Trailer-Mounted Platform: use, driving licence and limits

The Trailer-Mounted Platform is the cheapest way to reach double-digit working heights: it is hitched to a normal towing vehicle and needs neither a truck nor a low-loader. In return, it only works on outriggers and cannot be driven at height. An overview of all designs, from trailer-mounted to truck-mounted platforms, is provided by the page Rent an aerial work platform; you can find the rental machines under Rent aerial work platforms.

Technically, it is a mobile elevating work platform on a car trailer chassis. At the site, it is levelled on four outriggers; only then can the articulating or telescopic boom with the basket be extended. Common rental models reach 10 to 16 metres working height with basket loads of around 200 kg and dead weights mostly below 2 tonnes — light enough for many towing vehicles.

This guide clarifies the most common questions, above all the one about the driving licence, and shows when a different platform is the better choice.

The driving licence depends on the permissible gross vehicle weight (zGM) of the combination of towing vehicle and trailer:

Combination	Required class
Trailer up to 750 kg zGM	B
Trailer over 750 kg, combination up to 3,500 kg	B
Combination over 3,500 to 4,250 kg	B96 (code number added to class B)
Combination up to 7,000 kg, trailer max. 3,500 kg	BE

As many Trailer-Mounted Platforms weigh 1,500–2,000 kg, class B is only sufficient with a correspondingly light towing vehicle — in practice, B96 or BE is often required. Before renting, check the zGM of the trailer as well as the towing capacity and nose weight of your towing vehicle; both are stated in registration certificate Part I. If in doubt, we will give you the data of the specific rental platform in advance — or deliver it straight to the site, in which case the driving licence question does not arise at all.

Tree care and landscaping

The classic: quickly moved between several trees or properties, no truck driver needed, low rental costs.

Roof and facade work

Gutter cleaning, repairs and painting on residential and commercial buildings up to around four storeys — wherever there is a level, load-bearing standing area next to the building.

Building services and maintenance

Lighting, cameras, small installation jobs: the Trailer-Mounted Platform stays on site for days at low cost without tying up a self-propelled machine.

• No driving in the working position. Every new position means lowering, retracting the outriggers, moving and levelling again. With many changes of position per day, a self-propelled platform is faster — the comparison Articulating boom lift or scissor lift classifies the alternatives.
• Standing area required. The four outriggers need level, load-bearing ground with space for the full outrigger width.
• Sensitivity to wind. As with all light platforms, strict wind limits apply; the specification in the operating manual of the respective machine is decisive.
• Limited basket load. Around 200 kg usually means one to two people with light tools. For material at height, the Truck-Mounted Platform or the Scissor Lift is the better choice.
• Height ends sooner. Above 16 metres, the field of self-propelled and Truck-Mounted Platforms begins.

1. Check the standing area: level, load-bearing, no shafts, channels or edge areas of excavations.
2. Align and secure the trailer, place base plates under the outriggers — mandatory on soft ground.
3. Extend the outriggers until the wheels are relieved; level using a spirit level or automatic levelling.
4. Function test and visual inspection before the first lift — part of the daily check by the operator.
5. Secure the working area, in public traffic areas with the required traffic regulation order.

The following also applies to Trailer-Mounted Platforms: operators require a qualification in accordance with DGUV Principle 308-008 from external, recognised training providers as well as a written assignment by the employer. What this involves is explained in the guide Work platform licence.

In addition, there is the machine-specific briefing by Luibl at handover — it supplements the qualification but does not replace it.

Used Trailer-Mounted Platforms are comparatively cheap to buy — but buying only pays off with regular utilisation, as UVV inspection, maintenance and the general inspection of the trailer continue. For project-based jobs, renting remains more economical: an inspected machine, no tied-up capital, and the next larger height if required.

For orientation: Trailer-Mounted Platforms are among the cheapest platform types of all. The current guide ranges can be found in the cost guide.

