According to my copy of the Highway code the maximum speed for a LGV on a Motorway is 60mph, please explain to me how this 56mph maximum comes about, I am confused… 
its an eu thing 
dave:
its an eu thing
That just about covers it. 
I can’t remember when it was exactly, but early 90s, the EU decided that EVERYones wagons should be limited to the same maximum powered speed. 90 was the speed eventually decided on.
The UK has never bothered changing the maximum legal motorway speed limit, not much point is there really.
LGV speed limit in most of continental Europe is 80 kph (50 mph), so EU rules require trucks over 12 tonnes MAM to be limited to a maximum of 90 kph (up until recently; the requirement was recently changed to include all trucks over 3.5 tonnes MAM).
UK law also requires trucks over 7.5 tonnes MAM to be limited to no more than 60 mph, so until the rules changed, a truck under 7.5 tonnes required no limiter, between 7.5 tonnes and 12 tonnes it required a limiter set at 60 mph, and over 12 tonnes it required a limiter set at 56 mph.
and when you get pulled over by the police who say you’re breaking the law because they clocked you going down hill at 56-60mph dont pay the slightest bit of attention! (so long as the road in road in question was the M62 and not the B7328 ofcourse!!!)
I believe the 56 mph limit is a technical answer,worked out by the mathmatical experts as being the most efficient maximum speed for the best fuel consumption.It’s all to do with engine power in relation to load etc.
I think most of us know that as you increase speed,fuel use goes up faster than the increase in speed.That may be all well and good,BUT,have they worked out the cost of running at 56 mph against 60 mph in fuel,and compared it to the loss of productivity?
It may only be 4 mph,but over a 10 hour day,it’s 40 miles or nearly an hours driving time!How much more could you do in that hour,perhaps you couldn’t make it home and you have to have a night out.A lot of firms like mine where we do mostly trunk work and runs were organised to cover the most ground in a shift,have probably had to reorganise runs or set on more drivers to cover those lost hours.Is that REALLY efficient■■?
bestbooties:
I believe the 56 mph limit is a technical answer,worked out by the mathmatical experts as being the most efficient maximum speed for the best fuel consumption.
Or, it could simply be that 56 mph = 90 Kmph, well actually 90 km = 56.25.
As these are European rules they work to kilometres and we end up with the converted version. 90 Kmph is the motorway limit in several European countries, including France and you know how much say they have in EU legislation.
Well on the subject of Speed Limiters, can anyone explain this. I currently work as a PCV (PSV for old skoolers) Driver for a Bus/Coach company and all of our vehicles are speed limited…to 62mph (officially denoted as 100km/h).
Now I’ve always been baffled as to why the EU says that LGVs (HGVs) can only do 56mph (90km/h), yet Buses and Coaches can do 62 (100)!? Someone said it was down to Maths, regarding the best possible speed for the best possible fuel consumption, but again that can’t be true, Buses and Coaches can go 6mph faster than Trucks and ALL Buses feature Fully Automatic gearboxes that have torque converters…so you use more fuel even if you don’t want to! Coaches are slightly better for MPG these days as the newer ones now have the option of being fitted with an Automated Manual (AMT) like the Volvo i-Shift and the ZF ASTronic.
The AMTs will no doubt save fuel as it’s a computer-controlled manual gearbox, but I’ve never had to chance to drive 1 so I can’t compare.
Richard
Stuff the EU 
I always go by the rules printed in the highway code which state LGV limited to 60 mph on motorways and coaches limited to 70 mph on motorways.
Not that you can attain these speeds with the limiters but these are the laws for our country and that will do for me.
(Though why the hell 7.5 tonners (which can be as big as some Cat C’s) can do 70 mph when driver by drivers who have not past an LGV test is a mystery)
Agree with you on the 7.5 Tonne licence situation, all I can say is that thankfully the DVLA took action on this back in 1997; anyone passing a Category B (Car) test on or after January 1st 1997 no longer received full entitlement to drive a Category C1/C1+E (Class 3 HGV, 7.5 Tonne) vehicle.
Driving a Truck of any size (inc. 7.5 tonne) is Completely different to that of a Car, the dimensions for a start!
What also makes me laugh, is that when the Driver CPC element kicks-in for LGVs from September 10th 2009, all those people that got their 7.5 tonne licences before January 1997 under “Grandfather Rights” will fall under the Aquired Rights regulation, meaning they can still drive on their 7.5 tonne licence until September 9th 2014!!!
People with those licences out there are officially considered to be “Professional” drivers!
Does anyone have any idea why the DVLA took the necessary action to stop car licence holders from getting 7.5 tonne licences without further testing…I know the reaons are blimmen obvious but they must of given an ‘official’ reason why!?
Richard
Also all newly registered 7.5 tonners are limited (not sure of the exact date but it has been mentioned on past threads)… I drove a 55 plate 7.5.tonner today and that was limited to 90 kph (which means i cant even get upto the legal speed limit on a dual carriageway let alone a motorway)
Well hopefully we will see a bit better standard of driving from the puddle jumper boys and girls now (unless of course they have a tipper body on) 
I believe that Speed Limiters for 7.5 Tonners came into force for newly registered 7.5s from January 1st 2005, however if the vehicle is used Solely in the UK then the Speed Limiter won’t need to be fitted until January 1st 2008.
For older 7.5 vehicles registered between October 1st 2001 and December 31st 2004, they must by this stage have Speed Limiters fitted to them.
