Peter Smythe:
But it’s clear from the rules that they must be filled with water. Sand is permitted in small trailers (eg BE)
Pete
I haven’t look at the rools either.
I’d imagine it’s so trainees have some experience of driving a loaded truck before being let loose on an unsuspecting public. Seems like a fair point to me tbh.
That the load has to be IBCs of water seems a bit much, to me.
OK water in IBCs is an easy thing to do, but a trainee with a moving load like that ?
You can’t fill them to the top, there HAS to be ullage space, to allow for expansion and contraction of your water due to variations of temperature.
Fill them right up with cold water from your yard tap first thing in the morning, by lunch time you’ll have water running out of your trailer, from your IBCs rupturing due to water expanding as it’s temp’ rises to the midday ambient air temp’.
We have quite a fw IBC,s filled with water as test weights. They have been in the yard for years and even in the worst of winters we have never had them freeze let alone split the tank. Id just make sure there full rite to the top as to prevent the water sloshing about.
During the winter of 2010 we tested IBC’s at our Training facility at Cardington. This was an exceptionally cold winter with temperatures down as low as minus eighteen for a number of days. We left the IBC’s on our vehicles for the duration of the winter. The vehicles were parked outside. The containers did not freeze.
We consider this to be a sensible test of what can realistically be expected.
IBCs are made from semi-transparent moulded plastic usually reinforced with a wire framework. They are unlikely to fracture or explode.
Whilst sand is an option on the load requirements for trailers, it was decided in consultation with the industry that IBC’s would be the preferred option. The system we have allows loads to be easily identifiable by DSA managers as well as VOSA and/or the Police who need to be able to confirm at a glance that a commercial load is not being carried.
elmet training:
I emailed the DSA and got this reply.
Dear Paul
During the winter of 2010 we tested IBC’s at our Training facility at Cardington. This was an exceptionally cold winter with temperatures down as low as minus eighteen for a number of days. We left the IBC’s on our vehicles for the duration of the winter. The vehicles were parked outside. The containers did not freeze.
We consider this to be a sensible test of what can realistically be expected.
IBCs are made from semi-transparent moulded plastic usually reinforced with a wire framework. They are unlikely to fracture or explode.
Whilst I agree with what they’ve written so far, the next bit made me smile…
The DSA:
Whilst sand is an option on the load requirements for trailers, it was decided in consultation with the industry that IBC’s would be the preferred option. The system we have allows loads to be easily identifiable by DSA managers as well as VOSA and/or the Police who need to be able to confirm at a glance that a commercial load is not being carried.
Jewsons carry flexible IBCs filled with sand every day, and that’s a commercial load.
If the last paragraph is true, then I think that the police would find it much easier to believe that sand being carried in an IBC that’s designed for liquids isn’t a commercial load because it just wouldn’t be practical to deliver it (commercially) when packaged in such a way.
The other thing that made me wonder is “in consultation with the industry,” well… were you consulted■■?
If the last paragraph is true, then I think that the police would find it much easier to believe that sand being carried in an IBC that’s designed for liquids isn’t a commercial load because it just wouldn’t be practical to deliver it (commercially) when packaged in such a way.
- couldn’t empty my email inbox quick enough to keep up with the DSA contacting us 