Hello all, just a quick question. Can anyone confirm that 7.5t GVW vehicle going into London still needs to be at least Euro 4 emission standard?
The LEZ website seems to state that "HGV"s need to be at least Euro 4 or, if pre 2006 (when Euro 4 came in),then modified with an uprated DPF, but 7.5t GVW vehicles (unladen weight about 2.5t) are not “HGV”!! They seem to class any goods vehicle with a GVW of OVER 3.5 tonne as an HGV so following that way of thinking then I reckon that it needs to be.
When I get a moment I will give them a ring but just wondered if anyone here has had any experience of operating in London at that weight knew for sure.
Cheers all,
Bullitt.
I know when we had a few older 7.5’s at our place they couldn’t go inside the M25.
As far as I know it was the 55 and 06 plates.
Think the 56 plate could, well I hope so, as we’ve just farmed it off to our Marlow depot.
Anything over 3.5 must meet the Euro 4 spec or have a Reduced pollution certificate including particulate filter and be on the TfL register of RPC vehicles.
Anything over 3.5t MGW is an HGV/LGV so far as the rules/law is conserved as it requires more than a cat B/ standard car licence. (Not withstanding grandfather rights for C1)
Race Trucker:
Anything over 3.5t MGW is an HGV/LGV so far as the rules/law is conserved as it requires more than a cat B/ standard car licence. (Not withstanding grandfather rights for C1)
Ok thanks for that, just looked up the basic regs concerning weights, age etc!!..Pre 1997, post 1997, Cat B, Cat B+E,Cat C, Cat C1, C+E…bloody hell am I out of touch!! 
Ok, so next question…Does a driver lawfully need to hold a Driver CPC to drive a 7.5 tonne GVW?
Cheers, Bullitt.
Lol no worries!
No you don’t need a CPC to drive a 7.5t m(cat C1) or anything up to an artic/class CE/ class 1. You need a CPC to drive professionally- ie as a job. You don’t need one to drive for personal use, and there are a few other exceptions such as if ‘driving is consequential to your main job’ I.e if your not a truck driver but let’s say a tree surgeon and just use your truck to get to/from work etc and carry kit.
Thanks Race Trucker. I have had my licences since 1981 but have been out of the haulage game for the last 14 years. I was considering buying a 7.5gvw vehicle for myself to work as an O/D. I thought I was more than covered!!
I have my national and international CPC`s, took them in 1995, class one (sorry, C+E 
) etc but didn’t realise that I would need a driver CPC as well just to operate and drive a 7.5t vehicle.
Still, that’s progress I suppose!
What truck is it with an unladen weight of only 2.5 ton?
mucker85:
What truck is it with an unladen weight of only 2.5 ton?
Mitsubishi Canter, car transporter. “About” 2.5tonne.
bullitt:
mucker85:
What truck is it with an unladen weight of only 2.5 ton?
Mitsubishi Canter, car transporter. “About” 2.5tonne.
Crikey, I knew japcrap was light but not THAT light. It’d bend in the middle!
Isn’t the canter a bit of an odd halfway house between a van type transporter and a 7.5 t one? They also do it as a 3.5t and 6.3t model if I’m not mistaken- so is probably not build as solid/heavy as a dedicated 7.5t.
Race Trucker:
Isn’t the canter a bit of an odd halfway house between a van type transporter and a 7.5 t one? They also do it as a 3.5t and 6.3t model if I’m not mistaken- so is probably not build as solid/heavy as a dedicated 7.5t.
Yes it is a bit half way, buts its early days yet and im just looking around as to what my options are, etc.
I have already set up one business which is doing ok but I fancy getting back on the road again, all be it just for myself, and without anything to fancy or to much of major headache!
To be honest, the Canter is Ok for overall size but since it would fall under the tacho regs then im looking for a sleeper / crewcab version. I’ve had more than my fair share of dossing across the seats! Next one up on the list would be an LF45 Daf, but then the price changes accordingly!
We`ll see, like I said, its early days yet. I want to give my current business two years (by next April) before I start anything else so there is no mad rush. Plenty of time for “due diligence” etc. It may be a total non starter but until you start looking around, asking questions etc you will never know.
Cheers for taking the time to reply anyway. 
bullitt:
Race Trucker:
Isn’t the canter a bit of an odd halfway house between a van type transporter and a 7.5 t one? They also do it as a 3.5t and 6.3t model if I’m not mistaken- so is probably not build as solid/heavy as a dedicated 7.5t.
Yes it is a bit half way, buts its early days yet and im just looking around as to what my options are, etc.
I have already set up one business which is doing ok but I fancy getting back on the road again, all be it just for myself, and without anything to fancy or to much of major headache!
To be honest, the Canter is Ok for overall size but since it would fall under the tacho regs then im looking for a sleeper / crewcab version. I’ve had more than my fair share of dossing across the seats! Next one up on the list would be an LF45 Daf, but then the price changes accordingly!
We`ll see, like I said, its early days yet. I want to give my current business two years (by next April) before I start anything else so there is no mad rush. Plenty of time for “due diligence” etc. It may be a total non starter but until you start looking around, asking questions etc you will never know.
Cheers for taking the time to reply anyway.
Have you any experience in the small volume car transport industry?
It’s what I’ve been doing for the past 4 years one way or another, so if there is any help I can give feel free to ask.
If you are going to be in London a lot why not think about LPG power. Certain LPG vehicles are lez exempt and if it is powered solely by gas it is tacho exempt also.
Vehicle is not over 7500kg GVW or part of a combination of vehicles not over 7500 kg combined
GVW which is propelled by natural or liquefied gas or electricity and is used within a 50 km radius
of base
The 50km radius still applies with LPG tacho exemption but there is all sorts of conflicting evidence out there. People have had petrol tanks removed so runs solely on gas, which allegedly is what’s required and there’s cases of VOSA accepting they’re tacho exempt at roadside pulls but seemingly unaware of the 50km radius bit. Rules on towing are a total mess.
Hi again and thanks for the input everybody. I moved out of London a few years ago but the LEZ has to be considered otherwise you have automatically given yourself a no go area. No potential customer wants to be told “sorry, we don’t deliver there”.
Pendaric, thanks for the kind offer, I may well be in touch at some point if things start to head in the right direction. Like I said, its early days yet and im just starting out in my research etc.
Cheers all,
shirtbox2003:
this lez is a load of political crap.should be scrapped immediately. 
The LEZ was in fact designed as a cover for the Labour Governments “Big Brother Project”
Think how many millions upon millions of tax payers pounds were spent on setting up and erecting the camera ring around the ever expanding “LEZ Zone”, Do you really think all that money and technology was put there to try and catch out an ever decreasing, few hundred vehicles everyday??
Now, in 10 years time there probably wont be any vehicles on the road with an unconverted Euro 3 or less engine, so what about all those surveillance cameras then? What will they really be used for? Who will they actually be watching?..and why??
A friend of mine who was in the “regiment” (after initially serving his contract with the REP) and now works for “5” told me!
