Overloading lol

[Big 'Ammer]

The solutions are

 

to work within your vehicles capabilities,

 

change the type of work you do, or how you go about doing it working very carefully within the rules,

 

take another vehicle to the job,

 

or get a bigger vehicle and all that it entails.

[Matthew Storrs]

or get a tracked chipper tow it to the job in a tipping trailer, fill it with chip and tip come back and get the chipper, yes i know alot of travelling but its all legal.

[Le Sanglier]

I and many others on here run 3.5 tonners, I know that legally you can only put a small amount on the back but 1300 kg or a little more is no problem, I try not to tow the chipper when loaded, either go back for it or take the landy with the saws and chipper.

Worst I ever did was 2 tonne that was dodgy!

[Tom D]

We are not the only industry who regularly run overloaded, I see loads of panel transits and others towing mini digger trailer combo's which will weigh well over the towing limit. The cops don't even need to weigh them as both the trailer and digger will be plated, all they have to do is add them up. All I know is I have been doing this for 12 years and have never been weighed, if they were hot on overweight vans no one would do it. I have seen transit pickups with at least 2 ton of sand / type one in the back, or 3 bulk bags of sand...

You will be really unlucky to get pulled and weighed... having a vehicle that looks overloaded will get you pulled, if its on its arse with sparks flying out of the back then its going to attract attention.

 

As for 3.5 toners being useless.... why are they so popular then??

 

My main considerations are: will this make me money? will this cost me money?

I bought a 53 plate transit 2 years ago, it was £5500 with 46k on the clock it has cost me nothing in repairs apart from tyres and servicing.... Thats some cheap motoring....its much cheaper on fuel than a mog (even on red) and a 7.5 tonner. I have a 3.5ton trailer as well as a 12 ton trailer for big jobs.

 

Not having a go at mogs, I'd have one if i didn't cover such a big area, and if I get a new yard closer to town I'll get a mog....

[Dean Lofthouse]

The answer is as mark said, a new classification of 4.5 t vehicle and sorting out all the red tape to allow them to be driven on a normal licence

[Peter]

Nice idea, but it's a pipe dream. There will never be any relaxation in regulation barring a revolution and total anarchy, and if that happens tree cutting is going to be a pretty low priority.

 

Much more likely to go the other way, all commercial vehicles required to have an o licence, tacho and regular inspections. After all, when has any regulation on business ever truly been relaxed?

[alex_m]

i also went to a weighbridge a while back and posted the results here....

the transit weighed 3620kg with just chip, no men or gear!

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/members-only/33327-guess-weight.html

 

I back up what people say about them being useless. well, they are comfy for long drives but that is it.

i don't think there is an all in one perfect arb truck. i guess thats why we have a LR, transit and 7.5t ....

[Dean Lofthouse]

I don't see the problem, OL is not a problem anyway, it just ensures the vehicle is well maintained ???

 

I think tachometer and license restrictions are so uneccessary

[Peter]

I don't see the problem with O license either, having run one for the last 3 years.

 

Drivers hours rules aren't exactly onerous in arb work either.

 

Regarding driver licensing, there are a fair few people I can think of who are dangerous enough driving a small car, the thought of them being let loose in a Transit without further training is pretty terrifying tbh.

[elfinwood saws]

He'd be a bit daft if he sat outside my yard as I dont bring woodchip or logs back to my yard, I had thought this through before I posted this info, Im not as daft as youve just made me out to be.... Thanks for that.

 

The VOSA men at Sandy Lane arn,t daft!