Picked up a 40ft flatbed today that had been loaded with two 24ft x 11ft portacabins. This resulted in a rear overhang of about 9ft. I fitted rear flashing beacon and red/white load markers and set off.
About half way to my destination, it occured to me that this was a divisible load, i.e. two portacabins, and a faint alarm bell rang somewhere in the back of my aged brain. I seem to remember that an overhang like that is only allowed with an indivisible load.
Rang the TM to ask, and was assured that an overhang of up to 9’6’’ is OK, but I’m not sure.
Anyone know what the rules relating to overhang really are? Is there a reference to this online anywhere I can email to the TM if I am right about divisble loads?
I don’t know. I can only go by what I’ve read from the more experienced drivers on here, but I think your suspicions are right and the gaffer was wrong. I’m sure someone will be along to correct me if that’s wrong though.
I think Derooy found a loophole in that law to run a tilt container on two turntables on a wagon & drag. Massive overhang both ends. Could only be used on dedicated routes as it would get stuck in towns ect. I think he had three or four. ( Should have run a circus .Irriot!! )
harry:
I think Derooy found a loophole in that law to run a tilt container on two turntables on a wagon & drag. Massive overhang both ends. Could only be used on dedicated routes as it would get stuck in towns ect. I think he had three or four. ( Should have run a circus .Irriot!! )
Simon Housley was one of the drivers on them for DeRooy, he got banned from the UK with it but is was legal in France and Holland. Not sure how he got through Belgium though
We should have banned ALL DeRooy contraptions coming here. With exception to their car transporters. They were entertainment. //DeRooy was watching the boys trying to load the new Opel’s one frosty morning in that depot nr. Eindhoven. They couldn`t get the top ones on because of Ice on the ramps. Derooy went out in the yard, jumped in a car & showed them how its done. He roared around the park straight up the ramp ,put his brakes on & skidded right over the top & landed on the Tarmac…
Maximum overhang on a 40’ trailer is 10’ and maximum width is 11’6’’ without a second man.
Markerboards, side markers and beacon are required. Depending on which areas you are traveling through two beacons may be required ( Cleveland for example require two)
Lights are also needed in times of poor visibility
I think your thinking of extendable trailers. You cannot use an divisable load on this while you are extended to any degree over 13.6. Fine point is you can if the main load is indivisable and there are smaller pieces carried
Thanks for all the replies. That last point is particularly valid as our flat bed is extendable to 50 and 60 foot. The TMs’ response to me when I got back to the yard was that next time we take cabins like that - extend the trailer!
Think I’ll stick to the overhang as it’s difficult enough to get the 40ft into some of these building sites!!
daneinter:
I think your thinking of extendable trailers. You cannot use an divisable load on this while you are extended to any degree over 13.6. Fine point is you can if the main load is indivisable and there are smaller pieces carried
Not true. you can actually have a 50ft flatbed and be perfectly legal - FVS up here (now owned by Prestons of Potto) have done it for years. It’s a loophole in rules to allow these trailers to be backloaded, apparently - Rikki’ll tell you, he used to pull them on that job.
Preston’s also have a 60’ skelly for the steel all perfectly legal.
I’m sure a 40’ can have 10’ overhang and a 45’ can have 5’ overhang.
The problems start when you have an extendable trailer. If the load can be divided then it must go on separate trailers. If part of the load isn’t divisible then you may carry on as normal, up to 89’ 11’'. I’m pretty sure this is right.
I think it’s all down to a loophole whereby the regs only talk about indivisible loads not vehicles…so by using the overhang regs to give you a standard wheelbase (and keep within turning circle laws which is what dictates these things - there aren’t actually any length laws) you can do as described above.
There’s probably a bit more to it than that, but Rikki tells me that’s the jist.
Unless the regs have changed recently I know I am right and i learnt the hard way by getting tugged by having two sets of piling frames 30’ each to make a 60’ load. I have an idea its about load and trailer strength as when you extend the trailer is weakened unless the load can bridge the gap. I would be interested to hear exactly how you can get round it but as I understand it you cannot even run empty with an extended trailer
A trailer can only be extended to carry a indivisible load.
However there is scope with C&U regulations that allow for longer non extendable trailers (FVS, Prestons, CLS David Fox to name but a few do or have run 50 foot and 60 foot rigid trailers) which are constructed to carry long loads, there is no restriction on back loading these trailers, as long as part of the journey it has carried a indivisible load.
so a 60 foot rigid could legally take a load of house bricks from London to edinburgh, move a 60 foot load of steel beams from Edinburgh to Glasgow and load 24 pallets of shampoo from Glasgow to South Wales, then load 50 foot beams back to London.
remembering that 60 foot loads do not need to be notified and are carried under construction and use not STGO there is virtually no way for the authorities to check on the loads that are carried by these trailers
Just to add to the debate, up to two items can be carried from the same collection point and transported to the same delivery point on an extended trailer.
Big Joe:
Just to add to the debate, up to two items can be carried from the same collection point and transported to the same delivery point on an extended trailer.
Any amount of items can be carried on an extended trailer, and to more than one delivery point, and from more than one collection point, extendibles up to 18.65 metres and under 44 tonnes GVW operate under C&U regs,
I think your thinking of the clause in STGO regs that allow a vehicle up to 80 tonnes to carry 2 pieces as long as they are from the same collection point and going to the same delivery point.
