how often do you get pulled?
what sort of work do you do?
do you drive British or foreign registered trucks?
i used to get pulled at least once every 2 weeks. i was working for a northern Irish company. i don’t know why i was targeted so much though, they never caught me up to no good.
Just the once for me in Iver. They were ok, but thoroughly checked my license details because I was 21 at the time.
In 5.5 years of driving full time for other people: never.
In 2.5 years of being an owner driver: 5 times (3 of which have been in the last year).
Paul
in 20 yrs of driving i have been pulled 3 times, so i don’t think that’s to bad, had one delayed proabition for a mud flap that got ripped off that morning, but thats been it never had a problem with cards 
repton:
In 5.5 years of driving full time for other people: never.
In 2.5 years of being an owner driver: 5 times (3 of which have been in the last year).Paul
That seems unacceptably high particularly as an owner driver can less afford the time wasted as well.
I think small operators should be allowed an option to take the vehicle for MOT quarterly instead of annually in return for not being pulled and replacing the existing scheduled maintenance regime. This would also suit own account operators that use the vehicle say a couple of times a week and owner drivers that do their own ongoing maintenance, in that situation a six weekly inspection is just a pointless tick-box exercise usually.
They would still need to be pulled if suspected of running overladen but there should be some sort of fast-track system where they can quickly be put over the weighbridge.
I was stopped by the Ministry (as it was then) on only my second ever day in the job, at Shippham’s meat paste factory in Chichester. He said “Why isn’t there an Operator’s Licence in the windscreen?” and I said “What’s one of them then?” 
Haven’t been pulled yet in my own truck but expect I will be sooner or later.
limeyphil:
how often do you get pulled?
what sort of work do you do?
do you drive British or foreign registered trucks?i used to get pulled at least once every 2 weeks. i was working for a northern Irish company. i don’t know why i was targeted so much though, they never caught me up to no good.
Did you not get pulled much when you were on for nolans then?
Never in 11 years. I’ve even parked next to vehicles being checked and barely had a glance.
Harry Monk:
I was stopped by the Ministry (as it was then) on only my second ever day in the job, at Shippham’s meat paste factory in Chichester. He said “Why isn’t there an Operator’s Licence in the windscreen?” and I said “What’s one of them then?”Haven’t been pulled yet in my own truck but expect I will be sooner or later.
Someone else will no doubt correct me if it’s not the case but I think, like us, you’ll just be on red as a ‘predictive score’ based on other similar size and vehicle age operator’s profile and this remains the case until you have a roadside encounter, regardless of first time MOT pass rate.
Maybe take it for test and then after passing drive back slowly past your nearest checkpoint and don’t tell them exactly where you’ve just come from until they’ve finished giving it the once over just in case they find something.
Once three years ago in my transit for customs & excise to dip the fuel tank.
" I said I’m OK on paraffin ".
Pulled in my Sprinter about six months ago late one Saturday night,the copper said " oh I can see you haven’t been drinking " To which I replied " you want to get after that tractor that we just met back up the road " He said I know,I know and ■■■■■■ off.
Got pulled in a few times with lorries by the then ministry,but was OK.
Been pulled once last year by VOSA in a 11 plate Mercades Sprinter Box van, he didnt keep me long 
Used to get pulled a lot when on hazardous tankers (never weighed though as that’s a pain in the bottom for them). It was usually some zealous bod who’d just done his hazchem course and wanted to try out his knowledge. But bull baffles brains so was always ok.
Never been stopped (touch wood) since I started driving for the big red French machine.
When I drove for Tilcon, never. When I drove for a Tilcon contract haulier, several times! 
Even got pulled on the A34 at Stafford and they took me on to the M6 Northbound to stafford services just for a tank dip. 
Also pulled at the NEC for fuel check and under gate 3 of the M5 for an axle weight check. When I drove for a local haulier I was pulled on the hard shoulder of the M1 between 36 and 37 for tacho and mechanical check, at Bingham for weight and mechanical, also on the Chapel en le Frith bypass where I received a deffered GV9 for a loose spring bolt, oops! 
In the ‘old days’ you seldom got pulled over if you drove for a National company as they usually maintained their own fleet to a high standard, possibly not the same nowadays with a lot of truck’s on rental?
Pete.
I’ve been driving full time for 14 months and haven’t been pulled once. In fact, I’ve never even seen them. I don’t think VOSA even exist. I think they’re just a myth fabricated by you old-timers to scare newbies into sticking to the rules. It’s all big conspiracy and I’ve just blown it wide open.
Prob around 98/99 at leatherhead, just loaded at Reigate with sand, they top up on the bridge, pulled off bang on 38000kg got a telling off for being 50kg over weight.
I did say to her if she was that bothered about me being over weight to do me, but she declined!!
Not likely to be pulled at the moment, unit is 5 weeks old and the trailer is 4 days old.
A dozen times in 20 years, cards, weights and mechanical, never for fuel.
First employer was top notch on the trucks and if it was local they would let you straight through unchecked, weight checks were always a laugh, every time I got stopped I was loaded with bubble wrap, much head scratching at how a bulging curtain could result in an artic coming out at tare weight 
Plod once watched me go round an island near Keighley with a 4 wheeler and potter down a twin track at 45 (customer wasn’t due to open for another 30 minutes anyway) so they gave me a tug, Mr “That tyre is warm, you’re overweight” then tried to drag me 7 miles to a little plate weigher.
I knew I was only grossing 12 tonnes so played along, also let him know I knew it was further than the permissable distance allowed, as he couldn’t find anything wrong there he went through everything else with a fine toothed comb. The only thing he could find to moan about was the tax disc was mounted so the wiper partially covered the day but the month and year were clear, he was pretty miffed at not finding anything
Saaamon:
limeyphil:
how often do you get pulled?
what sort of work do you do?
do you drive British or foreign registered trucks?i used to get pulled at least once every 2 weeks. i was working for a northern Irish company. i don’t know why i was targeted so much though, they never caught me up to no good.
Did you not get pulled much when you were on for nolans then?
no, i only did two short trips.
i might give them a ring now you’ve brought them up. nice people, thanks.
Been pulled 3 times in 16 yrs.First time when i was on for munro of aberdeen,got pulled at Castle Kennedy seemed more interested that i had an adr cause i had the orange plate showing.Other twice has been on the trollies and the v men couldnt have less intersted.
Last night and again this morning by the good lady. That time of the month
SmashedCrabFace:
I’ve been driving full time for 14 months and haven’t been pulled once. In fact, I’ve never even seen them. I don’t think VOSA even exist. I think they’re just a myth fabricated by you old-timers to scare newbies into sticking to the rules. It’s all big conspiracy and I’ve just blown it wide open.
you’ll never get drafted into the hall of old ■■■■■ with that attitude boy , you’ve just given the game away ffs …