Yesterday while on the way up to Milton Keynes on the M1, I got pulled over by the DVSA (VOSA as was) for the first time in my life! I overtook a pick-up van that was doing 50mph, and their car passed me and put their flashing lights and “follow me” message. They led me into the weighbridge at junction 14 and did the usual checks (they found only one minor problem), looked at my tacho chart and downloaded my digi tacho card. They asked me what weight I thought I was carrying and I said I didn’t know exactly my but it was a mixture of empty pallets, cages and “stillages full of some junk or other” and nothing the people loading it had struggled to push, and they didn’t weigh me.
They were quite friendly and one of them said it was a change to have to go to the right side window and for the driver to speak English. I didn’t get fined or anything but it was quite nerve-wracking because the truck was 12 years old (52 plate) and I thought there had to be something wrong with it. Do old trucks attract the inspectors or was this just random?
It’s possible it was just random or they saw something they wanted to check further.
Once again proves they’re not out to screw us for every penny but merely doing a job.
I’ve been stopped twice in 11 years,first time full checks all ok.
2nd time was funny,got pulled into the layby in Welshpool,pulled in by the people carrier thingy and then he left the blokes in the lay by to do the necessary…VOSA (was then) guy in the layby came up to my window and. Said “what the ■■■■ has he pulled you in for,crack on driver”…and off I went!
It can be very nerve wrecking getting tugged for the first time by dvsa. I remember my first tug years ago. Driving along from Mitcham towards Croydon, carrying hazrdous, inspector stepped out into the road and directed me into the mitcham site. Once in, another told me to pull onto and stop on the weigh bridge. Then a third one came out, told me to pull round the corner and someone will come out to see me. Few minutes later a fourth came over, took one look, saw the orange plates and politely said…“who told you to come in here?, you need to leave, quickly”. I asked how comes and he replied " your carrying hazardous, we’re not licensed to have hazardous goods here, so you need to go". Strange i thought, but who was i to argue. Does make your third eye pucker up tho…
