Are some trucks MOT exempt?

[RogerRust]

Is it possible to have a vehicle you only need to insure?

[Rob_Jennings]

yes from my understanding some older truck require no MOT

although I imagine if it was considered unroadworthy you could be prosecuted for it and I bet your insurance would be cheaper if you could provide some evidence of roadworthiness

[RogerRust]

what about tractors?

[dalebrignall]

tractors dont need mots. if you drive a maxamum milage of 3 miles from your base you dont need to tax it,you can then use the red diesil that you dont pay tax on.if you use a tractor on the road the lights and indicators need to be in working order and it needs to be insured.

[pyestudiocolour]

I'm pretty sure some breakdown recovery trucks (over a certain weight and type) are MoT exempt. I remember having a kit car towed home once on the back of a truck, and when I enquired why it had no seatbelts, holes in the floor etc., the driver told me it didn't need a test. A strange situation really!

I also have a feeling that some ex military vehicles are MoT exempt too.

[paulhumphries]

Is it possible to have a vehicle you only need to insure?

Yes but there are some strict rule you have to abide by.
Basically show vehicles (HGV's) and as soon as you put anything into / on them then normal rules apply.
A friend & I looked into buying an ex military vehicle like an AEC Matador.
He has Class 1 HGV and I have just car licence but would still have been allowed to drive as long as properly registered.
Insurance was a problem as well as the restrictions of use so we forgot the idea.

Vehicles exempt from M.O.T. tests are:


ANY vehicle less than 3 years old.

Tractors.

Track-laying vehicles.

Articulated vehicles that are NOT buses or lorries.

Works trucks.

Invalid carriages weighing no more than 306kg unladen.

Vehicles that travel less than 6 miles per week on public roads (and only to access property belonging to the vehicle owner).

Hackney carriages licenced by a Local Authority.

Police vehicles.

Electric vehicles.

Trams.

Trolley buses.

Vehicles covered under the Special Types General Order of 1988.

Any vehicle on an island that has no tunnel, bridge, ford, ferry or other vehicular access to the U.K. mainland.



Source(s):
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Own...

Paul Humphries

[rayofleamington]

Any vehicle on an island that has no tunnel, bridge, ford, ferry or other vehicular access to the U.K. mainland.

hmm - I heard that you can do without an MOT on Orkney...
That has 2 ferries to the mainland.

[jtd.75]

Am I right in also presuming vehicles that are classified as plant also do not need m o t

[alainmoran]

"Vehicles that travel less than 6 miles per week on public roads"

So why oh why did I need to MOT & tax my minor so that I could continue to strip & rebuild it while parked outside my house on the road .. pah!

I also did happen to pick the most SEVERE mot bloke ever, however when I do finally ACTUALLY put her back on the road I'll take it back to him since if it passes his MOT then it's in tip-top condition - he failed it 3 times till I took it to my usual place which passed it no problems, even with my rear brake issues which REALLY DO need to be sorted before I actually drive it for real.

[steve4063]

well hackney carriages ie taxi's certainly do need an mot.

they HAVE to be tested by the council where they are licensed but it's an mot test they do and VERY VERY strict it is as well.

i was a taxi driver for 10 years and a friends car failed because the rubber mats weren't genuine and screwed down

he picked them up threw them across the yard and said "here u go there aren't any now"

with that the tester said failed and never passed another of his cars again
he had to get someone else to take them in

but another old silly law is you can still get prosecuted for driving a hackney carriage if you haven't got a bale of hay in the boot
they never actually cancelled that old law

[Orkney]

Any vehicle on an island that has no tunnel, bridge, ford, ferry or other vehicular access to the U.K. mainland.

True, outer isles cars dont need one as long as you dont bring them onto the main island. Although plenty do and occasionally get caught doing so.

Great for people who have to commute by ferry as they can keep one car either side of the water and not have to pay to take a vehicle across twice a day.

[8009STEVE]

Police vehicles do need an M O T

[paulhumphries]

Police vehicles do need an M O T

Are they like Taxi's in that they don't need a "normal" (like the rest of us) MOT but rather a more comprehensive test done by the council ?

Paul Humphries

[LouiseM]

I believe that Police cars have the same MOT test as other vehicles and don't need to be tested by the council. Safety checks are carried out on a daily basis prior to a vehicle being driven.

[Matt]

Recovery Vehicles with JUST the SPECs lifts dont need an Mot (ie. the ones that pick the front/back of a vechicle up)

If it has specs and a flatbet it does.

Fire Engines are exempt from MoT's too, but you do legally need to keep a written record of ANY modifications

[RogerRust]

Recovery Vehicles with JUST the SPECs lifts dont need an Mot (ie. the ones that pick the front/back of a vechicle up)

That was what started me on this track there was a pick up truck on Ebay that said it was MOT Exempt, just as you discribe. However I couldn't find anything to back it up on the DVLA site.

[paulhumphries]

Recovery Vehicles with JUST the SPECs lifts dont need an Mot (ie. the ones that pick the front/back of a vechicle up)

That was what started me on this track there was a pick up truck on Ebay that said it was MOT Exempt, just as you discribe. However I couldn't find anything to back it up on the DVLA site.

The rules for operating recovery vehicles changed earlier in the year.
I don't know exactly what they are but involves drivers hours, tacho's, max speed, operating distance from registered base etc -all of which recovery vehicle in the past were exempt.
This has affected all kinds of people and not just those with MOT exempt vehicles.
The "banger racer" with a flat bed Sherpa now come within the new rules but I bet most of them don't even know they exist and they are breaking the law !
There has been lots of discussions about this on other lists.

Paul Humphries

[overider]

Articulated vehicles that are NOT buses or lorries.

I think i might Articulate all my cars then!!

[XWL61]

I've never mot'd my AEC Matador timber tractor........

Andy

ps Its for sale if anyone is interested...!!

[gatekeeper]

Is it possible to have a vehicle you only need to insure?

RR yes it is...what are you after? if you're looking for a truck then maybe I can help you. Just needs Insurance. MOT and TAX Exempt. Mind you thats no excuses not to have it in a roadworthy condition....same rules apply if stopped by the bobbies. Its a friend that has (or knows of one) one in the next village to me. In fact I was asked on Sunday if I was interested in it. Mind you it does need a bit of repair done. I'm going over at the end of the week to see him and maybe the truck too...but if i fancy it I may well buy the thing myself