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we shall be out and about in august 2017

after a year out

if you are interested in coming out with us please feel free to get in touch to arrange a meet up

01752 256304
 

change in legislation: 3,500kg (3.5t) vehicles and towing trailers

as from the 4th December 2011 if you tow a trailer and are moving goods for hire and reward with a light commercial vehicle with a gross weight of 3,500kg (3.5 tons), you will be required to hold an operators licence and comply with all the relative legislation

historically companies or individuals have been able to tow a trailer behind a vehicle which has a gross weight less than 3,500kg (based on the trailer weighing less than 1,020kg/1 ton) with the vehicle running on a tachograph only while towing

to bring us in line with European legislation as of the 4th December anybody towing for hire and reward will have to hold an operators licence which will require someone in the organisation holding a CPC, submitting the vehicle/s and trailer/s to periodic safety checks and keeping detailed records of the vehicle usage and various other mandatory obligations

the introduction of the change in legislation on towing a trailer has received little publicity and will effect hundreds of companies and individuals who move products, plant and equipment or cars around the country for hire and reward by using a 3.5 ton truck and trailer

we see the above having a massive impact on companies in the UK who currently deliver goods in this manner. Where companies have Mercedes, Iveco, Ford or Fiat 3.5 ton trucks, although lending themselves to towing with high gross train weights do not particularly have good payload capacity on the truck itself
If the operator does not want to go down the route of applying and maintaining an operators licence what they can now carry on the vehicle itself will be greatly restricted due to it’s high kerb weight and low payload

should your 3.5t van be fitted with a tachograph ?

27/11/2012 in Best Practices

there is one area of van fleet management that causes more confusion than any other, it must be that of towing and the law

the rules are relatively simple, but it seems that many operators are either ignorant or will fully dismissive of the law regarding tachographs and who is allowed to drive vehicles with trailers


this is a surprising fact bearing in mind the legal consequences in the event of a crash

next time you walk past a 3.5-ton GVW van with a trailer, see if there’s a tachograph fitted

the chances are the dashboard will be bare – and in that case the van you are looking at is more than likely breaking the law


it is reckoned that of all the vans on UK roads with tow bars fitted, less than 1% have a tachograph

exceptions to the rule

the law states that the weight of the trailer must be added to the gross vehicle weight of the van.

so if the van has a GVW  of 3.5 tonnes and it’s towing a two-tonne trailer, the vehicle effectively weighs 5.5 tonnes and must have a tachograph – and you’ll need an O-licence to operate it too

there are exceptions to this rule and the main two that may apply to Fleet Van readers are
if the vehicle is not being used for hire and reward
if the vehicle doesn’t travel more than 50km (33 miles) from its base

van fleet operators could also fall foul of the law if they don’t adequately check drivers’ licences too

staff who passed their tests before January 1, 1997, will be allowed to drive vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes GVW on their ordinary licences, but those who passed after that date are limited to 3.5 tonnes

there fore, if a 3.5-tonne van has a trailer fitted, it will go over that limit and the younger person won’t be entitled to drive

the regulations stipulating which drivers are qualified to tow trailers were amended in 1997 so that anyone who passed their driving test since requires a Category B or BE entitlement

changes to the rules from January 13, 2013, will further restrict the weight that drivers qualified after 1997 can tow without a separate qualification

 

here is the latest on the car tax bands and prices for next year  ?

http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/tips-and-advice/112227/car-tax-bands-a-guide-to-vehicle-excise-duty-and-uk-road-tax-rates

Indeed! It was great to get out and about in a different area and explore a bit.....

Line up, only 3



Soon on the road after Lee had eaten all of the food at Beefeater




Then we found some lanes...










Lee thought he would stop and play with his winch...


Kevin's go.......







Looks like he needs his winch too!




As I don't have a winch to play with I decided to drive straight up

Then onto more lanes




Bit blurry, sorry, Kev wouldn't stay still!


Then it was time for tea, I particularly liked Kevin's bag.




































Unfortunately a little blurry but worth putting up as this was a very nice lane.






















Hmmm.... Looks a little tricky.










Kevin in a hole.....


Great day, thanks for the route planning Lee. A few lanes there I hadn't seen before (I think).

Cheers

what another cracking day out and about

with only 3 of us turning up

we decided to go far away again

rather than the same old lanes on the door step

what a cracking days fun























   





I looked round to see this

kevin sporting his latest cap

I thought it was micheal jacksons monkey  ( BUBBLES )







a lot of smoke over the hedge









kevin decided to go up this tight lane

















we stopped for afternoon tea





well myself and simon stopped for a tea break

by the looks of kevin hes stopped for a 3 course lunch after his lunch  

























simon waits patiently for kevin to fall into the puddle of mud



simon has got his hands dirty











what a cracking days fun

big thanks to those who came out today

till the next adventure

 

the roadhawk dc 2  car camera

I have got one now fitted to a vehicle if anyone would like to see it

its very compact

with plenty of features as listed in the link below

all paid members will get these at cost price

http://shop.roadhawk.co.uk/roadhawk-dc-2-dash-cam







for any further info please give me a call on

01752 256304

07799788220

what a great days fun

awesome

175 mile round trip to the back and beyond

with only 2 cars we ate up the miles

































































































after washing the cars we noticed some stones jammed in the rim  



a broken free wheeling hub   



a nice new one fitted



and the rear light has gone thought it was just a bulb

but on inspection it was the bulb holder so a new one was fitted along with nice new bulbs  









what a great days fun

till the next adventure

 

I have got a customers car coming in on the 1st august 2016

to be sold as he has purchased a new car

its black in colour 

2002 registration

one lady owner from new

mileage is 88,000

motd till june 2017

just had 2 Monroe rear shock absorbers

1 front tyre

1 front brake flexi pipe fitted for the new mot

drives spot on

£700

01752 256304

07799788220

tally ho bridge has just been re graded by the local council

as of 24 07 2016

you can drive a ford fiesta up it now