From 01/01/2005 all new goods vehicles 3.5 to 7.5 tons will have a limiter set the same as larger HGVs. As many of you know already the fitting is retrospective until 2008 but any speed limited vehicle will be banned from lane 3 of a motorway. But should these in scope vehicles be subject to the same speed limits of larger HGVs on other roads, that is 40 mph on s/c roads and 50 mph on dual carriageways compared with 50 mph on s/c roads and 60 mph on dual carriageways at present?
i think those limits are out of date for HGVs 
According to the leaflet I got from VOSA to-day, all goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and registered on / after 01/01/2005 will have to be fitted with a speed limiter set to a powered maximum speed of 90 kmh. Vehicles used SOLELY for NATIONAL journies will not require a limiter until 01/01/2008.
For goods vehicles registered between 01/10/2001 and 31/12/2004 which have a diesel engine and a design weight greater than 3.5 tonnes, but not exceeding 12 tonnes a limiter will be required for International journies by 01/01/2006. Vehicles used solely for national journies will not require a limiter to be fitted until 01/01/2007
According to the leaflet (VOSA/PSP/1097/Oct 04) the DfT is currently ‘consulting’ about banning vehicles greater than 3.5 tonnes from the outside lane of 3 or more lane motorways. The suggested date is 01/01/2005 so there isn’t much time to consult / inform everybody. What a dogs breakfast!!
Nothing mentioned about reducing speed limits on roads other than m-ways. Whether you agree with the current limits or not be really careful around Nottingham. Most of the Ring Road, and the A610 out to Nuthall has SPECS cameras up and running. They work on average speed over a distance between two or more cameras, they can also detect HGVs and their lower limits. The cameras are also installed on A46 south of Newark and they are going onto the A46 down towards Widmerpool Island (A606). The cabelling is being put in at the moment between Nottingham and Bingham (where the Ministry checksite is) on the A52 for more of the things. Deep Joy!
there is a gatso site on the A303 at chilmark. gatso on each side of the single lane carriageway with an hgv sensor. there is also a site on Bitterne Road (A3024) in Southampton. its on the safest section of the 30mph dual carriageway i would love to see those gatsos justified considering the amount of rtas further towards the city. they frequently set up a mobile camera unit 100 yards past them. just past a blind bend outbound. the same unit uses the central reservation on the northam bridge too (same road, approx 1 mile nearer the city, outside Centurian Park Ind Est)
Gatso on the A556 northwich bound of J19 M6 with a hgv speed sensor also 
simon
its the beginning of eradicating the 7.5tn license entitlement - imo.
It will make it pointless for operators to bother with a 7.5 tonner as opposed to a 17 tonner, seeing as the small fuel saving would be outweighed by bigger payloads.
Once there’s a tiny minority using them, they’ll make it so that to drive them needs class 2, and that’ll be that.
el gordo 78:
its the beginning of eradicating the 7.5tn license entitlement - imo.It will make it pointless for operators to bother with a 7.5 tonner as opposed to a 17 tonner, seeing as the small fuel saving would be outweighed by bigger payloads.
Once there’s a tiny minority using them, they’ll make it so that to drive them needs class 2, and that’ll be that.
Either that or make it so you have to pass C1 (7.5t) before you can advance onto C and then onto C+E in the typical British way of swindling you out of every penny you have, just for something you dont need. I greatly resent having to pay massive amounts of money out for a rigid licence when I’ll most probably never even drive one. I think its absoluete day light robbery having to pay out £800-£1000 for a rigid licence before you can progress onto the licence you really want which will cost as much again. No wonder there’s this so called driver shortage, more like a money shortage for people who want to be drivers.
robinhood_1984:
el gordo 78:
its the beginning of eradicating the 7.5tn license entitlement - imo.It will make it pointless for operators to bother with a 7.5 tonner as opposed to a 17 tonner, seeing as the small fuel saving would be outweighed by bigger payloads.
Once there’s a tiny minority using them, they’ll make it so that to drive them needs class 2, and that’ll be that.
Either that or make it so you have to pass C1 (7.5t) before you can advance onto C and then onto C+E in the typical British way of swindling you out of every penny you have, just for something you dont need. I greatly resent having to pay massive amounts of money out for a rigid licence when I’ll most probably never even drive one. I think its absoluete day light robbery having to pay out £800-£1000 for a rigid licence before you can progress onto the licence you really want which will cost as much again. No wonder there’s this so called driver shortage, more like a money shortage for people who want to be drivers.
Robin while i totally understand exactly what you are saying i can also see the other side of it and speaking from experience as i,m sure many of us will understand its not exactly a conficence builder nor safe when someone teaches you to drive in a Ford Cargo 18 ton arctic flatbed then you get a job driving something thats 38 ton fully laden and havent got a clue how to handle it.
I think a lot of accidents in trucks can be put down to lack of experience and working your way up in trucks is a better idea, do you think its ok for an 18 year old to pass his/her car test and then drive something as huge as a 7.5 tonner? ( huge in their eyes).
el gordo 78:
its the beginning of eradicating the 7.5tn license entitlement - imo.
The beginning of the end for that was 1st Jan 1997 when they stopped giving people it “free” with their car licence. Nobody is going to train specifically to do C1 when it only costs a small amount more to do C and they can get more money as a C driver.
Paul
jammymutt:
I think a lot of accidents in trucks can be put down to lack of experience and working your way up in trucks is a better idea, do you think its ok for an 18 year old to pass his/her car test and then drive something as huge as a 7.5 tonner? ( huge in their eyes).
The ones who realy worry me are those who have never driven anything bigger than a Nisan Micra or any skate board. Move house and decide it wil be a good idea to hire a 7.5 tonner from the local hire me dirt cheap with a clean licence but no expeiriance co, to save a few quid then off they go into the wide blue yonder and it is accident waiting to happen time 
. Were i think that a lad or lass with an intrest in becoming a full time trucker will treat driving the vehicle as the stepping stones to someting bigger, and drive with a profesional manner.
