Trailer-mounted platform: use, driving licence and limits

The trailer-mounted platform is the most economical way to reach working heights of more than ten metres: it is towed by an ordinary towing vehicle and needs neither a truck nor a low-loader. On the other hand, it only works on outriggers and cannot move while elevated.

Technically, it is an aerial work platform on a car trailer chassis. On site, it is levelled on four outriggers; only then can the articulating or telescopic arm with the basket be extended. Common rental models reach 10 to 16 metres of working height with a basket load of around 200 kg and an own weight usually below 2 tonnes - light enough for many towing vehicles.

This guide answers the most frequent questions, above all the one about the driving licence, and shows when a different type of platform is the better choice.

The required driving licence depends on the maximum authorised mass (MAM) of the combination of towing vehicle and trailer:

Configuration	Required category
Trailer up to 750 kg MAM	B
Trailer over 750 kg, combination up to 3,500 kg	B
Combination over 3,500 to 4,250 kg	B
Combination up to 7,000 kg, trailer max. 3,500 kg	BE

Since many trailer-mounted platforms weigh 1,500-2,000 kg, the basic licence is only sufficient with a correspondingly light towing vehicle - in practice, a more extensive category under Belgian rules is often required. Before renting, check the MAM of the trailer and the towing capacity and nose weight of your towing vehicle; both are stated on the registration certificate. If in doubt, we will give you the data of the specific rental platform in advance - or deliver it straight to your site, so the driving licence question no longer arises.

Tree care and landscaping

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

Roof and facade work

Gutter cleaning, repairs and painting on residential and commercial buildings up to about four storeys - wherever there is a level, load-bearing set-up 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 travel in working position. Every new position means lowering, retracting the outriggers, moving and levelling again. With many position changes per day, a self-propelled platform is faster - the comparison articulating boom lift or scissor lift sets out the alternatives.
• Set-up area required. The four outriggers need level, load-bearing ground with room for the full outrigger width.
• Sensitivity to wind. As with all light platforms, strict wind limits apply; the decisive value is the one stated in the operating manual of the machine concerned.
• Limited basket load. Around 200 kg usually means one or 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, self-propelled and truck-mounted platforms take over.

1. Check the set-up area: level, load-bearing, no manholes, ducts or edges of excavations.
2. Align and secure the trailer, place base plates under the outriggers - essential on soft ground.
3. Extend the outriggers until the wheels are relieved; level using the spirit level or automatically.
4. Function test and visual inspection before the first lift - part of the daily check by the operator.
5. Cordon off the work area; on public roads, with the required permit from the competent authority.

Trailer-mounted platforms are no exception: operators need the required operator qualification, obtained from external, recognised training providers in line with applicable Belgian safety rules and NBN EN standards, as well as written authorisation by the employer. The guide Authorisation to operate aerial work platforms explains what this involves.

The machine-specific operator briefing on handover by Luibl comes on top of this - it supplements the qualification but does not replace it.

Used trailer-mounted platforms are relatively cheap to buy - but buying only pays off with regular utilisation, as the periodic inspection by an external technical inspection body (EDTC/SECT), maintenance and the roadworthiness test of the trailer continue. For project-based use, renting remains more economical: inspected machine, no capital tied up, and the next height up when needed.

For comparison: trailer-mounted platforms are among the cheapest platform types. Current guide price ranges can be found in the cost guide.

Luibl Rental delivers aerial work platforms throughout Belgium, periodically inspected by an external technical inspection body (EDTC/SECT), to your site - including delivery on request, so the driving licence question no longer arises. We will clarify which type and height suit 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 quick comparison helps with pre-selection:

Criterion	Trailer-mounted platform	Spider lift	Truck-mounted platform
Working height	10-16 m	up to 40 m	16-57 m
Transport to site	towed by the towing vehicle	by van or trailer	on its own axle
Ground	level and load-bearing	also soft, narrow, sloping	paved
Travel in working position	no	no	no
Position changes per day	few	few	many
Entry costs	lowest	high	medium to high

Rule of thumb: one or two positions a day and a towing vehicle available - trailer-mounted platform. Narrow passages, courtyards or sensitive floors - spider lift. Constantly changing positions on public roads - truck-mounted platform.

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

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

Manoeuvring needs space or a motor mover. Many trailer-mounted platforms have an electric motor mover that allows the trailer to be moved through gateways and around corners without a towing vehicle. On tightly laid-out plots, that is the difference between two minutes and half an hour.

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

Trailer-mounted platforms are subject to the same user obligations as any other aerial 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 by an external technical inspection body (EDTC/SECT), documented in the inspection report. With rental machines, the rental company supplies the inspected machine - the certificates belong to the equipment and should be available on handover.
• Risk assessment for the specific job by the employer, including a rescue plan: who gets a person out of the basket if the operator becomes incapacitated at height? The emergency lowering must be operable from the ground and its use practised in advance.
• Observe wind limits. They are stated for each model in the operating manual and apply to the wind speed at working height, not on the ground - in open terrain and between buildings, these can be significantly different values.

For work on public roads, cordoning off and possibly a permit from the competent authority are also required; both belong in the planning before renting.

Which driving licence is needed for a trailer-mounted platform?

For towing, the required Belgian driving licence category, depending on the total mass of the combination. With typical weights of 1.5-2 t, a more extensive category is often required. For operation, the required operator qualification in line with applicable Belgian safety rules is also needed.

How high does a trailer-mounted platform reach?

Common rental models reach 10 to 16 metres of working height. Above that, self-propelled platforms and truck-mounted platforms take over.

Can a trailer-mounted platform be towed with a car?

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

How much does it cost to rent a trailer-mounted platform?

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

Who may operate a trailer-mounted platform?

Persons with the required operator qualification, obtained from an external, recognised provider in line with applicable Belgian safety rules, and with written authorisation by the employer.