The DfT intends to reduce the Motorway speed limit sometime after January 1st 2008 - which is the date when the Speed Limiter rules and regulations would of been fully adjusted for 7.5s. They intend to do this because 7.5s registered before October 1st 2001 will be exempt from having Speed Limiters fitted and therefore will have a competitive advantage over the vehicles limited to 56mph.
For a full list of 7.5s exempt from the new Road Speed Limiter regulations go to: http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/newsandevents/pressreleases/2006pressreleases/28-12-06speedlimiterlegislation.htm
Richard
cant see why trucks cant be allowed to do 100k/60-62 considering the steps forward in technology. after all older trucks dont have to run at 56,with older brakes etc,i think todays trucks would be safer. ps this may not be the view of all irish drivers
Speeds of the TARGET lgv’s are fast about 8 months ago i was southbound m6
around jun16 at about 11 at night i was in a new nissan navara.
there were 3 target trucks and when i say fast i mean fast. i was 3 up in the nissan and did have a large twin axle car trailer on back.
There was a lgv in slow lane.
The first target truck started to over take the one in slow lane other was in the fast lane so 3 lgv across all 3 lanes.
as the slower target truck pulled past lane 1 lgv the other pulled past fast.
I was flat on the floor trying to catch the other 2 target trucks now they had got past and were in the clear i had to do 85mph to just about pass them.
I couldnt beleave how fast they were going
On confirmation from the others on board with me they were shifting
How do they get away with it Surely they must be found out.
slimjim:
i was in a new nissan navara… i was 3 up in the nissan and did have a large twin axle car trailer on back… i had to do 85mph to just about pass them… they must be found out.
Forgetting the Target trucks just for a minute, you were doing 85 mph with a trailer and you felt you HAD to pass them 
Did you use the outside M/way lane to pass them
WADR slimjim, some reminders about the UK:
- your vehicle + trailer M/way speed limit = 60mph.
- your vehicle + trailer isn’t normally allowed in lane 3 of 3 lane M/way.
- There’s no fast or slow M/way lanes, as all have the same speed limit.
I’ve never done Portugal, so I don’t know the score there as well as you do, but I nearly broke a calculator adding up your penalty points Aren’t you glad the police didn’t see the Target trucks, because if they did, they’d probably have had you as well 
You probably wouldn’t get the new lgv driving job you want with that many points- that’s IF you got to keep your licence…
slimjim, steady on mate, there’s far more to life than doing 85mph with a (loaded and potentially unbalanced?) car trailer, never mind the Target trucks- let 'em get on with it and take their own chances
For your original question, I’d guess that the Target trucks were probably 7.5t, if so, most of them can do 70mph (for the time being) and can use the outside lane (for the time being.) A 7.5t is called an m.g.v. (medium goods vehicle.) Whereas a truck bigger than 7.5t is an l.g.v. (large goods vehicle) and should be limited to 56mph, and isn’t allowed in the outside lane.
another thing about limiters how come according to my sat nave and also by other means such as trucks overtaking me is why does my daf only do a max of 52 mph
This is not cost productive as i can loose half an hour over a period of 7 hours
It was a empty trailer i know its still not legal we wanted to see who was driving these things.
i passed them in the( middle lane) (second lane)as they moved in to the left lane.(first lane)
I do think I should be a police trafic man some times as the amount of illegal stuff I see being done on the road baffles me.
They were full size lgv’s with the extra high trailers with the small wheels on the trailers. black trailers and trucks.
goofball:
another thing about limiters how come according to my sat nave and also by other means such as trucks overtaking me is why does my daf only do a max of 52 mphThis is not cost productive as i can loose half an hour over a period of 7 hours
There are a couple of possible reasons for this:
1. Your limiter has some kind of fault or needs recalibrating.
OR
2. Your firm has had the limiter set to 52mph.
The maximum is 56mph, but a number of firms have had the limited speed reduced in order to save fuel. A quick chat with your supervisor or TM should get you the correct answer.
Smee:
According to my copy of the Highway code the maximum speed for a LGV on a Motorway is 60mph, please explain to me how this 56mph maximum comes about, I am confused…
56mph doesnt exist in UK.
Its just a UK directive that we have to do comply with EU by fitting a Speedlimiter which is set by EU directive to cut the Powered Speed at 90km/h
Lovlyperson:
Smee:
According to my copy of the Highway code the maximum speed for a LGV on a Motorway is 60mph, please explain to me how this 56mph maximum comes about, I am confused…
Lovlyperson:
56mph doesnt exist in UK.
Isn’t that a conversion of the 90kmh that you mentioned
Lovlyperson:
Its just a UK directive
The UK does NOT issue “directives.”
Lovlyperson:
we have to do comply with EU by fitting a Speedlimiter which is set by EU directive to cut the Powered Speed at 90km/h
That’s true Lovlyperson, but the maximum speed limit for an LGV is in the highway code and is 60mph.
Don’t believe me Smee’s right, have a look at the highway code for yourself. OR ask a police person.
Smee Your LGV is limited to 56mph by the limiter as Lovlyperson said, but you wouldn’t normally be prosecuted for speeding on a motorway (in an LGV) until your speed exceeds 60mph. (Imagine it as a small tolerance for going downhill, before you react by braking/slowing.)
Doesn’t it stand to sense that if you get caught for “speeding” that you could also be prosecuted for having a defective limiter? It’s done this way so that there’s no room for excuses