What paperwork is needed for trade plate delivery

For an auction compound, that means the release code and buyer reference, plus whatever the site requires at the gate. BCA, Manheim and the independents each run their own procedure. The one thing they agree on is that a driver without the paperwork does not leave with the vehicle.

We confirm those details with the site before anyone is dispatched. If the code has not come through yet, we hold the booking rather than sending a driver hopefully. A wasted journey costs a day. The storage clock keeps running while it happens.

For a dealership or a private address it is simpler. You need a named person who can hand over the keys and confirm the vehicle is ready to go.

The registration. The make and model. Confirmation that the vehicle is roadworthy and legal for the road. Roughly how much fuel or charge is in it. Anything already known about its condition is worth mentioning too.

None of that is bureaucracy. Fuel level decides whether a stop is needed in the first hour. Known damage means the driver documents it properly rather than discovering it at the far end. Height on a van decides which route is available.

Keys need to be with it at collection. So does the V5C if it is travelling with the vehicle. If a retail customer is receiving the vehicle, tell us. The handover is a different job to dropping stock at a trade counter.

At collection the driver photographs every panel, records the mileage reading, notes the condition and checks the keys and documents against the vehicle. That is the proof of condition and it is captured before the vehicle moves.

At delivery the same record is taken again and the person receiving the vehicle signs on the device. Both reports are emailed to you when the job closes, held against that registration.

The trade plates, the motor trade insurance certificate and the driver's identification are carried by the driver. You do not need to arrange or produce any of it.