no cpc would be required. 

 

transport manager is my day job. 

[Private Marker]

Here's my personal experience. I have 7.5 ton on grandfather rights. I neved did my CPC my CPC. I have a 7.5 ton beavertail for my own use. I never have a problem. Never been stopped. My mate borrowed the truck. He too is an old **** with grandfather rights to 7.5 ton. Despite using the truck in the same way as me he ended up in court because the cop that stopped him just wouldn't leave it. He was found not guilty of having no CPC or O license. Not a nice wait for the court date though. 

[Vince Green]

On 23/10/2019 at 23:45, Private Marker said:

Here's my personal experience. I have 7.5 ton on grandfather rights. I neved did my CPC my CPC. I have a 7.5 ton beavertail for my own use. I never have a problem. Never been stopped. My mate borrowed the truck. He too is an old **** with grandfather rights to 7.5 ton. Despite using the truck in the same way as me he ended up in court because the cop that stopped him just wouldn't leave it. He was found not guilty of having no CPC or O license. Not a nice wait for the court date though. 

Hi Private Marker! Good to see you on here.

Lots of issues around driving minibuses on D1, very unclear who can and who can't. They take seats out and say that's legal but others say the seats still count, taking them out doesn't chance the spec of the vehicle.

Other question is what about all the people who take all the seats out to convert to campers but don't alter the registration category which is hard to do

Other issues around volunteer drivers for charity. Its a minefield   

[Private Marker]

Hi Vince! Good to see you the other day  

The DVLA are no help either! Ring them to ask advice and get different answers each time. I will say, about hire and reward that if you make any money out of doing something it's hire and reward.