I bought a ride on lawnmower. It is eight inches too long with the grassbox off to fit on the transit sideways, I was gonna weld up some ramps for it. Long ones, as you could imagine, but discovered the sad news that it doesn't fit. If it goes on long ways, I have no room for grass cuttings.
So I'm forced to get a trailer to carry it.
I figured that since I will be travelling less than 50k from base and I'm carrying tools for my own business use and not for 'Hire or Reward', the over 3.5T plated Train Weight or MAM, wouldn't mean I need a tacho or an operators licence.
However, if I carry grass cuttings to dispose of, which I charge indirectly into my costs, (My time + fuel + tipping fee) is this waste, produced in the course of my actions, taken as for 'Hire and Reward'...? Another government department, he EA don't class it as such unless I am specifically picking it up as someone else's waste for reward, although I have a Waste Carriers anyway.
I may just be able to wing it presently, as my grey import tipper has a plated weight of 2900kg, so with a 600kg trailer, down rated from 750kg plated trailer I will be on 3500kg Train Weight exactly.
But FFS, this Transit isn't going to last forever and I need to go back to my 3.5T GVW one, in which case I will be well above 3.5T.
What the verdict? I've contacted VOSA, they have no idea and have not got back to me via email, although I'm pretty sure the VOSA staff on the nearest roundabout who will be stopping me, will have a clearer idea of the law.