The invention relates to an operating device (3) and an operating method for a road-legal vehicle trailer (1), wherein the operating device (3) comprises a
shunting device (4) for the uncoupled vehicle trailer (1) with several electrically operated
shunting drives (19, 19', 20, 20') for driving the trailer wheels (10, 10') and a common electrical power supply (22) that is geographically separate from the
shunting drives (19, 19', 20, 20') as well as a
control unit (23) for the shunting drives (19, 19', 20, 20'). The shunting drives (19, 19', 20, 20') each have a cable connection (25) for connecting an external wired power supply (26) from the power supply (22) and are designed for operation with a
DC voltage of more than 12 V, in particular approximately 18 V or more.The power supply (22) comprises one or more electric chargers (34, 35) and / or one or more electric battery holders (57) without an electric charging function, each having an
electrically conductive and mechanically retaining receptacle (40, 41) for at least one mobile, detachably arranged electric battery (38, 39), wherein the one or more electric chargers (34, 35) and / or electric battery holders (57) and battery(ies) (38, 39) are designed for a
DC voltage of more than 12 V, in particular approximately 18 V or more, and wherein the one or more electric chargers (34, 35) and / or electric battery holders (57) have at least one supply output (37) for a wired power supply (26) to the shunting drives (19, 19', 20, 20') and the one or more electric chargers (34, 35) have a charging port (36) for a trailer-side power supply. (13,14) exhibit.The
control unit (23) is designed to connect the wired power supply (26) from the power supply (22) to the shunting drives (19,19',20,20') and to control the shunting drives (19,19',20,20').