The extra weight , maintenance , and running costs of a 3 axel unit to a 2 axel unit I wonder how far apart the earnings of the 2 units are. That is profit not the extra tons they can take.
Plambert:
Conor:
mazzer:
I think you will find that the UK was fairly silent on the height matter and that more pressure was brought to bear from the French and Spanish governments even though the UK had more to lose, another case of the UK bending over and just taking whatever the EU throws at itI’ve never seen a double decker in France and last month I did over 1500 miles driving there so the French weren’t involved.
Plenty of 4m + trailers in France, spain and Portugal, nothing to do with double deckers.
Thank you Plambert just because it is over 4m doesn’t mean it is a double decker I have pulled plenty of 4.1 and 4.3m trailers through France and Spain, as well as a low loader which was 4.4m when loaded with no hassle at all.
Conor 1500 miles in France is barely dipping your toe in the water
I’ve always considered this to be a big factor in the demise of the British international work. The company I worked at before moving to Canada were all 6x2 baring one truck and I was turned away many a time in Germany for a load because my extra axle meant I could not load what they’d wanted to load and still be within 40 tons. Yet a 4x2 for a British company is then just as problematic when it comes to UK only work so you have an issue where unless the firm in question only does international work, or only does UK work they’re stuck with equipment that is an issue one way or the other. Obviously not every load is maximum weight but the issue would arise often enough to make it an obstacle. Also add to the equation that no one in the UK has 4m high trailers unless they’re bought for the express purpose of going abroad, then that 4m trailer could often be an issue within the UK where many loads require 4.2 or 4.4 etc and a 4.2 and especially a 4.4 are absolutely useless in Europe. British haulage is in a position where it has to focus on one thing or another but struggles to operate in both because of equipment. The same is not the case in Germany, Poland or Romania where anything used on domestic work can at the click of a finger be sent over the border and to any other country. Once much of the money disappeared from international work and most British firms who did some European work but also UK work just focused entirely on UK only work and speced their fleets for that work, they lost all ability to ever re-enter European work again without re-equipping with suitable trucks and trailers, which isn’t going to happen.
The flip side of course is that foreign trucks in the UK are all going to be restricted by their trailer height and gross weight so should cabotage be abolished like the EU and UK governments are so desperate to be the case, those trucks will be at an operational disadvantage, should they seek to operate within the law. In reality we all know a Pole, Czech or Dutch truck on five axles wouldn’t lose a moments sleep about running internally in the UK at 44+ tons because the likelihood of ever getting caught is very small. In North America I usually have to run across numerous weigh bridges each day, in the UK I don’t think I was ever weighed by Vosa once.
mazzer:
eddie snax:
macplaxton:
Dan ze Man:
All EU uses 4x2mazzer:
A lot more countries are 6 x 2 now Holland Belgium and most Scandinavian countries too. Holland you can run at 50 ton providing you’re axle weights are right and France has recently upped it’s weights. Think the Scandinavians run the heaviest in EuropeI think mazzer is nearer the mark here.
Ireland is EU too
Quite a few 6x2 units here now as the 3+3 gross is 46 tonnes.
6 axles = 44 / 46 tonnes
5 axles = 40 / 42 tonnes (national derogation since 2003) reverting to 40 tonnes. (1st July 2016)EU weight limits per axle are broadly the same 10 on non-drive and 11.5 on a drive. What varies a bit is the gross from 36 over four or 40 over five to Swedish 60/64 over a B-double (and beyond)
IIRC the EU wanted to reduce the Max overall height for UK - Ireland cross border traffic, from the present 4.6m to the continental cross border Max overall height 4m. A lot off presure was applied by Britain and Ireland, and they got a stay off execution.
Tesco reckoned (in the article I read) that they would have to put a third more trucks between Britain and Ireland if the Double Deckers were forbidden.
Bloody EU
I think you will find that the UK was fairly silent on the height matter and that more pressure was brought to bear from the French and Spanish governments even though the UK had more to lose, another case of the UK bending over and just taking whatever the EU throws at it
The article I read was solely talking about the derogation for Britain and Ireland, which is a completely separate matter to anything that happens between France and Spain, which being the French is probably not a derogation, but a case off they’ll do what they like regardless off any EU rules. To which I would agree to your statement
another case of the UK bending over and just taking whatever the EU throws at it
mazzer:
Plambert:
Conor:
mazzer:
I think you will find that the UK was fairly silent on the height matter and that more pressure was brought to bear from the French and Spanish governments even though the UK had more to lose, another case of the UK bending over and just taking whatever the EU throws at itI’ve never seen a double decker in France and last month I did over 1500 miles driving there so the French weren’t involved.
