Stopped by VOSA

[treequip]

3 hours ago, Big J said:

 

My point is that if VOSA are going to be so stringent as to fine someone for intending to drive outside the 100km radius, then they need to apply that to all drivers, not just those who are trying to make a living from their equipment.

DVSA (VOSA) aren't the ones you should be blaming for this

 

The authorities cant be more stringent because those people aren't subject to the regulation, and that's not the DVSA's doing its UK national (and Brussels) legislation.

 

Go and hammer on a politician if you want that changed and good luck with that.

[Graham]

I was pulled by the police and had to follow him to an M6 vosa yard.  He pulled me because the plates didn't match.

 

At the yard I was put onto the weighbridge and found to be over on the rear axle (can't remember the weight over).  The weight plate was also missing from the trailer and a faulty light.  Transit 3.5 with 2ton digger on a twin axle trailer.

 

The policeman was a decent bloke.  He was at the end of his shift and gave me two options: a, accept a fine for overweight or b, argue the case and let VOSA crawl all over it.  Easy choice!

 

He also told me to keep a written record of all journeys which involved towing a trailer.

Edited September 18, 2017 by Graham

[josharb87]

18 hours ago, Khriss said:

Not whilst the trailer comes off the hitch on the road - there is no misinformed , a vehicles front wheels are designed so they castor ( like a shopping trolley ) trailer wheels do not do this ( especially on a double axle trailer )  if the trailer comes off a hitch it will most likely plow into oncoming traffic or fly off into the verge ( or bus queue ) it will not stop dead - in fact it will most likely skid ! So it will not be a controlled stop , K

Gonna stop a lot quicker with the brakes on though isn't it! 

 

What do you mean about the shopping trolly?!

[Mark J]

When they talk about 100Km from 'base'.  Are they referring to where the vehicles are insured?  My yard's miles away from my house, yet vehicles are registered from home, where my business is also registered.

[oldwoodcutter]

I forgot to check a trailer was properly on my ballhitch after a new member of staff had dropped it on.
Few miles up the road , right outside the back gate of raf marham, the trailer came off, the brake cable did work and then broke, and as someone said above, the trailer went across the road and ploughed into the verge.
Gave the soldiers on the guardroom gate something to look at anyroad.

[Stubby]

55 minutes ago, oldwoodcutter said:

I forgot to check a trailer was properly on my ballhitch after a new member of staff had dropped it on.
Few miles up the road , right outside the back gate of raf marham, the trailer came off, the brake cable did work and then broke, and as someone said above, the trailer went across the road and ploughed into the verge.
Gave the soldiers on the guardroom gate something to look at anyroad.

It seems it did not work or the brakes would have come on and it would have stopped . It may have broken before it activated the brakes because it was not adjusted properly or it was wrapped around stuff and not in a strait run to the activator

Edited September 18, 2017 by Stubby

[Justme]

1 hour ago, Mark J said:

When they talk about 100Km from 'base'.  Are they referring to where the vehicles are insured?  My yard's miles away from my house, yet vehicles are registered from home, where my business is also registered.

The law just says "main base".

[oldwoodcutter]

It seems it did not work or the brakes would have come on and it would have stopped . It may have broken before it activated the brakes because it was not adjusted properly or it was wrapped around stuff and not in a strait run to the activator

The trailer brakes came on alright but didn't stop it skidding across the road onto the verge. It was a tandem axle and doing I suppose 50mph the forward momentum alone had to take it somewhere.
Wasn't like it tried to overtake me.

[Gary Prentice]

11 minutes ago, oldwoodcutter said:

The trailer brakes came on alright but didn't stop it skidding across the road onto the verge. It was a tandem axle and doing I suppose 50mph the forward momentum alone had to take it somewhere.
Wasn't like it tried to overtake me.

Had an unbraked Vermeer chipper with an ever so slightly worn ball on the vehicle. Going downhill when it bounced off and chased us! Thankfully the driver was observant and managed to bring everything safely to a standstill.

 

 

[devon TWiG]

11 hours ago, Big J said:

I find VOSA and the 100km limit to be very frustrating and unfair. 

 

As professional users of trucks and trailers, our equipment will be (for the most part) very well maintained, and often quite new. We rely on it on a daily basis and the benefits of the trailer not falling to pieces 30 miles from home outweigh the benefit of running cheaper, older plant. 

 

We also tow trailers, loaded and unloaded on a daily basis and are experienced, competent and professional (for the most part). 

 

If we stray outside our 100km radius, we require a tachograph, which in itself I do not object to. It's that all the private users operators of horse boxes, caravans and trailers do not. 

 

These horseboxes, caravans and trailers are usually infrequently used, infrequently maintained, old, badly loaded, loads badly secured and driven by people who do not regularly drive them and many of whom wouldn't have the first clue what to do if it started to fishtail. And yet they are exempt from regulation. This strikes me as nonsense. It's like having all the standard licencing and training for professional airline pilots but if you're just popping down to Somerset in the Cessna then on you go, no questions asked. 

 

My point is that if VOSA are going to be so stringent as to fine someone for intending to drive outside the 100km radius, then they need to apply that to all drivers, not just those who are trying to make a living from their equipment.

The rules are imposed upon commercial operators to ensure  that one company does not gain a commercial advantage over another in a competitive market eg overloading , excessive hours etc , for caravans etc this is not a problem generally  , and although VOSA do not concern themselves too much with caravans etc if / when something happens the insurers will look very hard indeed to avoid paying out !!