Pulled into Gordano yesterday waiting for my next job and the boys from the Gestapo were in there just the one battenberg pulling the odd truck in, mainly Irish reefers. After a while they had got an artic pulling steel on a flat trailer with side posts in and a fly sheet over the top, the fly sheet neat and tight with bungee cords around the hooks under the trailer and about 8-10 straps what I could see under the fly sheet holding the load down, also don’t forget the side posts.
They were chatting to the driver and checking the load and trailer with the driver looking like he could pull his hair out and whatever else and I was wandering what was wrong. You know what the problem was and they made him do? Only chuck about 4 straps over the top of the allready taught fly sheet that was held down by about 8-10 bungee cords tight to the hooks 
Do VOSA just do this sort of thing for their enjoyment and to show that they hold the power over us drivers no matter how pathetic the things they make us do seem?
Seems like they couldn’t find anything so made him do something to make it worth there time, but then the sheet could of came off but I really doubt it.
They had a funny one with me in there once as I drive a small car transporter towing a 3.5t car trailer and they weren’t happy with my straps being done up tight on the empty trailer and wrapped up well to.
Disco Street:
Seems like they couldn’t find anything so made him do something to make it worth there time, but then the sheet could of came off but I really doubt it.They had a funny one with me in there once as I drive a small car transporter towing a 3.5t car trailer and they weren’t happy with my straps being done up tight on the empty trailer and wrapped up well to.
I’ve no problems with what they do and what they’re there for but ■■■■ me some times they just boil your ■■■■. I’m sure most of them are failed coppers ands it’s the only chance they get to be a ■■■ in a cap.
I wonder if the conversation went something like this…
DVSA: carrying steel drive? Doesn’t look like enough straps on that load, let’s have a look, mmm… Not sure…
Driver: it’s got loads of straps on it, never come off before guv!
DVSA: nope, I’m just not sure ya know, steels an iffy load, take that sheet off and lets get the calculator out, and lay this whole bag of snakes out straight and see if we can’t work out if you need to contribute to our Christmas Dooo…whispers quietly or you can chuck another 4 straps over the top, taking your strap count to 13, which is what I would expect as a minimum if you were carrying 26 pallets of anything, and we’ll say no more and bid you good day drive!
Driver: extra straps going over now guv, see I told you I 13 straps on it, safe as houses! Good day to you sir!
Driver: whispers quietly under his breath jack boot ■■■■■
DVSA: whispers quietly under his breath ■■■■■■ swamp donkey drivers…
And all went merrily on their way!
F-reds:
I wonder if the conversation went something like this…DVSA: carrying steel drive? Doesn’t look like enough straps on that load, let’s have a look, mmm… Not sure…
Driver: it’s got loads of straps on it, never come off before guv!
DVSA: nope, I’m just not sure ya know, steels an iffy load, take that sheet off and lets get the calculator out, and lay this whole bag of snakes out straight and see if we can’t work out if you need to contribute to our Christmas Dooo…whispers quietly or you can chuck another 4 straps over the top, taking your strap count to 13, which is what I would expect as a minimum if you were carrying 26 pallets of anything, and we’ll say no more and bid you good day drive!
Driver: extra straps going over now guv, see I told you I 13 straps on it, safe as houses! Good day to you sir!
Driver: whispers quietly under his breath jack boot [zb]…
DVSA: whispers quietly under his breath [zb] swamp donkey drivers…
And all went merrily on their way!
made me laugh that.
Who knows, but it’s all good fun guessing!
I suspect a lot of the time they don’t actually know how to calculate the theoretical number of straps required for the load, so they simply look at it and figure - how about adding another 10 straps just for good measure, then we can go home and think we did something useful.
If they wanted something to look at, I could (but don’t think I’ll bother) show them a certain pre-cast cement site where every day I see trucks leaving with extremely badly strapped loads which are purely staying in place due to their weight, not because of straps and chains. They’d have a field day there although obviously not with any of my loads which are strapped / chained to withstand armageddon. 
Maybe if they pull too many foreign and Irish plated trucks they get into trouble, so doing the odd one from this side of the water keeps the balance?
They had a power trip towards tipper drivers a while back. They made one driver shovel clay level on his truck because it was above the sides.
I’ve heard an RDC type story that DVSA would do a tipper driver if they were charging by the load but weren’t upto their mgw.
Just remember, they are self financing now
SWEDISH BLUE:
Just remember, they are self financing now
Oh for forks sake, not this bull ■■■■ again!
DVSA DO NOT GET MONEY FROM FINES! They are Self Funding through “FEES”, like O-Licence, MOT/ATF Fees and all the other “Fees” they charge
All the “Fines” go to the treasury, just like speeding fines.
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
. they made him do? Only chuck about 4 straps over the top of the allready taught fly sheet that was held down by about 8-10 bungee cords tight to the hooks
?
Its a long time since I done any roping and sheeting, but in the back off my mind, I’m sure I remember the old boys who showed me the ropes on sheeting, that you never rope/strap over the Fly sheet, as trapping it between the load and a rope/strap is a sure fire way to get a hole in it, and then its kinda not water proof any more.
F-reds:
I wonder if the conversation went something like this…DVSA: carrying steel drive? Doesn’t look like enough straps on that load, let’s have a look, mmm… Not sure…
Driver: it’s got loads of straps on it, never come off before guv!
DVSA: nope, I’m just not sure ya know, steels an iffy load, take that sheet off and lets get the calculator out, and lay this whole bag of snakes out straight and see if we can’t work out if you need to contribute to our Christmas Dooo…whispers quietly or you can chuck another 4 straps over the top, taking your strap count to 13, which is what I would expect as a minimum if you were carrying 26 pallets of anything, and we’ll say no more and bid you good day drive!
Driver: extra straps going over now guv, see I told you I 13 straps on it, safe as houses! Good day to you sir!
Driver: whispers quietly under his breath jack boot [zb]…
DVSA: whispers quietly under his breath [zb] swamp donkey drivers…
And all went merrily on their way!
Very good 
and I can see your thinking, but I would have thought that if they could have a tick in the Graduated fixed penalty box, for an insecure load, then that is the route they would have gone down. I think they reckoned the fly was insecure, which just shows the daft logic they work by
I never (used to!) rope or strap over a fly sheet because I was taught that it is supposed to be able to lift slightly when you are moving. The idea is that you create a small air gap so that the moisture is shaken off, rather than allowing it to soak through to your load or half sheets.
Bang on the nail boys. See if you can find some pic’s of one of us old fogies with a fly sheet put on properly. Some of Bewicks post’s should help.