Plenty of 4m + trailers in France, spain and Portugal, nothing to do with double deckers.
Thank you Plambert just because it is over 4m doesn’t mean it is a double decker I have pulled plenty of 4.1 and 4.3m trailers through France and Spain, as well as a low loader which was 4.4m when loaded with no hassle at all.
Conor 1500 miles in France is barely dipping your toe in the water
To true, I’m sure we’ve all pulled plenty off + 4m trailers that aren’t Double Deckers, well lets face it, a standard general haulage tautliner for UK work seems to be around 4.4- 4.5m.
I just remember that Tesco were not happy about the prospect of their Double Deckers not being able to do cross border Uk Ireland work.
robinhood_1984:
The flip side of course is that foreign trucks in the UK are all going to be restricted by their trailer height and gross weight so should cabotage be abolished like the EU and UK governments are so desperate to be the case, those trucks will be at an operational disadvantage, should they seek to operate within the law.
that would be a logical train of thought but even in scandinavia, where you can run 25.25m 60t trucks in international traffic as well (finland, sweden, denmark and some parts of norway) there is an amazing amount of 5-axle 40t artics doing both cabotage and international traffic. the forwarders just sort out the cargo that fits the bg/ro etc lorries and leaves the big volume/heavy/time critical loads to the local hauliers. which isn’t that many loads really.
robinhood_1984:
The flip side of course is that foreign trucks in the UK are all going to be restricted by their trailer height
Do the low profile setups bring them up to 4.2 in a cubic volume sense ?
Reef:
robinhood_1984:
The flip side of course is that foreign trucks in the UK are all going to be restricted by their trailer heightDo the low profile setups bring them up to 4.2 in a cubic volume sense ?
When I was on general, quite some time ago, we were running 14’6" to 15’ total height tautliners on standard UK spec chassis running on standard super single tyre’s, which I think are 80 profile(I could get out and look 
). We used to do quite a lot of relocation work for Chep Pallets, and they wanted side aperture 9’6" in height, to load 17 pallets high (442 total) which was about what our 14’6" tautliners gave. But this could easily be achieved on super low profile tyre’s, say about 50 profile like what a lot off continental hauliers use, That’s just 1 customer that I can recall were the gross weight, and internal height requirements could fit a continental outfit
And not one of you mention the fact that they have a 13 ton limit on their drive wheres we have 11 ton limit.
Dieseldog66:
And not one of you mention the fact that they have a 13 ton limit on their drive wheres we have 11 ton limit.
The UK has an 11ton drive axle limit, so Johnny foreigner has to adhere to that too
NO, johnny foreigner as you call them will have their own countries regulations. The 11 ton axle limit only applies to uk registered trucks. I must agree with some of the other posts that there are not many 3 axle units in europe ( i am one who has 3 axles in europe ) most of europe is running on 40 tons, so the east europeans like that system as they can have larger fuel tanks, a few countries are upping their weight limits too, France is now 42 tons on 5 axles, and holland is moving to a 6 axle config, but on 6 axles. There are of course a few companies who try and take the proverbial, one manager in france asked me if i can gross 44t, so had to explain that the extra axle is only for the uk.
Dieseldog66:
And not one of you mention the fact that they have a 13 ton limit on their drive wheres we have 11 ton limit.
they being only france and greece
http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/IntOrg/road/pdf/weights.pdf
truckyboy:
NO, johnny foreigner as you call them will have their own countries regulations. The 11 ton axle limit only applies to uk registered trucks. .
So you telling Me that a foreign registered truck, can run higher axle weights in this country, where is the logic to that. If our road network cant sustain a 13 ton axle on a UK truck, then what difference does it make that its on a johnny foreigner.
