Q I operate a four-wheel rigid flat vehicle and I have
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been offered livestock traffic which can carry by adding a demountable container. This will increase the unladen weight of my vehicle to about 4 tons. Will I have to pay more road tax?
AYou will not have to pay extra Excise Duty by using a livestock container on your truck as long as it is used for no other purpose. Provision for excluding the weight of a container of this type under these circumstances is made in paragraph 3 (1) (c) of Schedule 6 to the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971.
However, from what you say, it could be that the vehicle without the container weighs less than 3 tons unladen and, formerly, no hgv drivers' licence was necessary. You should realise that if the vehicle now weighs over 7.5 tonnes (7.38 tons) gross, with the container in position, you will need an hgv driving licence by January 1.
If this assumption is correct and you have been driving the vehicle for six months in any consecutive 12 months between January 1, 1975, and April 15, 1976, you can claim an hgv driving licence for the vehicle without taking a test.