Hi. One for the genuine experts on here-are fastrac type tractors allowed on the motorway? In the past I’ve seen them on the M66 the M3 & this Monday on the M5 J22 no sign of blue lights though. If they are legal why the hell did I bother with an Operators Licence for the last 40 years?
Gavin
afaik the national speed limit for agricultural tractors is 16mph
although ive never known any one to be prosicuted for speeding
also they would be registered and taxed as an agricultural tractor
so as far as i know not allowed where motorway restrictions apply
yes, ive personally drove a couple from germany to the uk.military versions though.
you will find fastracs travelling a fair few miles.
i think the law requires that if they operate over a certain distance from their base then they have to be mot,d taxed etc and run on white diesel (but im not a farmer so dont quote me on that.)
solo they have a top speed of around 53 mph.
Aren’t agricultural vehicles restricted to 6 miles on road distance a week or similar / Anyone know ?
DAFMAD:
Aren’t agricultural vehicles restricted to 6 miles on road distance a week or similar / Anyone know ?
think its 35miles radius or between two pieces of property owned or leased by the same concern on red
Gavin McArdle:
Hi. One for the genuine experts on here-are fastrac type tractors allowed on the motorway? In the past I’ve seen them on the M66 the M3 & this Monday on the M5 J22 no sign of blue lights though. If they are legal why the hell did I bother with an Operators Licence for the last 40 years?
Gavin
some thing i may know about at last! being a farm contractor i may be able to help a bit
if you get caught on a m-way you MAY end up in court, friend of mine did but won.
On approach to a motorway was there not a sign saying something to the effect of “no agricultural vehicles” ?
well them signs arnt there any more but think you have to maintain over certain speed (35?mph) to be on mway
most fastracs can only do 40mph, but i know of one thats been to the giddy speed of 62! 
forgot to mention that tyres MIGHT see 45000 miles and at £500 a corner there not all that reasonable, brakepads about 30000 miles and 4ish mpg and a gross weight of 24.390t you can only carry 12 -13 t legally
the NFU guide says
HIGH SPEED TRACTORS AND MOTORWAYS
Generally, agricultural motor vehicles are not permitted to use motorways. High-speed agricultural
vehicles may use motorways provided they meet the following conditions:
- Capable of at least 25 mph on the level;
- Fitted with pneumatic tyres;
- Wheeled vehicles only; and
- Licensed in an excise duty category other than the concessionary agricultural machine rate.
Subject to the above criteria being met, trailers may be hauled
I am sure i read they have had big problems in ireland with people using these vehicles to pull haulage trailers while running on red deisel no o licence drivers without hgv licence etc.
Im sure some of the irish chaps on here could expand on this.
Not a lot on general haulage but a lot on tipper work.RSA trying to stop them now from working for councils
I see these tractors everyday hauling swedes to Topsham PIC-FRESH, No O licence No tachographs, this work use to be done with artic’s but was not possible to do 3 loads aday from north Devon legally so was farmed out to tractors. In the last 2 years they have killed 2 cyclist and got away with it in court. One killed a cyclist overtaking on a double white line on a left hand bend, meet an oncoming artic and saved himself and killed the cyclist. He was banned from driving I think for 2 years and fined .
farmer:
DAFMAD:
Aren’t agricultural vehicles restricted to 6 miles on road distance a week or similar / Anyone know ?think its 35miles radius or between two pieces of property owned or leased by the same concern on red
Interesting, I’ve seen, as many of you no doubt, them drawing all sorts form hymacs on lowloaders to grain trailers. I wonder where they are going with them ? 
the exemption from Drivers hours rules and Tachographs is :
Agricultural tractors and forestry tractors used for agricultural or forestry activities, within
a radius of up to 100km (60 miles) from the base of the undertaking which owns, hires
or leases the vehicle.
the under 6 mile thing is refering to :
Limited Use Class
Any motor vehicle, from a moped up to a 44 tonne HGV, that you wish to use on the public road, may
apply for exemption from the requirement for VED to be paid. Such vehicles are taxed and classified
as Limited Use vehicles or ‘vehicles used between different parts of land.’
A vehicle will fall within the scope of the Limited Use class if:
- It is used for purposes relating to agriculture, horticulture or forestry; and
- It is used on public roads only in passing between different areas of land occupied by
the same person; and- The distance it travels on public roads in passing between any two such areas does not
exceed 1.5 km.
Vehicles licensed in the Limited Use class are issued with a licence/tax disc which must be displayed
on the vehicle. Application may be made at any time, and renewals are required at 12-month
intervals.Drivers of Limited Use vehicles must either hold a category N licence or a licence that covers the
driving of the vehicle in question. The category N licence covers vehicles which are exempt from
excise duty due to travelling less than six miles a week. This category was in use before 31December 1996 but is now rarely used.
Fastracs differ from normal agri tractors in that they have full suspension and braking on all four wheels. This means they can travel legally at 40/50 mph. Unimogs are the same.
They can be used legally on a motorway if licensed and taxed as an HGV, with white diesel, tacho, O licence etc.
I’ve often wondered just how fast those JCB fastrac’s can go, as on a couple of occasions i have gone to over take on a the A1 near newark/worksop and i have struggled to overtake A TRACTOR!!! The one i over took more recenlty on the A1 was doing over 50mph as i was crusing at 54mhp on the limiter and it was a slowish overtake 
I didnt realise it was a tractor towing the trailer until i reached the cab, thought it was just a slow moving lorry, how if you had to give up the over take because you didnt have enough speed and had to pull back in behind him with your tail between your legs because the truck behind you hugging your bumper want to do 60 
Fastracs have a top speed of 70k, power up to 220 bhp and 24 speed semi auto trans.
NO test no tax red diesel they live in their own world I quite often see them on their way to the sugar factory in Newark loaded to the hilt with tyres and wheels buckling on the double axle trailers not a good thing for local hauliers who have to pay for the things they seem to be exempt from.
Firstly, I agree with alot of you on the use of tractors for haulage. Its bang out of order and will effect the majority of farmers, because this will bring in the end of red diesel use, and higher regulation.
But, there are no limits on how far you can travel, our biggest distance between jobs in the summer is a 40 mile trip. And aslong as the fastrac is taxed and mot’s and on the correct diesel it is fully legal to use on the motorway. He could be running as legal as you all are, or as bent as the cowboys that are out there. Same as the ones in Devon, as long as its their produce being hauled from field to store/packhouse they are compliant. I know its a bummer, and it infuriates alot of us in the agri industry as well, its down to VOSA’s priorities, if they started to enforce it more it might start to sink in and take effect.
A few years ago I was delivering a load of tarmac to Ilkeston Town FC and there was a chap there with a Fasttrac and tipper trailer muckshifting and hauling roadstone from the Derbyshire quarries. He was very interested in my 6 wheeler and said that he was keen to buy one to upgrade his fleet, that was until he saw the tax disc! His comment was that the roadtax would eat into his profit margin and he would also have to use white diesel so no way was he buying a truck, he was still using the fasttrac until a couple of years ago.
Pete.
Hi all, thanks for all the info, perhaps I did need my OP,licence! I’m glad I am now out of it, just doing a bit of agency to get away from ‘er indoos’!!! 
Gavin