Should the AA approve contractors who run 3.5 ton trucks?

[Big 'Ammer]

Do you fill it with chip? or only ever take half a load..

 

Our mwb single cab transit has a 5 1/4 m3 chip body on it.

 

The tool box and chip body are ally.

 

With a set of triple extending ladders, two men, two climbing kits, saws, blower, fuel, brush, shovel, rake and the usual odds ands and sods, etc, it weighs 2420 kg empty of chip.

 

If we removed the top barn doors and the chip flap it would weigh less still.

 

I have never weighed it absolutely empty without anything in it/on it at all.

 

We fill it full when running about and tipping on site.

 

Most of the time it carries road signs, cones etc and runs about empty.

 

We take little chip off jobs, but if we have a large quantity to shift we fill a trailer instead.

 

Most small jobs don't generate much chip.

 

Depending upon the type of material being chipped, up to 4m3 is within acceptable limits.

 

Like I said earlier, its about the type of work you do and how you go about doing it.

 

I fully agree that for day in and day out, all chip off site jobs, 3.5 tonne vehicles are not really suitable.

 

But, that does not mean that everyone engaged in treework who runs a 3.5 tonne vehicle is running illegally every day, as your first post suggests.

[Mesterh]

I dont think reduceing the regulations on 5 tonners to that of light vans would be a good idea. Maybe a half way house say 4 month checks and an easier and cheaper operators licence. Any pee brain can currently run a van but running a 7 tonner requires a bit more balls and proffessionalism. Its bad enough with overloaded 3.5 tonne transits I dont fancy being hit by an overloaded 5 tonne truck on a dark night.

 

I fancy being hit by a 7.5 tonner even less.

 

 

The maintenance checks arent a problem its the license to drive that is.

 

The iveco's are more or less the same size truck but upto 6.5 ton, this would be ideal for our job but since you need a different license it puts it out of reach for most people.

[gensetsteve]

I fancy being hit by a 7.5 tonner even less.

 

 

The maintenance checks arent a problem its the license to drive that is.

 

The iveco's are more or less the same size truck but upto 6.5 ton, this would be ideal for our job but since you need a different license it puts it out of reach for most people.

 

When you say licence are we talking driving licence. I am sure I have 8.5 tonnes still on mine and I only passed in a car. Or am I showing my age

[benedmonds]

But' date=' that does not mean that everyone engaged in treework who runs a 3.5 tonne vehicle is running illegally every day, as your first post suggests.[/quote']

 

I would suggest that you are the exception.

 

When we ran just transits then we were overloaded most days, and all the local firms round me look overloaded, the AAAC firm I worked for 10 years ago ran all their trucks overloaded. I can't see how you can take chip and logs from site and be legal in a 3.5 tonner.

 

My point for discussion was simply that the AA must know this, councils who approve contractors should know this, yet because their are not enough tree firms operating bigger vehicles then they ignore the fact.

[Mesterh]

When you say licence are we talking driving licence. I am sure I have 8.5 tonnes still on mine and I only passed in a car. Or am I showing my age

 

Yes you are officially old.

 

Me too as I can drive the same.

[Riggerbear]

When you say licence are we talking driving licence. I am sure I have 8.5 tonnes still on mine and I only passed in a car. Or am I showing my age

 

It should say 8.25 ton i think, that a 7.5 tonner and a 750kg trailer behind.

[David Goss]

Yes you are officially old.

 

Me too as I can drive the same.

 

I had to go check mine after seeing that and it looks like i will join the old folks club:driver:

I still have the old paper one:blushing:

[gensetsteve]

I had to go check mine after seeing that and it looks like i will join the old folks club:driver:

I still have the old paper one:blushing:

 

I got the green paper one too with all my points hand written over the last 15 years. If you move house you will get a bit of plastic with your picture on

[gensetsteve]

It should say 8.25 ton i think, that a 7.5 tonner and a 750kg trailer behind.

 

Think the unbraked trailer is so you can carry your maintenance records and tachographs with out being overweight. If I had the operators licence would need the trailer just so I felt like I was getting my monies worth.

[Jesse]

We all know that 3.5 to trucks are going to be overloaded in tree work.

So the AA or councils approving contractors who use them must be turning a blind eye to this, unlawful, dangerous, work practice.. Should they be?

 

and if it's OK to be overloaded is it OK to skirt round other H&S?

 

Im with you on this Ben,SPOT ON, Burearacy is necessary if you want a large group of people to abide by a given set of rules, if you do not want or need this, bureaucracy is unnecessary.Those who make the rules should most defo abide by them.