We are well into the silly season again. The roads are full of tractors hauling spuds,straw and whatever,no signals,turn right or left,don’t give a toss who is behind them or how many vehicles are following. Look straight ahead,never mind the mirror signal manouvre,but as I live in the country I know what to expect,as do most lorry drivers. A lot of city dwellers are totally unaware that a tractor driver in most cases are a complete law unto themselves.
Rant over. 
I don’t know how they get away with it.
I travel along the A30 Cornwall,everyday and there are severe tailbacks caused by tractors all the time.
Sometimes you can follow them for 6 or 7 miles,in which case,surely the farmer should be made to use lorries rather than tractors.
Quite agree Davnic,but as long as they can run them on rebated fuel with no tax,no operators license or a LGV license for the driver,nothing will change. Its not fair on hauliers who have to pay a high price to put a vehicle on the road. Also these tractors were never mean’t to travel the distances they are taking them. Tractors were never intended for road work like they are being used for these days. Its high time some legislation was brought in to curb the use of them doing what is a lorry job.
Dave the Renegade:
Quite agree Davnic,but as long as they can run them on rebated fuel with no tax,no operators license or a LGV license for the driver,nothing will change. Its not fair on hauliers who have to pay a high price to put a vehicle on the road. Also these tractors were never mean’t to travel the distances they are taking them. Tractors were never intended for road work like they are being used for these days. Its high time some legislation was brought in to curb the use of them doing what is a lorry job.
Here here!
Hi Davnic,
We are no the only one’s complaining about the misuse of tractors on the roads. The main letter in this weeks commercial moter is about the very same thing.
On the subject of agriculteral tractors, I was behind one for several miles before I could get past. I was surprised to find it was towing two 40 foot trailers (converted artic trailers with axle on front), I would estimate the length of this combination to be in excess of 110 foot. Now I know showmans vehicles can have 2 trailers, wasn’t aware farmers could do the same?
Tiger.
They seem to get away with anything. I have Farmers who are friends,and they can’t see anything wrong. They can’t see the wood for the trees. 
I thought, that in an ideal world where everyone behaves tractors were supposed to pull over if there are more than 12 vehicles behind them. I live in Norfolk by the way so tractors aren’t an issue here.
Some of the trucks are just as bad!! I was following a low loader by Cardiff the other day who was piled up with hay. Every time he went under a bridge a little layer seemed to come off as he was so high he was hitting them! I backed right off and then saw two bales come off the back of him all across the middle lane.After a quick check I swerved to avoid them then managed to flash him to stop
Appropriate heading for this thread; not just 'cos of the tractors but some site users myopic ideas on them.
If any of you have tried to drive a laden truck on to or off a grass field, especially one that’s had farm machinery running all over it, you’d whistle a different tune.
gnasty gnome:
Appropriate heading for this thread; not just 'cos of the tractors but some site users myopic ideas on them.If any of you have tried to drive a laden truck on to or off a grass field, especially one that’s had farm machinery running all over it, you’d whistle a different tune.
g g, Been there,drove lorries to lime spreaders,hauled hay and straw,also delivered stone across fields,nothing short sighted, about my views on the use of tractors on roads.
some of you need to step back a bit, then you may realise the men and women are doing a job. just like we are. you sound like car drivers who go on about trucks.
if the farmer didn’t give up a strip of his land, then the road wouldn’t be there in the first place.
without the harvest being gathered we would have no produce to put in our trailers. 
if you bothered to ask them to give you a bit of room, then they will, try your cb on channel 7.
limeyphil:
some of you need to step back a bit, then you may realise the men and women are doing a job. just like we are. you sound like car drivers who go on about trucks.
if the farmer didn’t give up a strip of his land, then the road wouldn’t be there in the first place.
without the harvest being gathered we would have no produce to put in our trailers.if you bothered to ask them to give you a bit of room, then they will, try your cb on channel 7.
The trucks pay a hefty price to use the roads,tractors pay nothing,they run on rebated fuel, no annual test,no six week checks. There is no legislation to govern the use of tractors on the public highway,unlike any other road vehicle. Farmers get a good price when they sell land for a road scheme,also in a lot of cases get some better fencing or walls built. I’m not against Farmers,just the use of tractors doing long distances on roads,with often trailers which are unfit for road use,old artic trailers on dollies which have failed the MOT,often overloaded, without adequate brakes.