Luibl Rental delivers aerial work platforms UVV-inspected to the site throughout Europe — on request including delivery, so that the driving licence question does not arise. We will clarify which type and height suits your project in a short conversation.

Rent an aerial work platform now → · All platform types at a glance → · Send an enquiry →

In practice, the Trailer-Mounted Platform competes with two other types. The short comparison helps with the preselection:

Criterion	Trailer-Mounted Platform	Spider Lift	Truck-Mounted Platform
Working height	10–16 m	up to 40 m	16–57 m
Delivery	on the towing vehicle	by van or trailer	on its own axles
Ground	level and load-bearing	also soft, narrow, sloping	paved
Driving in the working position	no	no	no
Changes of position per day	few	few	many
Entry costs	lowest	high	medium to high

Rule of thumb: one to two locations per day and a towing vehicle available — Trailer-Mounted Platform. Narrow access routes, inner courtyards or sensitive ground — Spider Lift. Constantly changing locations in the road space — Truck-Mounted Platform.

Three points determine whether the job runs smoothly — and they are regularly only checked on site, when it is too late.

The towing vehicle must match on paper. The decisive factors are the towing capacity (braked) and the nose weight according to the registration certificate. A van with a braked towing capacity of 2,000 kg can tow a 1,800 kg platform, an estate car with 1,200 kg cannot. The nose weight also determines whether the drawbar load is within the permissible limit at all.

Manoeuvring needs space or a mover drive. Many Trailer-Mounted Platforms have an electric mover drive that allows the trailer to be moved through gateways and around corners without a towing vehicle. On tightly laid-out properties, this is the difference between two minutes and half an hour.

The standing area must bear the outrigger forces. Under the outriggers, the entire load is concentrated on four small areas. Manhole covers, light wells, freshly backfilled trenches and paving over cavities are typical weak points. Outrigger pads enlarge the load distribution area and are always required on soft or unknown ground.

The same operator obligations apply to Trailer-Mounted Platforms as to any other mobile elevating work platform:

• Daily check by the operator before first use: visual and functional check of controls, emergency stop, emergency lowering, outriggers and basket safety devices.
• Periodic inspection at least once a year by a qualified person, documented in the inspection log. For rental machines, the rental company supplies the inspected machine — the records belong to the machine and should be available at handover.
• Risk assessment for the specific job by the employer, including a rescue concept: who gets a person out of the basket if the operator becomes incapacitated at height? Emergency lowering must be operable from the ground and its handling practised beforehand.
• Observe wind limits. They are stated model-specifically in the operating manual and apply to the wind speed at working height, not on the ground — on open terrain and between buildings, these can be significantly different values.

For work in public traffic areas, traffic safety measures and, if necessary, a traffic regulation order are added; both belong in the planning before renting.

Which driving licence do you need for a Trailer-Mounted Platform?

For towing, class B, B96 or BE depending on the gross weight of the combination. With typical platform weights of 1.5–2 t, B96 or BE is usually required. DGUV Principle 308-008 also applies to operation.

How high does a Trailer-Mounted Platform reach?

Common rental models reach 10 to 16 metres working height. Above that, the field of self-propelled platforms and Truck-Mounted Platforms begins.

Is a trailer lift the same as a Trailer-Mounted Platform?

Yes. Trailer lift, trailer platform and Trailer-Mounted Platform refer to the same design: a mobile elevating work platform on a car trailer chassis that is levelled on four outriggers at the site before the boom with the basket extends.

Can you tow a Trailer-Mounted Platform with a car?

Yes, provided the towing capacity and nose weight of the car are sufficient and the driving licence matches the gross weight of the combination. Alternatively, we deliver the platform directly to the site.

How much does it cost to rent a Trailer-Mounted Platform?

It is one of the cheapest platform types. Current guide ranges by height and rental period can be found in the cost guide.

Who may operate a Trailer-Mounted Platform?

Persons with a qualification in accordance with DGUV Principle 308-008 from an external, recognised provider and with a written assignment by the employer.