I’ve got a plating certificate for a 6x2 tractor unit here.
In the “Weights not to be exceeded in Great Britain” column, the “Train Weight” is 40 tonnes, and the “Max Train Weight” is 44 tonnes.
In the “Design Weights” column, the “Train Weight” is 44 tonnes, and the “Max Train Weight” box is greyed out, so that it can’t be written in.
So, what is the difference between the three weights? I guess that the “Train Weight not to be exceeded in Great Britain” is the weight at which the vehicle is taxed. Is that right?
So, what’s the difference between the “Max Train Weight not to be exceeded in Great Britain” and the “Design Train Weight”?
I’m assuming that the vehicle can be plated back up to 44 tonnes; how easy is this to do? Is it a simple paperwork job, or does it have to be inspected by VOSA etc?
example - on 18 tonne rigid - max gross weight 18 tonnes but axle 1 is a design weight of 7.5 tonnes and axle 2 is 11.5 tonnes, adding up to 19 tonnes - reason is to allow scope when loaded as to where the centre of the load is. Without this, a driver would have to be very precise as to where a load was placed so as not to exceed an axle weight - probably take all day going to and from a weighbridge
I don’t think it’s down to axle weights - they’re listed separately at 6.5 tonnes, 6.5 tonnes and 10.5 tonnes.
Also, the Gross Weight is listed as 22.36 tonnes (not to be exceeded in Great Britain) and 24 tonnes (Design Weight).
I understand why the total of the axle weights would typically add up to more than the Max Gross Weight, but I don’t think that’s it.
The three weights I mentioned in the first post all refer to variations of the “Train Weight”, which would be the total weight of the tractor and trailer combination, wouldn’t it? I’m trying to work out the difference between the three definitions of “Train Weight”.
MrFlibble:
So, what is the difference between the three weights? I guess that the “Train Weight not to be exceeded in Great Britain” is the weight at which the vehicle is taxed. Is that right?
40t would be an odd weight to downplate to as the tax is the same as for 44t. It doesn’t get any cheaper until you go down to 38t (at which point it is £650 instead of £1200 per year).
Click here for a link to the DVLA site to back this up.
MrFlibble:
So, what is the difference between the three weights? I guess that the “Train Weight not to be exceeded in Great Britain” is the weight at which the vehicle is taxed. Is that right?
40t would be an odd weight to downplate to as the tax is the same as for 44t. It doesn’t get any cheaper until you go down to 38t (at which point it is £650 instead of £1200 per year).
Yes, I know it’s an odd weight to choose, but that’s what it is currently. My guess is that it might be a hangover from the days before the limit was increased to 44 tonnes.
It might be an insurance thing, as when I was looking at the insurance costs, the threshold for the policy was 36 tonnes, not 40. Perhaps the previous owners kept it at 40 tonnes to keep the insurance cost down?
