If you love cars, becoming a trade plate driver could be your perfect career move. It's an opportunity to travel all over the country and get behind the wheel of a variety of vehicles. The next car you drive could even be that matt black Maserati you've always fancied taking for a spin.
How can you get into this line of work? Here at ChoiceQuote, we are motor trade insurance specialists, so here's our guide to how you could become an automobile delivery and collection agent.
What is a trade plate driver?
A trade plate driver is a professional driver who collects a vehicle in one place and drives it for delivery to another location. The job title comes from the temporary number plates attached to a vehicle while it's in transit. Trade plates allow you to drive a vehicle on public highways without having to register or tax it. However, this is only permitted for certain purposes, such as transportation or test driving.
Trade plates are a familiar sight for most people, either attached to a vehicle or carried by drivers en route to their next job. The plates have a distinctive look with red letters and numbers on a white background surrounded by a red border.
What kind of companies use trade plates?
There's plenty of work around for a trade plate driver because a range of businesses use their services. Additionally, new and second-hand cars are in short supply right now, so demand is high. Likely employers include:
- New car dealerships (not all vehicles arrive by transporter)
- Used car dealers, moving motors from auctions or previous owners' premises
- Vehicle rental companies
- Company vehicle suppliers
- Freight and shipping businesses
- Home and office relocation services
How do I become a trade plate driver?
There's no single route to becoming a trade plate driver. Some are full-time employees, while others are self-employed and paid by the hour or per job.
If you work for a logistics company that specialises in moving vehicles around the UK, you're more likely to be a salaried employee with a steady, predictable income. However, by the nature of the job, you won't be working nine-to-five-style office hours.
As a self-employed trade plate driver you're your own boss. You find your own work and can potentially earn bigger money. The downside is the usual problem with freelance employment: when you're not working, you have no income. It's all about personal preference.
How much do trade plate drivers earn?
According to Glassdoor, the website where employees anonymously review employers, the average salary for a trade plate driver is around £20,000 per year1. Other sources quote £90 to £120 per day, which equates to a slightly healthier around £2,000 per four-week month2. There may be opportunities to earn extra by working harder. Within limits, of course, because driving unfamiliar vehicles long distances while tired is dangerous and unprofessional.
Being qualified to drive specific vehicle types, an HGV licence for example, can also bring higher earnings. Self-employed workers may also be able to claim tax relief on the cost of travel and overnight accommodation.
How do trade plate drivers get between jobs?
Trade plate drivers have traditionally been expected to find their own way to the vehicle they’re moving—and to pay their own travel expenses. That's why trade plate drivers "thumbing a lift" has been a traditional sight on the UK's roads over the years. They are often seen on trains, buses, tubes and trams as well.
Nowadays, some employers pay travel expenses and/or a mileage allowance for the delivery journey. But other self-employed drivers are still expected to get to collection points and travel home from delivery locations at their own expense.
What else do you need to be a trade plate driver?
Trade plate drivers have to be skilled and experienced drivers with the right attitude. The job requires flexibility, patience, a love of the open road, and a readiness to travel.
To work as a trade plate driver, you also need certain basics:
- A full UK driving licence with no more than 6 points on it
- In most cases, you need to be at least 25 years old
- Some employers require you to have secure off-road parking at your home
As mentioned above, you could also earn better rates by having an HGV licence.
Insurance is the final piece in the jigsaw. As a trade plate driver, you spend your working hours driving unfamiliar vehicles on unfamiliar roads. That all means running even higher risks than most people on the roads.
It’s important you have a suitable insurance policy to cover these risks. At ChoiceQuote, we offer a range of specialist motor trade policies, including mobile mechanics insurance, body shop insurance, and traders combined insurance.
Get a quote online or call 01625 885046 for a quote.
Sources
- https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/trade-plate-driver-salary-SRCH_KO0,18.htm – correct as of October 2024
- https://www.jobsite.co.uk/jobs/trade-plate-driver – correct as at October 2024
The sole purpose of this article is to provide guidance on the issues covered. This article is not intended to give legal advice, and, accordingly, it should not be relied upon. It should not be regarded as a comprehensive statement of the law and/or market practice in this area. We make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein or in the links which were live at the date of publication. You should not act upon (or should refrain from acting upon) information in this publication without first seeking specific legal and/or specialist advice. We do not accept any liability for any inaccuracy, omission or mistake in this publication, nor will we be responsible for any loss which may be suffered as a result of any person relying on the information contained herein.
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