Overtook a truck on a dual carriage way the other day, it was a circus/fairground truck. Nothing Unusual about that but what did catch my attention was the layout of the truck if that’s the word .
It was a wag+drag and had another trailer on the drag which was a caravan size trailer.
Are they legal Also it got me pondering just out of interest and curiosity really, are fairground trucks and the like governed by the WTD and tacho laws? As these trucks must do a fair bit of travelling across the country and the operation of their rides would be classed as other work?? Would it?? And one or two I have seen in the past looked like they had seen better days they may well of been mechanically sound but just looked like the wouild attract the attention of a certain govement agency.
Please note this isn’t a sweeping statement on all fair ground/circus truck and I am not insinuating or implying anything on the industry as a whole. Just curious really as never seen one of these on a weigh bridge etc or never bumped into a wheel tapper eating some candy floss at the fair …
The answer is Yes it is legal. Fairground Travellers are allowed to pull two trailers behind the prime mover. I think it is only fairground travellers that are allowed to do this but not 100%. As for the WTD I am not sure but think they are exempt.
podge:
The answer is Yes it is legal. Fairground Travellers are allowed to pull two trailers behind the prime mover. I think it is only fairground travellers that are allowed to do this but not 100%. As for the WTD I am not sure but think they are exempt.
The exemption applies to “Showmen” so circuss etc would also be exempt. The vehicles would be classed as Plant and therefore also exempt from MOT and Tacho rules. I would assume that although they wouldnt have to comply with construction and use regs they would have to be maintained to a safe standard.
there are exemptions for carnival folk like there are exemptions for farmers. They can pull 2 trailers based on a max speed of 40mph i believe. Farmers can get away with certain things based on speed also (is it 23mph max for a tractor?).
Personally i think they brought the exemptions in as the two industries have always operated that way and i’m sure it would be very difficult to control them.
I think there is a maximum length though. I saw two policemen with a tape measure checking the overall length of a showmans outfit once. Overall they must be 60 or 70 foot long.
Tobyjug:
I think there is a maximum length though. I saw two policemen with a tape measure checking the overall length of a showmans outfit once. Overall they must be 60 or 70 foot long.
Specialised vehicles transporting circus and funfair equipment
so as they don’t come under EU regs the WTD for mobile workers will not apply to them, dunno about the regular folks WTD but you can still opt out of that one anyway.
i have worked for a few circuses over the years from age of 16-28 the law is a bit of a gray area yes artic outfit must be PLATED/MOTd and can be pulled by VOSA just like commerical trucks NO thay dont come under any WTD or TACO LAWS combination out fits EG tractor pulling mulitpuls of trailers upto 4trailers tho not offen seen MUST NOT be over 93ft total a SHOWMANS TRACTOR IS A PRIME MOVER THAT IS ONLY ALLOWED TO CARRY A FIXED GENARATOR AND ASSOCIATED CABELS AND FITTINGS ONLY NO OTHER EQUIPMENT ,its not classed as plant in any way and thay have there own tax bracket this is for CIRCUS & FAIRGROUND KIT ! CHEERS SAM !
Cynic-al:
there are exemptions for carnival folk like there are exemptions for farmers. They can pull 2 trailers based on a max speed of 40mph i believe. Farmers can get away with certain things based on speed also (is it 23mph max for a tractor?).
Personally i think they brought the exemptions in as the two industries have always operated that way and i’m sure it would be very difficult to control them.
some people in the haulage industry have always run bent but the authorities still regulate them why not ■■■■■ or travelling fair ground people
BIGGSAM: i have worked for a few circuses over the years from age of 16-28 the law is a bit of a gray area yes artic outfit must be PLATED/MOTd and can be pulled by VOSA just like commerical trucks NO thay dont come under any WTD or TACO LAWS combination out fits EG tractor pulling mulitpuls of trailers upto 4trailers tho not offen seen MUST NOT be over 93ft total a SHOWMANS TRACTOR IS A PRIME MOVER THAT IS ONLY ALLOWED TO CARRY A FIXED GENARATOR AND ASSOCIATED CABELS AND FITTINGS ONLY NO OTHER EQUIPMENT ,its not classed as plant in any way and thay have there own tax bracket this is for CIRCUS & FAIRGROUND KIT ! CHEERS SAM !
That’s interesting BIGGSAM but I’m sure that I’ve seen some eight wheeler rigids with 2 40ft drawbar trailers coupled together a few times??.That’s all well over 93 ft total and a combination of 4 trailers would need to be made up of short trailers to not exceed 93 ft?.Maybe 93 ft PLUS the prime mover is what it means or at least that’s how they look at it like I would.
