does any one know (horse transport)

[Lisa2manyponies]

i am in the very very early stages of setting up a horse transport company if thats the right name ?
does any one know the legal requirements ? i know i will need to have a certificate but not shore which and how i get this ?
also is there any special insurances needed or liecences ?
thanks for your help and once again sorry for very bad spelling

 

[GeeBee45]

I assume that you are setting this transport company up with a view to making a living from it, consequently there are many bureaucratic hurdles to clear before you get anywhere near putting a horse in a vehicle.

Don't know all the legislation covering transporting equines but two links will help from the animal welfare point of view;

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/farmed/transport/pdf/transport-leaflet.pdf

and

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/farmed/transport/pdf/transport_horses.pdf


The bit I know more about is transport in general terms. Any vehicle with a maximum authorised weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes (basically anything bigger than a Transit) used in connection with a trade or business needs to be authorised under a Goods Vehicle Operator Licence. Although there are three types the 'Restricted' only allows you to carry your own horses, so would appear not the way for you to go. Depending upon where you are taking animals you will need either a Standard National (Great Britain & Northern Ireland) or Standard International (anywhere in Europe & beyond). Either type of licence allows for carriage for 'hire & reward,' they both cost the same. If your vehicle is operated under an O-Licence you will need to carryout time based safety inspections (usually on a 6 to 8 week period). If you are mechanically competent you can do the inspections yourself, if not then you will have to have a 'maintenance agreement' with a local HGV workshop. You will need to retain all records of maintenance for at least 15 months. As you will be carrying for 'hire & reward' you will have to have a professionally competent Transport Manager named on your O-Licence. Again, this could be you if you pass the OCR exams or you can 'hire' the services of a TM.

Driving Licences; if you passed your car test before 01/01/1997 you have authorisation to drive vehicles below 3.5 tonnes towing big trailers, think Discovery towing an Ifor Williams. You will also have authorisation to drive a rigid vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 7.5 tonnes, think most horseboxes. If you passed your car test after 1st January 1997 you are going to have to take a 'towing test' to get your 4x4 plus trailer and you will need to take an HGV test to drive anything over 3.5 tonnes. Your HGV licence requires you to take a medical to get the provisional and then at the age of 45 and every five years after that. You would be best to go for your C licence as that allows you to drive any rigid vehicle up to the current maximum weight of 32 tonnes. The cost difference between C1 (7.5 tonnes) and C is negligible. From the 10th September this year a new HGV qualification comes into force for drivers with vocational licences. You need to show 35 hours relevant training in a five year period in order to retain the entitlement to drive to earn a living. If you pass your HGV test before 10.09.2009 then you will have to show the appropriate training before 10/09/2014. If you go for your HGV test after 10/09/2009 you will have to do two extra tests before you will be allowed to drive commercially. If you haven't got your HGV licence yet, best you get your skates on, there isn't much time. To everyone else reading this, you do not have to do drivers CPC if you are only driving for 'private' use, however, giving you mate and their horse a lift to an event and receiving money for fuel could well be looked on as being commercial. The drivers CPC is something entirely different from the operators CPC, just because you have one doesn't get you out of the requirement to have the other.

Drivers hours and tachographs. A vehicle where the maximum permitted weight (including that of any trailer) exceeds 3.5 tonnes will come under EU drivers hours regulations and a tachograph must be fitted and used. There is an exemption for vehicles where the weight is less than 7.5 tonnes and the vehicle is not used for commercial purposes. Unfortunately, your proposed business doesn't come into this exemption. Basically the EU regs are there to control how long you can drive for in one go, per day, week and fortnight. They also describe how much rest you must take each day and week. Rest is defined as a period where no other work is performed so no thinking you'll catch-up with business paperwork whilst you are having your weekly rest period!! If you fall into the EU drivers hours rules it is highly likely you will be effected by the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulation 2005. Basically this limits your working time to 60 hour maximum and 48 hours average per week.

If your still with me after all that lot you can try:

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/act...nesslink.gov.uk

which will take you to all the stuff I've mentioned regarding O-Licences, driving licences, drivers hours etc.

Finally insurance. Again, not my field but at a minium apart from the usual third party motor vehicle cover (or comprehensive) you will need to think about Public Liability and Goods In Transit. Often overlooked is 'Key Man' (or Woman) cover, which allows the business to operate when critical personnel (you) are off work due to injury or medical condition.

Apologies for the long post but there is a lot of stuff you need to know about before going any further. Have fun with all the reading