If you’ve got a loaded 20ft box on is it a legal requirement (in vosa’s view) to have the pins in the loaded 20ft position or is that just a manufacturers suggestion
Cheers
manufacturers recommendation
but, you certainly would not want it in the shortened down position
they recommend it in the loaded 20’ position so that it doesn’t do as much damage/wear and tare to the trailer and the locking pins
shuttlespanker:
manufacturers recommendationbut, you certainly would not want it in the shortened down position
True, although I’ve taken containers to places where the only way you could turn round was to put it into the fully shortened down position for the reverse. 
Harry Monk:
shuttlespanker:
manufacturers recommendationbut, you certainly would not want it in the shortened down position
True, although I’ve taken containers to places where the only way you could turn round was to put it into the fully shortened down position for the reverse.
was that you on the A42 yesterday afternoon, heading towards the M1?
Yes, I guess that would have been me.
#scotty#:
If you’ve got a loaded 20ft box on is it a legal requirement (in vosa’s view) to have the pins in the loaded 20ft position or is that just a manufacturers suggestionCheers
TBH i could never be arsed moving it back that 6 inches to the loaded 20"
position and used to just keep it in the last hole on the trailer
I thought that the loaded twenty position meant that there was a bit more of the chassis with the wheels attached inside the rest of the chassis, so it was more stable and not relying on the locking pins so much 
I reckon a snotty VOSA bloke (is there anything but 
) would get all excited and start writing tickets if he found you were running in the wrong position, so probably best to do what it says on the tin really
newmercman:
I thought that the loaded twenty position meant that there was a bit more of the chassis with the wheels attached inside the rest of the chassis, so it was more stable and not relying on the locking pins so muchI reckon a snotty VOSA bloke (is there anything but
^ This.
Don’t know of anything in black and white although it could be argued the trailer was type approved with the pin positions specified as they are.
I’ve spoken to one of the local VOSA bods about this but iirc their only concern was that the axle weights remained legal.
The big fleets tend to insist on drivers abiding by this as well as not carrying 40’s on the front pins with the trailer in loaded 20’ position.
Again the VOSA bod said they didn’t see a problem as long as the weights were ok.
Tbh I always make the effort with a heavy 20’ as Shuttlespanker and NMM pointed out re the stability/ridgidity. I find they do handle differently too, even though it’s such a small difference in length. 
so what the wifes been telling me all these years is right after all…
a couple of inches really does make all the difference 
Cheers for the replies