Regulation 7 Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 states that the overall length of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed the maximum length specified below :-
Motor vehicles
-wheeled motor vehicles other than buses - 12 metres,
-a bus with two axles - 13.5 metres, a bus with more than 2 axles - 15 metres (from 1/4/2003)
-tracked motor vehicles - 9.2 metres,
Trailers (see Note 1 below)
-drawbar trailer with at least 4 wheels drawn by goods vehicle over 3500kg gross - 12 metres
-agricultural trailer with at least 4 wheels - 12 metres
-semi-trailer (except a car transporter or a semi-trailer which is normally used on international journeys any part of which takes place outside the United Kingdom) - 12.2 metres (see Note 4 below)
-composite trailer drawn by a goods vehicle over 3500kg g.v.w. or agricultural motor vehicle - 14.04 metres
-agricultural trailed appliance manufactured on or after 1st December 1985 - 15 metres including drawbar,
-any other trailer - 7 metres
Combinations
-motor vehicle + 1 drawbar trailer 2 - 18.75 metres (see Note 3 below)
-showman’s motor vehicle + 1 drawbar trailer where the trailer is living accommodation - 22 metres
-motor vehicle + 2 trailers - 25.9 metres (motor vehicle 9.2 metres max, only one trailer may exceed 7 metres),
-motor vehicle + 3 trailers - 25.9 metres (motor vehicle 9.2 metres max, no trailer may exceed 7 metres),
-articulated bus and a bus drawing a trailer - 18.75 metres (from 1/4/2003)
-articulated vehicle + semi-trailer (see Note 2 below) - 15.5 metres, (see Note 4 below)
-articulated vehicle + semi-trailer which is a low-loader manufactured on or after 1/4/91 - 18 metres. (see Note 1 below)
Santa:
Regulation 7 Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 states that the overall length of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed the maximum length specified below :-
Motor vehicles
-wheeled motor vehicles other than buses - 12 metres,
-a bus with two axles - 13.5 metres, a bus with more than 2 axles - 15 metres (from 1/4/2003)
-tracked motor vehicles - 9.2 metres,
Trailers (see Note 1 below)
-drawbar trailer with at least 4 wheels drawn by goods vehicle over 3500kg gross - 12 metres
-agricultural trailer with at least 4 wheels - 12 metres
-semi-trailer (except a car transporter or a semi-trailer which is normally used on international journeys any part of which takes place outside the United Kingdom) - 12.2 metres (see Note 4 below)
-composite trailer drawn by a goods vehicle over 3500kg g.v.w. or agricultural motor vehicle - 14.04 metres
-agricultural trailed appliance manufactured on or after 1st December 1985 - 15 metres including drawbar,
-any other trailer - 7 metres
Combinations
-motor vehicle + 1 drawbar trailer 2 - 18.75 metres (see Note 3 below)
-showman’s motor vehicle + 1 drawbar trailer where the trailer is living accommodation - 22 metres
-motor vehicle + 2 trailers - 25.9 metres (motor vehicle 9.2 metres max, only one trailer may exceed 7 metres),
-motor vehicle + 3 trailers - 25.9 metres (motor vehicle 9.2 metres max, no trailer may exceed 7 metres),
-articulated bus and a bus drawing a trailer - 18.75 metres (from 1/4/2003)
-articulated vehicle + semi-trailer (see Note 2 below) - 15.5 metres, (see Note 4 below)
-articulated vehicle + semi-trailer which is a low-loader manufactured on or after 1/4/91 - 18 metres. (see Note 1 below)
25.8 metres is about 85 feet
Whoever worded that could’nt have been all that bright but showmen seem to be as stitched up as haulage is under the regs there and I’d have got that question wrong if it had been in the CPC exam.But that explains why they often have a longer trailer coupled to a shorter one behind with rigid and two drawbar trailer outfits usually but they’d be almost impossible to reverse in that configuration but only allowing them just 55 ft to couple up two drawbars behind a 30 ft prime mover seems stupid to me and might explain why they sometimes try to ‘change the rules’ ?.Anyway should’nt it read tractor unit with/including articulated semi trailer 15.5 metres overall length?.Also never heard of any law which says that semi trailers used on UK only work are limited to 40ft as it says there.I was using 45 ft trailers on uk only work during the 1990’s ■■ and the drawbar limit has gone up slightly from 2003.Anyway let’s hope that one day we’ll get a pro road transport government which will allow some sensible length and weight limits allowing something like a six wheeler or eight wheeler rigid pulling up to two 40 or 45 ft drawbar trailers.That should allow road transport to run with a 20 ft container on the prime mover and up to 2 45 footers on the back.
At the end of the day "■■■■■ " rules apply here. It dont matter how long they are or how slow they go. They can bring the A34 to a crawl and no one does nuttin.
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they may well of been mechanically sound but just looked like the wouild attract the attention of a certain govement agency.
