So i unscrewed my rear unit number plate and secured it to the rear of my trailer. Got back to depot and they dont have a spare and the place who does them doesn’t open till 08.30am, i phoned it in early to our transport but they forgot. But i need away sharpish tomorrow 
Am i alright doing this again? Is there any law saying you need a rear number plate on a unit whilst its towing?
merc0447:
So i unscrewed my rear unit number plate and secured it to the rear of my trailer. Got back to depot and they dont have a spare and the place who does them doesn’t open till 08.30am, i phoned it in early to our transport but they forgot. But i need away sharpish tomorrowAm i alright doing this again? Is there any law saying you need a rear number plate on a unit whilst its towing?
cardboard in black felt is it a uk or european trailor from docks it it is not
merc0447:
So i unscrewed my rear unit number plate and secured it to the rear of my trailer. Got back to depot and they dont have a spare and the place who does them doesn’t open till 08.30am, i phoned it in early to our transport but they forgot. But i need away sharpish tomorrowAm i alright doing this again? Is there any law saying you need a rear number plate on a unit whilst its towing?
Ive done this a few times,never had a problem,was told by transport shift manager you only need to show a number plate at the REAR of the vehicle and when pulling a trl you dont need one on the rear of the unit until it runs solo.
washy jnr:
merc0447:
So i unscrewed my rear unit number plate and secured it to the rear of my trailer. Got back to depot and they dont have a spare and the place who does them doesn’t open till 08.30am, i phoned it in early to our transport but they forgot. But i need away sharpish tomorrowAm i alright doing this again? Is there any law saying you need a rear number plate on a unit whilst its towing?
Ive done this a few times,
Me too. I’ve always regarded the rear plate on the unit as a spare trailer plate.
washy jnr:
never had a problem,
Me neither.
merc0447:
Am i alright doing this again? Is there any law saying you need a rear number plate on a unit whilst its towing?
No however there is one that says whilst towing, the rear of the vehicle becomes the rear of the trailer and not the towing vehicle so you could actually run with blown rear lights on the unit and it would still pass a VOSA check as long as a trailer with full set of working lights was attached.
I just ran with it, picked up the trailer plate from dingbro on the way back, better than cardboard anyway 
The last time I lost a trailer number plate, the nice man at daf Bellshill made two for me, it did cost me tho, they wanted a trailer shunting 
Conor:
merc0447:
Am i alright doing this again? Is there any law saying you need a rear number plate on a unit whilst its towing?No however there is one that says whilst towing, the rear of the vehicle becomes the rear of the trailer and not the towing vehicle so you could actually run with blown rear lights on the unit and it would still pass a VOSA check as long as a trailer with full set of working lights was attached.
Only applies to units first used before 1st April 1986
Ian58:
Conor:
merc0447:
Am i alright doing this again? Is there any law saying you need a rear number plate on a unit whilst its towing?No however there is one that says whilst towing, the rear of the vehicle becomes the rear of the trailer and not the towing vehicle so you could actually run with blown rear lights on the unit and it would still pass a VOSA check as long as a trailer with full set of working lights was attached.
Only applies to units first used before 1st April 1986
i put a defect in on my 08 plate MAN wagon and drag for rear fogs not working on the wagon…the fitter said MANs have intelligent electonics and when you plug a trailer in it disables the rear fogs on the wagon…and also plugging the trailer in tells the ecu that you have and it alters the auto gearchange points.
Ian58:
Conor:
merc0447:
Am i alright doing this again? Is there any law saying you need a rear number plate on a unit whilst its towing?No however there is one that says whilst towing, the rear of the vehicle becomes the rear of the trailer and not the towing vehicle so you could actually run with blown rear lights on the unit and it would still pass a VOSA check as long as a trailer with full set of working lights was attached.
Only applies to units first used before 1st April 1986
Really? That must’ve changed in the last few years then.
Was once told by a freind of mine (traffic cop from Worcestershire area) that if your trailer plate was lost to NEVER say “it must have fell off, officer”
You can then allegedly be fined for having an insecure number plate.
He told me you should say…" I saw some kids messing about at the last set of lights I stopped at ,the theiving gits must have nicked it !"
You cannot then be fined for insecure etc etc.
Dont know how true this is maybe some of the BIBs on here could confirm or deny this??
My response would be “It was there at my last stop officer, I did a walkround check before leaving place A”
Well i don’t really know what happened to it. I had a birchwood driver nipping my head when hooking up so i reckon ive put it in the slot but not clipped it on.
The times I lost my trailer plate over the years would amount to hundreds 
I have drawn it on cardboard, written it with chalk and just ran without it at various times.
I was once stopped by some humourous cops on the M25 who said "Congratulations on chalking the number in but it’s the wrong number LOL … I was using a trailer a mate had pulled minus a plate previously. … no ticket !
I was told by a cop that drawing the number in black felt tip on cardboard was the best temporary plate, removing the plate from the rear of the tractor is not recomended 
If you are stopped for inspection and it is missing from the rear of the truck it is an offence.
The best I found was just run without it untill I got a new one. when stopped I would just tell the cop that it must have been stollen.
If you are really worried by a piece of yellow plastic and some stick on numbers.
the only worry these days is no rear number plate can get you a fine…no plate = FPN if you get a stroppy cop?
It always amazes me the different type/size of number plate holders that the trailer makers fit 
then you spend an age trying to secure the ■■■■ thing 
& it still falls off 
Pat Hasler:
I was told by a cop that drawing the number in black felt tip on cardboard was the best temporary plate,
That’s pretty much a guaranteed Fixed Penalty these days.
Pat Hasler:
removing the plate from the rear of the tractor is not recomended , If you are stopped for inspection and it is missing from the rear of the truck it is an offence.
As long as you are not running solo it isn’t. There has to be a number plate front and rear of the vehicle and when you are towing a trailer the rear of the vehicle is the back of the trailer.
xamtex:
the only worry these days is no rear number plate can get you a fine…no plate = FPN if you get a stroppy cop?
Thats true, but you can get your money back by getting from A to B at any speed you like. 
Speed cameras take pics of the back, with no plate they don’t know who you are.