VOSA landy and tacho

[Peter]

Tacho. Any combination with a maximum permissable weight of over 3.5 tonnes requires the use of a tachograph under EU rules, unless you are claiming an exemption.

[Quickthorn]

Which part am I overloading then? My braked trailer weighs 700kg net and can take 1.9 tonnes thus 2.6t gross so I'm not overloading my trailer with an approx. 1 ton chipper. I have an 'old' driving licence. With the above arrangement, the train weight would be 4.6t thus not exceeding my max GTW of 5530kg.

 

Or is this about having a tacho? I do keep driver records and have probably not pulled the above arrangement for more than 200 miles in the last 12 months or gone more than 30 miles from home with it.

 

As far as i know...

 

If your GTW is over 3500 kg, you come under EU regulations, and you'd need the tacho, with exceptions - operating within 50 km of your base is one exemption, if it's your stuff you're carrying for your own use.

 

Cost of tacho for a Landy: I was quoted around £700..this was so I could do 2-3 journeys a year towing a 750 kg chipper behind a LR 110.

 

I'd be interested to know if anyone has been stopped about tachos and successfully pleaded forestry/ag/horticulture exemption. I'm not sure if some inspectors manning their traps are aware of it. I know one bloke who works for a Wildlife Trust got stopped with a Landrover towing a stock trailer full of sheep; he was told he needed a tacho. The bloke explained that either: a) he was transporting sheep, so possible agricultural exemption; or b) the Wildlife trust was a charity, so didn't come under EU drivers rules; or both. The inspector wouldn't have it, and it took months of letter writing between the Trust head office and the local VOSA office until finally VOSA conceded that they didn't need the tachograph.

Edited June 6, 2009 by Quickthorn
correction

[evo0001]

Which part am I overloading then? My braked trailer weighs 700kg net and can take 1.9 tonnes thus 2.6t gross so I'm not overloading my trailer with an approx. 1 ton chipper. I have an 'old' driving licence. With the above arrangement, the train weight would be 4.6t thus not exceeding my max GTW of 5530kg.

 

Or is this about having a tacho? I do keep driver records and have probably not pulled the above arrangement for more than 200 miles in the last 12 months or gone more than 30 miles from home with it.

sorry what i was saying i had lads working for me who could not tow so i did my calculations and worked out that i could just about get away wit a tracked chipper in my transit and anyone wit a licence could drive it but as i found out passengers and kit will take the van over 3500 kg that's why i was overloaded.

Your problem will be if you travel more that 50 km from base with a train weight of more that 3500 kg and that's when u need a tacho

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Looking at page 8 of the link I'll be pleading forestry exemption if and when.

 

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/freight/road/workingtime/drivershoursgoods.pdf

 

In fact, I think I'll print it off and keep a copy in the truck. At this rate I'll be modifying the glovebox into a filing cabinet. Then I'll probably have to have some mobile library licence!

Edited June 6, 2009 by TimberCutterDartmoor

[madmatt]

Matt, I understand your frustration, but the fact of the matter is that much like the changes to driving licence categories in 1997, none of this stuff has been advertised by the responsible authorities. VOSA know full well that the majority of drivers and companies are in the dark, which is why so many people get let off a first offence.

 

However, rather than waiting for people to get caught, if they really wanted widespread compliance, surely it would make sense to educate by advertising in trade press, national press, or by encouraging tacho fitting firms to advertise their services by informing companies of their responsibilites.

 

As it is, VOSA seem happy to keep stopping and prosecuting a few, while the majority remain blissfully ignorant.

 

I agree to a point, but in 1997 both Ifor Williams and Indespension both listed the implementation of tacho requirements on all their brochures, all the Land rover magazines covered it, as well as truck magazines also i have driven many new 4x4's registered on or after 1/1/97 lots of those have stickers on the sun visor advising tachos might be needed. it can't be covered every month incase just 1 person reads it.

 

Only a couple of months ago it was re covered in a 4x4 magazine about the tacho situation. It has also been covered on here a million times before. IMO people need to take responsibilty for their own actions and that of their businesses. A tacho to tow a trailer aint a big deal nor is it expensive.

 

I am sure you'll agree Peter running a wagon legitamatly is far more expensive and time consuming with O licences, driver training, tacho's 7 weekly inspections etc etc but if its what you need/want you have to get on with it, and thats what should be the case with tacho's in 4x4s.

[Dean Lofthouse]

 

I am sure you'll agree Peter running a wagon legitamatly is far more expensive and time consuming with O licences, driver training, tacho's 7 weekly inspections etc etc but if its what you need/want you have to get on with it, and thats what should be the case with tacho's in 4x4s.

 

 

What they should do is do away with all excemptions and EVERY 4x4 that tows ANYTHING and ALL car that tow caravans should have to have tacho's fitted.

 

Vehicles towing huge caravans are more likely to travel long distance and go over their driving hours than any of us.

 

Make the rules to cover EVERYBODY and then there would be no ambiguity. Everybody would know where they stand, one rule applys to all

 

Likewise waste carriers license, no exemptions, not even for Mrs Smith and her grass cuttings, one rule for all, business or household

[nepia]

Originally Posted by nepia

Collecting 5 miles from home, delivering 25 miles from. For a close relative's use, i.e. this isn't business; it's using a business/private vehicle for private use. Thanks.

 

No tacho needed then.

 

Thanks Peter; back home now; I escaped!

[Arbocop]

bad news if you flout the rules

 

VOSA work 7 days a week

 

and also do night time estuff to although to be fair a lot less at weekends and evnings

 

kev

[robbo 110]

a lotof m.o.d. landys were fitted with tachos, may be worth searching e bay for tacho head, speed sensors etc, i was talking to a vosa inspector about this recently, forestry rules are still a big 'grey' area very simalar to recovery vehicles rules, a couple of things to bear mind i think, if your vehicle is fitted with tacho, you need 6 year calibration & 2 yearly check done, driving regulations then come into play with statutory driving breaks etc, perhaps more importantly is the need to hold an operators licence, another can of worms!!!!!! one thing that i know people have got away with is delivering goods for 'family members' i.e. its no longer for hire or reward!! worth trying if you do get stopped, im unsure about other parts of the country but vosa do carry out roadside checks in the southeast over the weekend, good luck to you all

[Dean Lofthouse]

Most tree surgeons work within a relatively short distance of their yards anyway so all this shouldn't be a problem unless you are contracting out over distance