2 vans or 7.5 toner

[gensetsteve]

I have always wondered if it's worth joining together and asking the powers that be to raise the limit from 3500 kg to 5000 kg before needing an operators licence. This would make the roads safer and help small operators. You could get 2500 kg on the bed legally. Lots of good five tonne Ivecos about. I can understand the 3.5 tonne rule in the 60's but vehicles are so much better designed and built now inc suspension and abs brakes. We run around with gross train weights of 7000 kg on a standard licence. I think it would be safer with twin wheel iveco and no trailer.

[eggsarascal]

I'd worry more about my Liberty than insures if I caused a serious accident when overloaded.

 

I just don't get how some folk try to justify it.

 

Let's turn this one on its head. If some fool caused an accident outside your kids school when overloaded what would you be saying?

[aspenarb]

That 20cm can make a lot of difference though.

 

I too get fed up of hearing peopke say how their 7.5t tricks go anywhere the 3.5t do, complete nonsense in my experience.

 

 

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It may be a bit tight on occasion Steve but doable http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/arb-trucks/65296-bit-tight.html

 

I have always wondered if it's worth joining together and asking the powers that be to raise the limit from 3500 kg to 5000 kg before needing an operators licence. This would make the roads safer and help small operators. You could get 2500 kg on the bed legally. Lots of good five tonne Ivecos about. I can understand the 3.5 tonne rule in the 60's but vehicles are so much better designed and built now inc suspension and abs brakes. We run around with gross train weights of 7000 kg on a standard licence. I think it would be safer with twin wheel iveco and no trailer.

 

Good idea Steve ,this could work if you get enough support together with builders and landscapers.

 

Bob

[Steve Bullman]

That was doable....sometimes its simply not possible, for both width and height, and even length reasons

[roseyweb]

I have always wondered if it's worth joining together and asking the powers that be to raise the limit from 3500 kg to 5000 kg before needing an operators licence. This would make the roads safer and help small operators. You could get 2500 kg on the bed legally. Lots of good five tonne Ivecos about. I can understand the 3.5 tonne rule in the 60's but vehicles are so much better designed and built now inc suspension and abs brakes. We run around with gross train weights of 7000 kg on a standard licence. I think it would be safer with twin wheel iveco and no trailer.

 

Why? its not hard to spend a evening filling in forms, better make a operators licence for all commercial vehicles, level playing field and more accountability for people operating vehicles commercially

[Tom D]

I have told the story before Tom but here is a shorthand version. Our Mog which is Ag registered was stopped by traffic cops many years ago pulling a trailer with a tractor mulcher on board. They asked the driver what he was doing and where he was going and they basically told him that the vehicle was being used for transportation so he should have a class1 hgv, should be taxed as an hgv,running on white diesel, plated, on an o`license, the trailer should be plated and the list went on. The summons when it turned up was about half an inch thick , fortunately for the driver the case had timed out by the time it got to court but its a very serious list of offences if caught using ag vehicles for transport. No more Mogs or tractors used for carting gear about in this camp, get traffic plod that know their stuff and its a big deal.

One of these vehicles involved in an accident may well get scrutinised and one would have to wonder if the insurers would attempt to waive a disclaimer.

 

Bob

I've heard a few stories like that, but if you go hauling another machine on a low loader you are asking for trouble. I have seen plenty doing it, especially with excavators. It's very hard to justify your ag/forestry use when hauling plant. Timber or chip, whilst still sketchy is less blatantly dodgy. Hauliers hate tractors hauling plant, they also aren't keen on 4x4's hauling plant either. I suspect the RHA are always pushing for more penalties on tractors hauling and also non tacho'ed 4x4's hauling long distance.

The thing is hauling with a tractor / mog within its weight limit is less dangerous than running an overloaded van.

[arbogrunt]

I've gone for two vehicles. A landrover 90 for tools and a 130 tipper for the chip. I have two trailers, one 10x5 tipper and one 12x6. We can fill the 130 and tipper with chip one day, then go back with both trailers and take out the logs, usually in one lift. Everyone's different...but it works for me....we do a high percentage of off road work. The biggest drawback is having pre97 licence or trailer ticketed drivers.

 

 

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[johnanderton]

Level playing field ?? Your kidding yourselves.. my local council uses two contractors both using mog's running ag & red diesel for tree work ,

A major construction firm I quote for I've been passed over on 3 job in last 6 months to a farmer tree crew , tractors coming 50 miles + doing tree work , red diesel/ ag Reg ... this is the reality of what we have to complete against ...

[swinny]

Level playing field ?? Your kidding yourselves.. my local council uses two contractors both using mog's running ag & red diesel for tree work ,

A major construction firm I quote for I've been passed over on 3 job in last 6 months to a farmer tree crew , tractors coming 50 miles + doing tree work , red diesel/ ag Reg ... this is the reality of what we have to complete against ...

 

Your right John. Its a load of bollox!

 

Everyobe could run legit etc up all there outgoings and charge more.... then loose out o all the others that dont want to.

 

Away with the faries springs to mind. Plenty of folk on here running tractors and mogs on red on domestic work. There never will be a level playing field.

 

Go to work. Be safe and earn your money

[simonm]

After thinking about the bigger vehicle route for some time I think that all though its more hassle in the short term, to make the business more profitable and keep us on site earning instead of off tipping eating into earnings I cant see how we can continue without a bigger truck!