Question time again please 
I am running a 6x2 ERF 
, (pulling a 45’ curtainsider) with a centre lift axle, plated at 44t. The axle is manually controlled.
Does the axle have to be down, as soon as I put any weight on the trailer?
I have seen some units on the road with axle up, even though they have weight on, or is there a set weight and then axle must be down?
Thanks in advance and sorry for asking the preverbial dumb question again 
John
I have argued this point time and time again and still not got a decent answer…not even from the Police. The answer I have had from the Police on one occasion is that even if you are pulling an empty trailer then the axle should be down. This is not a weight issue but due to the road tax. your vehicle is taxed for six axles and as such should run on six when on th public roads. Hope this helps.
as long as you are within your axle weights then theres no problem i think its a technical offence for road tax ie 3+3 ,2+3 etc
Technical offence my wossname!
Years ago I drove a Scania 113 with a lift axle on container work,one day I got a pull from a ‘local’ plod at South Mimms roundabout.He walked up and looked at the tax disc and saw I was taxed at 3+2,and then went on to lecture me about fraudulent use of the vehicle as the axle was raised.I told him that as the 40’ container I had on was empty how could it be fraudulent?
He said the container is ‘the load’ ,which was true,and therefore all axles should be in contact with the road.
So I pointed out to him that as I only had four axles in contact with the road,and the truck was taxed for five axles,who was being fraudulent?Me or the government?Was the government going to refund some money when I had only four axles on the tarmac?It cost more to tax it at 3+2 than 2+2.
I also pointed out to him that as it was chucking it down with rain and I was empty,it was very dangerous to have the axle down.
But he would have none of it and I drove off with the axle down,until I was out of sight of him and lifted it up again.
A few days later I asked a traffic cop in Felixstowe for his opinion of the rules.
He said the local plod that stopped me was talking out of his **** !!! 
But of course they all know best! 
I think for a “definitive” answer write to the head of Police/VOSA/DVLA/whoever and get it in writing and then copy it here so we can all print it off and carry it with us at all times for such situations. No argument then. If they still want to argue the point, tell them to take it up with the body who issued the statement. 
vosa or the police give a straight answer get real
It has nothing to do with the axles on the road or lifted, The truck is built to run with 5 or 6 or more axles. It is taxed to run with those amount of axles raised or lowered
When the truck is loaded as long as the axle weights are correct then there is no problem. You cant run at 44t on 5 axles.
I had a 4x2 with a triaxle trailer with 2 lifting axles just to go over the Humber Bridge at 3 axle rates.
As Wheel nut says the axle only has to be down when you reach the weight required for that number of axles. As far as the road tax issue goes there was a test case a few years ago and the court decided that an axle is an axle regardless of if it is in contact with the road surface or not, so as long as you have the right number of axles for the category of road tax it doesn’t matter how many are in contact with the road surface, they count.
Obviously you need some in contact with the road otherwise it means you have fallen over, mind you you would still be OK re the road tax. 
Thanks Coffeholic 
Thats what I was trying to say, Well the words were there just jumbled up differently.
So let’s take a hypothetical example. I’m grossing at 40 tonne but none of my 5 out of 6 axles are over weight, so therefore you’re saying that I can run with this weight with the lift axle up 
From what everyone is saying, yes you can. However, this seems like it depends on which officer pulls you. They all seem to have their own interpretations on the law !!!
I think the law allows you to pull 38 tonnes with 5 axials, so presumably you can operate upto this weight with your lift axial up. (so long as your within you axial weight limits) over this the axial has to be down. This is the only logic I can think can go with this.
The axial is connected to the truck for the purpose of carrying a load. If it is required by law for all axials to carry weight shouldnt it be illegal for a truck to be capable of lifting its axial?
smcaul:
However, this seems like it depends on which officer pulls you. They all seem to have their own interpretations on the law !!!
Doesn’t matter how an individual officer interprets it, once it goes to court there is only one interpretation.
The load sensors and valves should prevent you from having an axle raised when you are fully freighted. some have a button to momentarily release pressure for traction.
Most tractors will drop the second steer when there is about 7 or 8 tonne on the drive and the trailers wont normally lift if the weight is over 4 or 5 tonne on the next axle.
It can cause problems with automatic lift axles if you reverse into somewhere very tight loaded and tip. when you drive out the geometry is altered and can make it difficult to get back out.
in for a penny and all that…
I was taught that if you had a full load and you was running 6x2 then the lift axle should always be down, not unless your carrying 38 t of nothing… hmmmmmmm
Anyway, i will only lift the axle up when i’m empty.
ALso, whilst on the point of lift axles,… i saw a scannie with a rear lift axle on a 6x2 this morning, never seen that before…
come to our yard tiggz, its full of scannies with rear lift axles
i think i am right in saying that will be a tag axle
sometimes fitted as an afterthought by extending the chassis of the tractor
will probly be proved wrong thou so dont take my word for it
chris
biggusdickusgb:
come to our yard tiggz, its full of scannies with rear lift axles
Used to have one myself, a 144 460. You could turn it on a six-pence.
Rear lift axles (or tag axles) have been around on Scania’s in the UK since the mid 80’s when the weights went up to 38t.
They were fitted long before that though in other countries.
They were a terrible ride though,used to make your back ache something rotten with the nodding effect. 
Some had twin wheels on the lift axle and some had singles.Remember all those Ferrymasters P cab 112’s?
Cowan Bros. in Felixstowe were I think the first company to fit super singles on the lift axle.