Who’s right and…
Who’s wrong?
Company policy dictates that our in cab indicators are set to 13’ 11" but, the reefers we pull are all well under that at 13’ 1". I can see the reasons why and frankly I don’t care because we spend 98% of our time on motorways but, there’s a bit of a debate about it with a couple of drivers.
Hypothetical (never gonna happen in a million years) argument, DVSA stop you after you’ve driven under a 13’ 6" bridge with your indicator set at 13’ 11".
You are responsible for setting the correct height of the vehicle you are driving, DSVA will check to see if it’s set correctly if they pull you in, it’s your license and you who will pay the penalty. There’s nothing stopping you setting to height relevant to the trailer your pulling before you set off, then reset it back when you get back to the yard
How high are is your unit? Is it higher than the trailer? Our units are 13’8" and occasional trailers only 13’4" so indicator set at unit height.
The height of the unit is one thing I keep asking firms about, as 9 times out of 10 its not marked as a separate figure, but if your running bobtail there`s no way (other than physically measuring it) of telling how high the unit is.
peirre:
The height of the unit is one thing I keep asking firms about, as 9 times out of 10 its not marked as a separate figure, but if your running bobtail there`s no way (other than physically measuring it) of telling how high the unit is.
Shirt of getting a measuring stick out, I don’t know either. I just go for 4m and know that I’ll be sound running solo at that
The company is definitely wrong and the TM wants his ■■■■ kicked for risking infringements for his drivers with this rule, it needs to be within 6" (150mm) of the actual height of the vehicle
From 1st October 1997, if the overall travelling height of a motor vehicle or trailer exceeds three metres there must be a notice in the cab…’
It must:
be where it can be easily read by the driver and have numbers at least 40mm tall
indicate the overall travelling height (to a tolerance of plus 150mm)
be in feet/inches or in both feet/inches and metres (but not in metres only!).
(If you’re going to do both the heights indicated must not differ by more than 50mm.
EDIT… i read it wrong, i didnt see the PLUS 6 inches
yourhavingalarf:
Who’s right and…Who’s wrong?
Company policy dictates that our in cab indicators are set to 13’ 11" but, the reefers we pull are all well under that at 13’ 1".
Very nice. Now how high is your tractor unit? When we’re pulling our older trailers that are 13’ 9" the wind deflector on the cab of the DAF CFs I drive looks awfully near the same level.
Conor:
Very nice. Now how high is your tractor unit? When we’re pulling our older trailers that are 13’ 9" the wind deflector on the cab of the DAF CFs I drive looks awfully near the same level.
I’m not…
Asking what my trailer height is.
yourhavingalarf:
I can see the reasons why and frankly I don’t care because we spend 98% of our time on motorways
From Zac’ s post and link +6" is ok.
More isn’t.
10" is more than 6", so…wrong.
.
I imagine the argument for that goes like this…
Set height marker to 16’5" and just carry on. The driver is “erring on the safe side”, so can’t be touched. But he/she won’t really have a clue about how high their trailer really is. (“we only ever pull low trailers”)
Recipe for disaster. Not straight away maybe, but it’ll happen.
.
No tolerance for under marking of height of course. Marking a trailer at a lesser height is clearly wrong.
.
To me, the name Height Indicator would mean something that indicates the height of the highest part of the vehicle, whether that is a roof spoiler, an aerial or a hydraulic ram, and I would set my marker at that height or within 3’’ of it.
If I check my engine oil I only fill it up between the two marks, not until it comes out of the top of the dipstick hole.
To me, the name Height Indicator would mean something that indicates the height of the highest part of the vehicle, whether that is a roof spoiler, an aerial or a hydraulic ram, and I would set my marker at that height or within 3’’ of it.
If I check my engine oil I only fill it up between the two marks, not until it comes out of the top of the dipstick hole.
Ask the TM, there may be a reason
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Better dig mine out of the overhead locker
Some wagons at ours have an official sticker (others the adjustable indicator) that!says 13’1 /3.96m (rigids) I’ve often wondered who checks that? Should I? The daily check sheet just asks me to confirm what the Indictator says , not to check it like the tyres or weight.
If I drive under a 3.8m bridge and collide I assume I am in the wrong even though it says I should fit?
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spacemanZ10:
Some wagons at ours have an official sticker (others the adjustable indicator) that!says 13’1 /3.96m (rigids) I’ve often wondered who checks that? Should I? The daily check sheet just asks me to confirm what the Indictator says , not to check it like the tyres or weight.
If I drive under a 3.8m bridge and collide I assume I am in the wrong even though it says I should fit?Sent from my moto g 5G plus using Tapatalk
If you drive under a 3.8m bridge with a 3.96m high rigid you are most certainly in the wrong and there is no way you would fit.
scottie0011:
spacemanZ10:
Some wagons at ours have an official sticker (others the adjustable indicator) that!says 13’1 /3.96m (rigids) I’ve often wondered who checks that? Should I? The daily check sheet just asks me to confirm what the Indictator says , not to check it like the tyres or weight.
If I drive under a 3.8m bridge and collide I assume I am in the wrong even though it says I should fit?Sent from my moto g 5G plus using Tapatalk
If you drive under a 3.8m bridge with a 3.96m high rigid you are most certainly in the wrong and there is no way you would fit.
Ha ha you are right, I meant the other way round, blonde moment! So 4.1m bridge with cab indicator set lower.
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