driving a 5.5 tonne

[openspaceman]

Yeh and wants the score with taco's now. Is it 3.5 tonnes and over.

 

You need a tacho unless the vehicle is exempt or comes under one of the exceptions.

 

The exception applicable to most arb work is if the work is within 50km orf base and the driver is only taking tools and equipment to and from his work. NB this does not allow a member of staff (e.g. me) to deliver a chipper and then leave.

 

The other possible exception is if the work is agricultural, there is a position statement on the web regarding use of red diesel which implies arb work is horticultural if it takes place in a garden, but not a sports field, openspace or development site. This would need a precedent set in law if some brave soul with access and funding for a better barrister than VOSA can afford would step forward...

 

My advice is to buy a truck with a tacho fitted (about £1200 to retrofit)

[difflock]

Not quite, if the MAM of the vehicle is 5.5 tonne with the 107 note you can still tow a 2.75 tonne trailer if the GTW of the vehicle allows it. Mind it's the MAM of the trailer which will count rather than its actual gross weight. This differs from what they will allow on a B licence and trailer where they consider the actual weight of the trailer, which I was unaware of prior to a posting on here a year of so ago.

 

JHC!

Is that where that confusion arises, wtf thinks these convoluted contradictory rules/laws up.

 

m

[detritus21]

JHC!

Is that where that confusion arises, wtf thinks these convoluted contradictory rules/laws up.

 

m

 

Europe does

[openspaceman]

JHC!

Is that where that confusion arises, wtf thinks these convoluted contradictory rules/laws up.

 

m

 

I though it was a perverse position for them to take but probably pragmatic because of the numbers of car trailers in use rather than commercial use.

 

If you consider how the weight limits allowed on licence classes are normally dealt with you will see this position statement is an exception to the rule e.g. I cannot get in the cab of a 32 tonne rigid even if its unladen weight is less than 7.5 tonne and I only drive it empty.

 

Laws evolve as the needs of society change and a lot of our transport laws are common with Europe. Certain derogations from European laws are allowed in UK and this is our governments way of accommodating our practices within the European framework.

 

As I haven't driven abroad since 1982 I don't concern myself with the differences but I expect even if you were based in Dover and had a jaunt over to Calais to cut a tree within 50km with a transit and chipper you would need a tacograph, anyone know?