How do they pick and choose who they are going to pull? Was heading back East on M4 Wednesday night, 3 artics in an orderly fashion (I was the 3rd), all sat around 55-56mph, 75-100 yard gaps between each. Came through j16 and 3 cars coming down the slip…none seemed in a hurry (could only see them in n/s mirror at the time) so I stayed in lane 1. Cars join behind and 1st one pulls out, draws along side and it’s then I see its ‘one of them’… It’s at that point I begin to think I’m done for as I never pulled over for him to join (even though there was nothing behind me, it’s up to them to adjust their speed, right?*). He pulls in front of me, matches my speed for a few seconds, speeds up and sits behind the next one, again for a few seconds then pulls out and behind the next one. A mile out of j15, he pulls out, passes him, pulls back in and lights him up. Do they run the plate through a database of sorts to check everything is good and wait for a Amber/Red warning to flash up or is it just a case of ‘next please’ when they have space at the checkpoint?
*Disclaimer…if it had been an artic etc coming down the slip, I would have moved over
Who cares? Run legal, don’t worry, be happy. If pulled in, give it “yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir”, then feel smug as they hand your keys back because they can’t touch you.
Aside from anything obvious spotted, generally they pull vehicles on a points/traffic light system connected to every vehicle/operator, although random checking is not uncommon you’ll normally be on your way a lot quicker if your company has a good score and nothing seems untoward.
A lot of other factors to consider, different vehicle inspectors/police forces/areas have different methods for pulling and how detailed they’ll go on checking the driver, vehicle and operator compliance etc.
My truck is a 15 plate and my lift axle was raised… Would they take a lowered one as the 1st sign of being loaded or look for bulges in the curtains (my 8 pallets were loaded 1 wide/1 long alternately, thus disguising any load but only had about 2-2.5t in weight) and as we have recently changed names again, we were informed that it was basically a new company and would start out on a red so expect the occasional pull, until we had ‘proved ourselves’!
Actrosman:
My truck is a 15 plate and my lift axle was raised… Would they take a lowered one as the 1st sign of being loaded or look for bulges in the curtains (my 8 pallets were loaded 1 wide/1 long alternately, thus disguising any load but only had about 2-2.5t in weight) and as we have recently changed names again, we were informed that it was basically a new company and would start out on a red so expect the occasional pull, until we had ‘proved ourselves’!
There is a grey band until the operator has any encounters/events to enter a scoring band for any new o license. They’ll base pulling any operator on score not on the year of the truck or if loaded or not etc (aside from any anything obvious or if they are just randomly spot-checking), although obviously if driving a 15 plate there more likely to take an interest in the driver and operator compliance and the trailer, as well as the security of the load if present.
I believe the thaco head is now Bluetooth compatible,hence
Why you have them along side you for a few minutes so they
Can see/check all about your start,finish,other work and rest times ext…
I got told recently that one of the things they look for on the road, along with a lot of others, is the curtain buckles - if some of them are at an angle, its a good chance that its because there are some straps on the load inside which are displacing them, so load is probably strapped OK. If they’re all straight, and it looks heavy, its one more tick in the box as to whether to pull or not.
Ever heard of random checks,they dont need an excuse to pull you in. Spot checks and a weighing station was once a common thing,most drivers knew where they where,but with the modern mobile technology these days they can set up anywhere. Nothing unusual to hear, when CBs where in common use, “Wheel tappers” are open on the A—
With DVSA if your a subbie pulling a fridge basically your F--------ecked if your in a convoy with say a tanker/curtainsider/tipper when they’re having a “Jeff Duke” along a line of yokes up the M-ways
Actrosman:
My truck is a 15 plate and my lift axle was raised… Would they take a lowered one as the 1st sign of being loaded or look for bulges in the curtains (my 8 pallets were loaded 1 wide/1 long alternately, thus disguising any load but only had about 2-2.5t in weight) and as we have recently changed names again, we were informed that it was basically a new company and would start out on a red so expect the occasional pull, until we had ‘proved ourselves’!
They can spot overly bulging tyres easily enough just as we can, out of hundreds vehicles they pass if one has an axle or two with tyres just that bit fatter at the bottom than all the other lorries, it’s going to be worth a tug to check weights especially if looks a bugger into the bargain.
If the vehicle looks right, if lights are on they are all working, vehicle in clean condition giving the appearance someone actually looks after it and properly driven you don’t usually get pulled by the Galaxy crews, nothing stops you being pulled in a layby for a random spot check though.
Wot…Santa is fiction? I might add that the trailer is also new, well…same as the unit…and it’s put through a wash 3x/week, if that helps! Hate heading West all the time…4 chances of getting pulled in (2 out, 2 back) not that I’d be breaking any ‘laws’ as such (not on shift long enough) but, even though I strap up, our pallets consist of items of many different shapes and sizes ( weight wise about 10t) and the internals, imo, offer very little in the way of ‘security’ should they be called ‘into action’. They are all shrink wrapped but by hand and not machine…would they ‘offer advice’ on how to secure the load in a different manner or what? I had extra straps in the older one (18 either side) so that the bigger, front pallets could have 2 (upturned V styley) if needed but can’t fit extra in this one, as they are on inbuilt runners and not separate hooks as such.
I’ve been pulled twice in the last 6 months, none of our other drivers have in the year I’ve been here. All 8w tippers, yet I’m the youngest by 10+ years.
I guess a young lad driving a tipper is just asking for it
It goes like this
RED LORRY, YELLOW LORRY, RED LORRY, YELLOW LORRY…
I understood it was red,yellow, red green, red brown, red blue, red pink, red , black
So does that mean I am okay in a white one ■■
But seriously, yes, there are random checks, but generally DVSA don’t really want to waste their time pulling over someone they can’t find anything wrong with.
Things that make you more likely to be pulled
1 ) Foreign plates ( often found to be overloaded or driving hours infringements )
2 ) Haz Plates, ( they like to check you have a complete ADR kit, and what you are carrying )
3 ) Bulging curtains / load that looks like it is uneven
4 ) tatty/old, cab/trailer ( they figure if it is old and tatty there is more likely they will find something wrong with it )
5 ) Driving style and safety ( Don’t cut them up !! lol )
6 ) If you haven’t been pulled in a long time ( when they check your reg plate they can see when you were last stopped )
I might add that the trailer is also new, well…same as the unit…and it’s put through a wash 3x/week, if that helps! Hate heading West all the time…4 chances of getting pulled in (2 out, 2 back) not that I’d be breaking any ‘laws’ as such (not on shift long enough) but, even though I strap up, our pallets consist of items of many different shapes and sizes ( weight wise about 10t) and the internals, imo, offer very little in the way of ‘security’ should they be called ‘into action’. They are all shrink wrapped but by hand and not machine…would they ‘offer advice’ on how to secure the load in a different manner or what? I had extra straps in the older one (18 either side) so that the bigger, front pallets could have 2 (upturned V styley) if needed but can’t fit extra in this one, as they are on inbuilt runners and not separate hooks as such.