So why don’t the swedes bring over their 25 m outfits, why not just have an open season, don’t the Dutch run 50 ton domestically, come on clog meister get on over here we having a bloody free for all, as long as you is a johnny foreigner. But don’t even think to be 1 minute over a 4.30 drive if your driving licence has UK stamped on it, coz that’s a shooting offence. But don’t worry, Uncle Bulgaria will womble your truck back to the yard, even before the last drop off blood has drained from your dead body, and they wonder why we hate the political class and the Bloody EU
Double post
truckyboy:
NO, johnny foreigner as you call them will have their own countries regulations. The 11 ton axle limit only applies to uk registered trucks. I must agree with some of the other posts that there are not many 3 axle units in europe ( i am one who has 3 axles in europe ) most of europe is running on 40 tons, so the east europeans like that system as they can have larger fuel tanks, a few countries are upping their weight limits too, France is now 42 tons on 5 axles, and holland is moving to a 6 axle config, but on 6 axles. There are of course a few companies who try and take the proverbial, one manager in france asked me if i can gross 44t, so had to explain that the extra axle is only for the uk.
Sorry that’s balls. Talking as someone driving a foreign registered truck who has been parked up in UK for having 11.5 on the drive. Parked up till they could get a six wheeler to me. You always always have to adhere to local weight limits. You actually shoot down your own point at the end. Surely you could take 44 tonnes being a UK truck if your home country regulations apply But of course they don’t hence you couldn’t load to 44t
switchlogic:
truckyboy:
NO, johnny foreigner as you call them will have their own countries regulations. The 11 ton axle limit only applies to uk registered trucks. I must agree with some of the other posts that there are not many 3 axle units in europe ( i am one who has 3 axles in europe ) most of europe is running on 40 tons, so the east europeans like that system as they can have larger fuel tanks, a few countries are upping their weight limits too, France is now 42 tons on 5 axles, and holland is moving to a 6 axle config, but on 6 axles. There are of course a few companies who try and take the proverbial, one manager in france asked me if i can gross 44t, so had to explain that the extra axle is only for the uk.Sorry that’s balls. Talking as someone driving a foreign registered truck who has been parked up in UK for having 11.5 on the drive. Parked up till they could get a six wheeler to me. You always always have to adhere to local weight limits. You actually shoot down your own point at the end. Surely you could take 44 tonnes being a UK truck if your home country regulations apply
I’m a bit clueless on this subject but I’m reading to learn…
The Uk registered Daf CF 4x2 I drive has “Weights not to be exceeded in GB” as 7.1t on the front and 11.5t on the drive and under “Design Weight” it has front as 7.5t and rear as 13t… So I’m a bit confused as to how you were parked up for having 11.5 on the drive 
I rounded it down slightly for the sake of not looking too much like a cowboy. Thanks, you ruined that. Plus I thought it was 11 tonnes
Point still stands though, if your home weight limits are higher than the country you are in then they are irrelevant
switchlogic:
truckyboy:
NO, johnny foreigner as you call them will have their own countries regulations. The 11 ton axle limit only applies to uk registered trucks. I must agree with some of the other posts that there are not many 3 axle units in europe ( i am one who has 3 axles in europe ) most of europe is running on 40 tons, so the east europeans like that system as they can have larger fuel tanks, a few countries are upping their weight limits too, France is now 42 tons on 5 axles, and holland is moving to a 6 axle config, but on 6 axles. There are of course a few companies who try and take the proverbial, one manager in france asked me if i can gross 44t, so had to explain that the extra axle is only for the uk.Sorry that’s balls. Talking as someone driving a foreign registered truck who has been parked up in UK for having 11.5 on the drive. Parked up till they could get a six wheeler to me. You always always have to adhere to local weight limits. You actually shoot down your own point at the end. Surely you could take 44 tonnes being a UK truck if your home country regulations apply
Hang on a minute, you’re saying that there is logic to the Law 
, now I feel the balance off the universe is restored, and I retract My earlier post
Got too say it didn’t make sense to Me. I think it was when the weights went from 38ton to 40ton on 5, and the drive axle weights went from 10.5 ton to 11.5 ton here (UK), that there was in the immediate years before that came into effect, a lot of bridge works, to check that they were (or make them) sound enough to take the extra weight being imposed on the structure (a near 10% increase on that axle). though My memory may have led Me astray here, but I’m fairly confident this is the case
So to then allow axle weight increase in excess of 10% (11.5t to 13t) to happen by default, just doesn’t add up