3.5 tonne trying to do the right thing...

[aspenarb]

The tacho and filling it out is a 60 second job and can actually help you if you have a prang, it can confirm speeds and braking very accurately. A friend of mine had a head on down a country lane with a dick that thought he was Shumacher , the blame fest ensued and it was the tacho put the blame very firmly with the car driver.

 

There are a few exemptions for the O license if you read through them, I am not suggesting anyone should make them fit but if you have a yard on a farm and all your waste wood/chip is wanted by the farmer , make your own mind up.

 

http://www.genquip.co.uk/downloads/Vehicles_Exempt_From_Operator_Licensing_Requirements.pdf

 

From this.

 

2. Hauling articles for a farm required by the keeper, being either

the occupier of the farm or a contractor employed to do agricultural

work on the farm by the occupier of the farm.

3. Hauling articles for a forestry estate required by the keeper

where the keeper is the occupier of that estate or employed to do

forestry work on the estate by the occupier or a contractor

employed to do forestry work on the estate by the occupier.

[GTS]

I phoned vosa today, helpful they were. They said to me this

1. If your over 3500kg at any point when towing, then you will need a tacho.

2. If you are within the radius/no chip own kit and over 3500, you need a tacho.

3. I you go off the reservation and are over 3500 you will need a tacho and an operators license.

4. I said I had a waste carriers license and had had one for over a year. He said that will do in my case as the operators license.

So to clarify, I go out light, I am heavy for an hour, I dump, we know that they are heavier than 600kg (as noted on page 1 or 2), I pay nice man at the tacho shop between 600 750plus vat for a machine and carry on laughing:001_huh:.

[GTS]

Thanks Treebloke for your thoughts, its funny how mr vosa didn't recall any of this to me....

[treequip]

I phoned vosa today, helpful they were. They said to me this

1. If your over 3500kg at any point when towing, then you will need a tacho.

2. If you are within the radius/no chip own kit and over 3500, you need a tacho.

3. I you go off the reservation and are over 3500 you will need a tacho and an operators license.

4. I said I had a waste carriers license and had had one for over a year. He said that will do in my case as the operators license.

So to clarify, I go out light, I am heavy for an hour, I dump, we know that they are heavier than 600kg (as noted on page 1 or 2), I pay nice man at the tacho shop between 600 750plus vat for a machine and carry on laughing:001_huh:.

 

When this conversation took place were either of you under the influence of drink or drugs?

 

 

4 is a doozy, I will get myself a muck licence instead of an "O" licence, much cheaper and a lot less work

[rgeparker]

Hey guys. This topic has got me very confused! I've got a 4x4 ford ranger tipper, with a GVW of 2825kgs. My licence (being post 97') only allows me to tow up to a 750kg trailer. Now, this small set up would take me to a GTW of 3575kgs, correct?.. Approx 75kgs over the 3.5 tonne limit. So, is this a legal combo? Do I need CPC? Operators licence? Tacho? The truck and trailer will of course be carrying arisings and tools/machinery.

Apologies if I'm asking a stupid question, or if it's already been covered in this thread, and I've missed it.

Cheers. Rob.

[GTS]

no drugs, a we glass maybe....

[Acg128]

Only worry about these things of pulled.. Life's to short

[openspaceman]

Hey guys. This topic has got me very confused! I've got a 4x4 ford ranger tipper, with a GVW of 2825kgs. My licence (being post 97') only allows me to tow up to a 750kg trailer. Now, this small set up would take me to a GTW of 3575kgs, correct?.. Approx 75kgs over the 3.5 tonne limit. So, is this a legal combo? Do I need CPC? Operators licence? Tacho? The truck and trailer will of course be carrying arisings and tools/machinery.

.

 

Best bet not to use the last 75kg, in fact if you account for nose loading of the trailer you cannot get to full GTW in any case.

 

Once you exceed 3.5 tonnes and don't have any of the exemptions ( like carrying tools for own use within 50km of base) then you are subject to EU driving hours rules and must have a tachograph, if vehicle is post 2006 this must be a digital one.

 

Perceived wisdom is less than 1% of 3.5 trucks pulling a trailer have tachos.

 

In your case no need for the operator's licence as you probably have a dual purpose vehicle and your trailer is less than 1024 kg unladen.

[openspaceman]

Only worry about these things of pulled.. Life's to short

 

"If pulled"? Naughty but if my experience is anything to go by I agree, not that I do it anymore.

 

The chap that delivers our chippers with a disco did get stopped and fined GBP200 and now has a tacho.

[gensetsteve]

this may help or it may make things seem more complicated, para's 2 and 3 appear appropriate with the final one making interesting reading and is not nice.

 

 

EU tachograph regulation threat lifted for most landscapers

Landscape bodies BALI and the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) have "breathed a collective sigh of relief" after the European Parliament decided to exempt lighter vehicles used by tradespeople from new tachograph regulations.

 

Companies with vehicles of up to 7.5 tonnes who work exclusively within a radius of 100km (62 miles) from their company base and who use the vehicle to transport material, equipment and machines required by the driver of the vehicle to carry out his or her work, are exempted from the requirement to install a digital tachograph, the Parliament decided this week.

 

The vehicle driver must not be a full-time driver to benefit from the exemption to the new rules, formerly passed yesterday, which were brought in to improve road safety and driver working conditions.

 

The victory came after ELCA and its members lobbied for the exemption. BALI is the UK representative body within the association and said the news will come as a huge relief for a large number of companies working in the landscape industry.

 

ELCA president, Emmanuel Mony, is happy about the compromise achieved: "We succeeded in convincing the members of the transport committee to make the installation of digital tachographs obligatory for lorries above 7.5 tonnes only," he said.

 

"Decreasing the weight limited would have had a massive financial effect on the gardening and landscaping companies concerned."

 

BALI technical director Neil Huck, who is also a vice president of ELCA said: "This success demonstrates the importance of BALI’s representation within ELCA. The voice of the UK landscape industry must be heard when decisions made at European level can have such a potentially damaging impact on landscaping businesses. There will be a collective sigh of relief as this news filters through."

 

Under the revised rules, smart tachographs will be fitted to new vehicles within three years once the European Commission has set out the technical specifications. Fifteen years after that, they will have to be fitted, or retrofitted, to all vehicles used for professional transport.

 

The "smart" tachographs, will be able to automatically record speed and distance, start and final location. They will also enable downloading and remote checking, via wireless data transmission to control authorities, for easier detection of misuse or manipulation. No fines or sanctions can be imposed solely on the basis of remote-control checks but the new system will help reduce roadside checks for companies and target rogue operators

 

This almost looks like a bit of common sense creeping in ie 62 miles radius. At some point the civil servants will work out alot of people cant be arsed to work because they just make it so difficult for no reason. If I really wanted to drive 16 hrs a day I would just get two trucks with two tachos does the tacho thing really improve safety or is it just to keep the hauliers happy