And as for the hire co’s that wont let you hire a ■■■■■■ van let alone a 7.5 tonner, because you may have aquired a few points 
during your 80000 or so miles a year behind the wheel of an Artic, i wish you all a miserable and desastrous new year 
I also understand the speed camera going down past the Belfry has a sensor for trucks too It wasnt me who found it, but a driver who works with me!
I have just been reading a story about fitting GPS speed sensors in cars too.
I can see the point near schools and hospitals, but a bloke with a trilby driving his micra at the speed limit can be as dangerous as the Chav in his Nova at 80mph or Sir Sidney Snot in his BMW doing 110 on a motorway.
Its more to do with training drivers and teaching them safer driving 
jammymutt:
Robin while i totally understand exactly what you are saying i can also see the other side of it and speaking from experience as i,m sure many of us will understand its not exactly a conficence builder nor safe when someone teaches you to drive in a Ford Cargo 18 ton arctic flatbed then you get a job driving something thats 38 ton fully laden and havent got a clue how to handle it.I think a lot of accidents in trucks can be put down to lack of experience and working your way up in trucks is a better idea, do you think its ok for an 18 year old to pass his/her car test and then drive something as huge as a 7.5 tonner? ( huge in their eyes).
The whole system is pathetic, how many of us have or will train on a full sized 44 tonner for our C+E? Practically everyone trains on a little whatever tonner rigid with an equally small sized drawbar trailer or simlar sized arctic, which in real life bares no relation to my dads truck I shunt around in every weekend. I passed my car test at 18 and have had to made do with van driving and my age has never made me have a single accident or get a single point, the large Iveco or Mercedes vans are different from cars but anyone with abit of common sense can drive one with an hour or two’s practice at most. I dont think that people should have to take C to progress to C+E, I do think they should learn on a proper truck when doing C+E because thats where the problem is. I think that the C before C+E is just a money making scam because it doesn’t prepare anyone for anything. People just simply dont have that kind of cash to be throwing away and thats why theres a shortage of young people moving into this line or work. Perhaps I’ll go pass my test in E,Europe on those courses I’ve heard about for Western Europeans and then exchange my Polish/Czech licence for a British one and save a hell of alot of money while I’m at it.
i got my C + E in a drawbar through the army. 6 months later i decided to try and get commercial experience via agency work in my spare time but i paid for a refresher course on artics before i registered with any. the last thing i wamted to do was jump in a rig that i was technically legal to drive but without any capability. reputation means a lot in this business and i did not want to trip myself up at the start of what is now my full time career. it may have cost me but i see it as an investment that paid for itself within days
While i agree with a lot of whats been said, it also makes sense what jammy said..but..while you can take a test in a low class of vehicle..3 months later work your way up the ladder to the next class and eventually the ultimate class 1 without any job experience..what i would like to see is if you have taken a test on a class3 vehicle then you must be able to prove you were working for someone with that licence before taking the class 2..and the class 1..that way you will gain all the experience on your way up the ladder..and i would like to see a reduction in the fees as well...this system need not be over a long period of time say 1 year for each licence..so within 3 years you will be a profesional driver having gained the relevant experience..its alright saying i dont need the class 3 or 2…only the class 1 but as already said…you would gain valuable experience…ask how many drivers have been told to take out a class 2 or 3 vehicle when he hasnt driven one for years and he will tell you its a frightening experience…and i for one would change that rule and say if you havnt driven a lower class vehicle for a few years then you should be allowed to refuse to drive it, its a dangerous practice…same as left hookers…if you havnts driven one then its frightening…even for the first time experienced driver, there is a great shortage of drivers, and cost is one of the reasons, and i believe that a good training system should be in place and at a cost new drivers can afford…not the £1000-£1800 as is now…but after the training, if a driver wishes to leave the industry, then he has to pay it back…like students do,
have a nice day
driving test should consist of a one week appraisel driving all class’s of wagons on REAL deliveries5 days of dels should be enough to know if someone is a safe and competant driver
No disrespect intended but when I lived there a 7.5 tonner was just refered to as a “Noddy Lorry”, anyone with a licence could drive one, whats so special about them since I left 
are the extreemely big now or something I go back every year and I haven’t seen any large 7.5 tonners
Why the need for a special rating
the 7.5 tonner i used to drive was 33’ long and 13’ high
Pat Hasler:
No disrespect intended but when I lived there a 7.5 tonner was just refered to as a “Noddy Lorry”, anyone with a licence could drive one, whats so special about them since I leftWhy the need for a special rating
I don’t think the trucks have changed, but if you passed your car test since 1st Jan 1997, you don’t automatically have the entitlement to drive them. New car drivers are now limited to 3.5 tonnes.
MrFlibble:
I don’t think the trucks have changed, but if you passed your car test since 1st Jan 1997, you don’t automatically have the entitlement to drive them. New car drivers are now limited to 3.5 tonnes.
As is the case with me, passed my test in March 2003 and realised the £800 needed just for a 7.5 ton licence would be a huge waste of money due to two facts, firstly no one would even employ me at my age anyway and secondly, in but a few years I’ll totally by-pass C1 with C and then C+E. For anyone under the age of 25 and also those without the experience you’ve got an invisible 10 inch thick steel door firmly bolten shut in your face with a nice polite sign reading “Over 25’s with three years experience only” Whatever driver shortage there is, is totally down to the nature of the industry which makes it almost impossible for anyone to get a foothold, when people from outside who want to do it, see the situation at hand, the thought of spending over £2000 on something which might get you nowhere, well its a risk too far.