From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishply for hire/tradeply for hire/tradeBritish EnglishTTCWORK/DO WORK to try to get customers or passengers, in order to do business Continental airlines ply for trade in the UK. → ply
Examples from the Corpus
ply for hire/trade• A two-in-hand waiting opposite, which Lefevre had assumed to be plying for hire, trotted sedately up to the stage door. 