Trailer maintenance responsibilities in traction-only work

In a traction-only arrangement, one business supplies the tractor unit and driving operation while another owns or controls the trailer. That division can make routine maintenance look like the trailer owner's problem alone. The operator towing the trailer still needs to know that the trailer is fit for the journey and that evidence and defect decisions are available when required.

The DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness has a dedicated section on traction-only operators and third-party trailers. It says traction-only operators need trailer authorisation on their operator's licence, regardless of ownership, and recommends a written agreement with the trailer owner covering inspection details, frequency and defect rectification. Check the current guide and licence conditions for the exact operation.

Put the division of work in writing

The agreement should identify the trailer fleet, parties, contact points and who arranges routine maintenance, inspections, brake evidence, MOT where applicable, safety recalls and repair. The DVSA guide describes the trailer owner as normally responsible for routine maintenance and for supplying relevant evidence. “Normally” matters: the actual commercial arrangement may allocate tasks differently, but the operator needs an effective system and access to information.

State how quickly records will be supplied and in what form. A clause that the owner “will maintain trailers” is incomplete if a transport manager cannot retrieve the current inspection report before use or in a roadside review. Agree how the operator will be told when a trailer is removed from service, when repairs are complete and whether a substitute trailer has an equivalent evidence pack.

Check what the traction operator needs before use

The DVSA guidance describes the traction operator's walkaround check and defect recording before use. It also says the operator should have access to the inspection interval, current safety-inspection reports including brake tests, current MOT information and other applicable performance evidence. The driver should have a clear way to report a defect, including one that develops during the journey.

Match the physical trailer number to the evidence. A correct report for a different asset is no help. If information is missing or a defect is unresolved, decide what action is needed before dispatch. Do not use a blanket “customer trailer” exception to bypass a roadworthiness decision.

Make defect rectification a closed loop

The written process should say who receives a driver report, who assesses the defect, who commissions and pays for repair, who confirms completion and who tells the operator the trailer may be used. Keep the evidence in a form both parties can retrieve. If the trailer owner repairs a fault but the operator's dispatch system still shows it as open, the handover failed. If the operator closes it on a phone call without a repair record, the evidence failed.

For a trailer held at a depot, identify who controls physical access and how an out-of-service decision is marked. If it is swapped between operators, the next user must receive the current condition, not a stale “clear” status. A defect found during the walkaround or in service should remain linked to assessment and rectification.

Audit the agreement in practice

Select a few recent trailer movements and try to retrieve the corresponding inspection, walkaround and defect evidence. Note delays, mismatched IDs and unclear repair responsibility. Review whether the agreed inspection frequency was followed and whether contact details still work out of hours. A contract is useful only when it produces an operational exchange of information.

If the arrangement changes, amend the agreement and brief drivers, planners, workshop staff and the trailer owner. A change in ownership or maintenance provider can invalidate the assumptions in an old handover process.

For software evaluation, Complys HGV compliance software is a relevant overview. Ask to see how trailer records and defect evidence would be represented in the current product. This guide makes no claim that Complys manages HGV preventive-maintenance intervals or makes the operator's legal decision.

Example: the owner changes its maintenance provider

A customer trailer remains in regular traction-only service, but the owner appoints a new workshop. The operator should update the contact and evidence route before relying on the next inspection. Who now supplies the reports and brake evidence? Does the agreed inspection interval remain the same? Who receives a driver defect after hours, and who confirms repair? The written arrangement should reflect the change and identify any open defects transferred to the new provider. The next driver must still match the trailer to the current evidence and complete the walkaround check. An old agreement naming the previous workshop is not enough merely because the trailer looks familiar.

Distinguish ownership from operational control

The trailer owner may normally organise routine maintenance, while the traction operator performs the pre-use check and needs access to roadworthiness records. If the parties change that practical allocation, document it. Avoid a contract clause that says “the other party is responsible for everything”: it will not tell dispatch what to do when a defect is found at midnight. A reliable process gives each party a reachable person, evidence route and decision boundary.

When a trailer changes hands, verify which party holds the current maintenance and defect information and how the tractor operator will access it. If the arrangement is ambiguous, agree responsibilities in writing before relying on the trailer. A visual check by one driver cannot replace the owner’s broader maintenance evidence. Record the escalation route for an unavailable owner record before the next journey.