How strict are VOSA on towing weights?

[Gary Prentice]

If the chipper is plated at 750kg wouldn't there be a defence?

 

A builder I know bought a ton of sand at the merchants and then got stopped and weighed. His defence was the builders merchants had inadvertently put more on than he had ordered or paid for. The case was dismissed.

[Justme]

Much as my experience for the first bit such that I've never experienced the latter. This despite taking a transit that one of the chaps brought back over the weighbridge and it weighed 4.2 tonnes. That's in 6 years with 3 transit trucks and many vans leaving the yard each working day. I would never have dreamt of doing some of the things I see when I was in business on my own account.

 

However do something that attracts a policeman's attention such as pulling onto a dual carriageway with no indication as one of our subbies did and then get done for all sorts including defective brakes because the breakaway cable wasn't connected. They didn't weigh him though

 

 

After the death of the little girl due totally to the failure to fit a breakaway cable they are rightly very hot on it.

[Justme]

Not so much a defence but mitigating circumstances.

[martin p]

Excuse me for being particular but VOSA is no more!

 

The latest incarnation /rebrand is called DVSA

 

Driver and vehicle standards agency.

 

:thumbdown:

[oldwoodcutter]

The way I see it is either don't go over your permitted axle weights, or if you must, then steer well clear of known places where their funny battenberg painted skoda estates are sat up.

[aspenarb]

If the chipper is plated at 750kg wouldn't there be a defence?

 

A builder I know bought a ton of sand at the merchants and then got stopped and weighed. His defence was the builders merchants had inadvertently put more on than he had ordered or paid for. The case was dismissed.

 

Sand is one of the oddball concessions you get for overloading, its conceivable in Vosa`s eyes that rain can affect loaded vs roadside weight. Its not much , I think its 5% but dont quote me on that.

 

Bob

[PeteB]

There is a 'manufacturers tolerance ' which does give some leeway. We got told that, ordinarily, the trailer is not separated from the truck and the gross is the bit that matters. They cannot do you if your item of plant is platedcat one weight by the manufacturer yet weighs something else! This could occur due to muck, different but standard tyres, battery, fluids etc. Some years ago, there were makes of chipper that were only sub 750 if the discharge chute was separated and no fluids fitted!

[Alycidon]

I have been pulled off the M6 when in convey with HGVs at 56mph with cruise control on, so doing nothing wrong, twin axle 2 yr old IFW box trailer, about 300kgs onboard with a gross wt of 2700.

 

So doing nothing wrong is no guarantee that you wont get pulled, but in six years of pulling big trailers maybe 3 - 4 days a week that is the only time I have been pulled and I have two weigh bridges within 10 miles.

 

Having regularly pulled weights at my max 2700 then even with a Landrover able to pull 3500 I would not personally fancy much more weight in all but good road conditions. In my youth I pulled 10 ton grain trailers with 60hp/70hp tractors, ( MF165 and Ford 5000), on wet ground loaded trailers ( hen muck mainly) could easily get away from you unless very carefull.

 

A

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Sorted

 

 

Apologies all, Beau, now my message box is full & I can't seem to delete from iPhone whilst away from laptop. Message:

 

👍🏻👍🏻 can't remember what I previously wrote now! I think that message has been lost in cyber-limbo!

 

Thanks for sharing yr insight. It's a stumbling block if there's no market / profit available.

 

Perhaps it's a SW thing? Folks seem to be time rich / money poor!

 

I certainly make my own, but only for personal consumption!

 

Looking at the prices in garages / farm shops, somebody must be making a fair mark-up. Maybe it's only viable on a very large scale with broad distribution.

 

Pains me to think a local network with free source materiel wouldn't be viable but I'm just not sure it's worth the effort. 😟

[Marc Lewis]

Dont have the hydraulic oil filled to max and have a can of diesel in the truck rather than the chipper tank. Not ideal i know, but an option.