Car Transport - I have a headache

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS OWNER AND FLEET OPERATORS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
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Then finally on the 3.5t trailer option which has been replied to a few times. I must confess I am a little confused by it. Does this mean I can use an Iveco-type beavertail which can then carry a normal car of about 1.4t (remaining under a total weight of 3.5t) AND then tow a trailer where the trailer weighs 700kg AND the load is up to 3.5t? So in an equation it looks like this; Towing truck (1.2t) + Car on truck (1.4t) + Trailer (0.7t) + Land Rover on Trailer (3.2t) = 6.5t. I specially used a bit of a silly Land Rover as an example because I am confused by what I can load on the trailer? Must the trailer + car on it add up to 3.5t total or can the trailer which is 700kg be excluded from the all up total? I note the trailers on the market are rated for up to 3.5t, which to me would suggest I can load them with a load/car of UP TO 3.5t and still be ok? If someone could please clarify this for me?

I shall no doubt think of more but as before thank you for all your help so far.

You are almost there, in any commercial the tonnage referred to is max, so a 3.5t van a 7.5t little hgv a 44t artic etc, that’s fine but you need to know the weight empty obviously.

So for 3.5t & trailer, yes load up to 3. 5t gross weight obviously, so for the van depending on construction & van type etc this can be 1 800kg (some claim even less, esp no winch no spare wheel, no pas seats, alloy wheels etc) to a tonne more! So a load as little as less than a tonne, or as much as 1.7t

However with 3. 5t & cars as cargo & particularly when towing you can be within the 3. 5t but be over on rear axle weights (front doesn’t take much due to a cars weight layout on the van wheelbase it’s predominantly on the rear axle)

Also need to keep some capacity spare as will be a fair bit through tow bar when towing.

So trailer again 3.5t allowed (assuming 3.5t trailer obvs) & you are in ball park with yr trailer weight thoughts 600kg to 1t area usually all depends on type (more weight for enclosed, upto 1650kg area)

So not many cars will be over, tho on many a big 4x4 can be v close or over.

So depending on van & trailer combo you could have a 2t to 4t capacity, obvs with more available capacity on the trailer & if you do move say a heavy 4x4 at like 2.8t realistically you can’t have a car on the van also.

Also lots of vans have a really low train weight unlike the 7t I mentioned before, many are 5.5t which is pretty much pointless to use as a 2 car transporter, but a decent clever set up is a viable alternative to a larger has to be o licenced vehicle, for just 2 car moves anyway.

Anyway a lot of waffle, a larger vehicle will suit your needs far better, a twin deck & trailer is a good shout, but as mentioned earlier needs to be o licenced.

One thing not mentioned is a driver can drive a 7.5t on older licence, pre 97 I think it is, without need for hgv, check for c1 catagory so can drive that twin deck, but not with a trailer at max capacity due to the 107 code 8250kg restriction, (but you can upgrade that licence to 12t)but a light over 3.5t like a 5t to 6.5t for example & trailer is usually OK & gives quite a good capacity & if careful with the weights can even run run that as a 3 car with double trailer.

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iguana:
Anyway a lot of waffle, a larger vehicle will suit your needs far better, a twin deck & trailer is a good shout, but as mentioned earlier needs to be o licenced.

One thing not mentioned is a driver can drive a 7.5t on older licence, pre 97 I think it is, without need for hgv, check for c1 catagory so can drive that twin deck, but not with a trailer at max capacity due to the 107 code 8250kg restriction, (but you can upgrade that licence to 12t)but a light over 3.5t like a 5t to 6.5t for example & trailer is usually OK & gives quite a good capacity & if careful with the weights can even run run that as a 3 car with double trailer.

I purposefully mentioned the Mature Apprentice, someone who had the pre 1997 licence. My local dealer has about 15 of these two car carriers with Roger Dyson decks either on Iveco or Izuzu vehicles.

Hopkinson - aka Hopdeals

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My advise for what its worth, having been an owner driver and done car delivery from Bridgewater and living in Exeter, Post your delivery needs on Shiply or Uship and you will get your deliveries covered by small one man band owner drivers at a cheaper price that BC…whilst most will only deliver 1 or 2 at a time try it.

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Juddian:
https://trucks.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/volvo/fh/202010034572667?journey=Search&origin=search&page=5&sort=Distance&postcode=RG100DL&keywords=car%20transporter

This is the type of trailer you want (or similar), this one is old but they last for years, it has obviously had the peak removed, later models will have 3 axles.

Later ones will have 3 decks which with the peak removed give a typical 8 car capacity, as you arn’t going into the hire and reard business volume isn’t an issue for you, so my suggestion would be to look out for a Hoyner or (later called) Transport Engineering semi trailer, maybe one where the middle deck has been removed…this happened with a lot of 3 deck artic trailers which were put on Land Rover ferrying, handy weight saving removing the middle deck.

Ideally you want one that was a built as van carrier spec, this means the front of the top deck is moveable (as the one in the pic), non van carriers the front end was only hinged and you couldn’t lower the deck front, so even if you’ve only got 6 cars on board you will still be up at 15’ 6" or higher with the front vehicle, with the top deck front being able to be lowered you might be down to about 14’ or so with 6 cars up.
Without the peak deck (the car over the cab) if you have large cars on top you might only get 6 on maximum, luckily for you operators on hire and reward want volume so transporters like the above should be cheapish.

Why i suggest these is because they are very strong and long lived and most importantly simple and quick to learn and use in transporter terms, and any commercial workshops will be able to maintain them.
Simple for loading too, and that is important because with the more complicated high volume bodies they are stupidly complicated and cost a fortune to maintain as its specialist work, there being hundreds of yards of hydraulic and air pipes alone for operating the decks, all buried in the posts and under the chassis.

Remember, almost all are hydraulic operation so your transporter partner will need hydraulics on the tractor, i don’t think i’ve seen one of these converted to electric/hydraulic operation so haven’t a clue how that might work out.

I don’t know about O licencing now, its been 35 years since i took my cpc, but neither you or a normal haulier would liekly get approval for a semi trailer with peak, not as you’d find a driver prepared to drive it, they are ok once used to them and those of us who used them were reluctant to give them up (takes minutes to load one of these, 3 or 4 times longer to laod a typical modern high volume carrier, but if you had a peak you’ll be at max height anyway.

Those artics being low at the rear have very favourable approach angles at the skids and gentle top deck slopes due to the length of the deck itself (think skirt damage and some automated manual cars struggle to climb the steeper decks of other steeper designs) even when loading the top deck, rigids don’t usually have such easy angles.

Before taking the plunge, think carefully about the routes involved, tree damage is the thing, mostly at 14’ you can drive around happily so long as there no low bridges, but once you go over 15’ tree damage on some routes can be a serious issue.

I did once see an artic transporter trailer with a donkey engine and oil tank on it. Didn’t seem a great idea!

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