martyh:
went passed the one on the A17 at Sleaford the other day and one of the officers was on the road with what looked like a pair of binoculars ,i was in a battered old '51 plate merc 7.5t so surprised i didn’t get a pull .Was he checking for seat belts with the binoculars ■■
watch out for captain birdseye he has a tendency too leave it too the last minute before he directs you in causing you too stand on the anchors. he’s checking too see if your hauling your wire out
Silver_Surfer:
Yeah, I hadn’t been up to Scotland for a few years when I was trunking regular up there and it was always shut back then, I suppose now they can fine on the spot, they’re a bit more up for it. What would you do if you had no cash though, not as if there’s any cash machines round there, do they take plastic?I think there has been an upward trend and will continue to be, to try and bail the government out of the black hole they’re in finance wise.
Yes they take plastic. I think they have got portable chip and pin machines.
The Highway Man:
discoman:
I think you may be mis informed … the HATO service Traffic Officers already have the power to stop and direct traffic under the traffic management act of 2004, they doing rolling road blocks you have to comply with they tell you to stop you stop or are breaking the law, there is a section under the act where they can stop traffic and have any more powers imposed on them as seen fit … I am sure a HATO on here HIghwayman?? will confirm this.You’re quite right, we do have powers under TMA2004 to stop and direct traffic. We stop vehicles now, but that tends to be for safety reasons, we don’t have enforcement powers like VOSA and I haven’t heard anything about amalgamations - just because I haven’t heard about it, doesn’t mean it’s not being talked about amongst pay grades far higher than mine.
I knew they had power to direct traffic on the carriageway and conduct roadblocks for safety reasons, but not to stop vehicles for enforcement purposes, only police and vosa have that power 
They’re welcome to them. I’m quite happy looking at the relief on a wagon drivers face when I stop him, let him rectify the fault and continue without being fined. 
I was pulled at Crick the other day, a year to the day since my last pull. I saw the VOSA vehicle on the slip road of the Watford Gap services, and just knew it would pull me. Sure enough, he pulls alongside in lane 2, and the passenger smiles at me and indicates ‘follow me’. He pulls in front, and his lights say ‘Follow Me, Sucker’. Slows down and does just that. Gets to the Crick exit and off we go. At the roundabout, I see the trucks waiting to pull out all looking at me as I right turn and head for the VOSA palace. I’m bricking it, 'cos although I am happy with my load being secure, who knows what the VOSA guys think? ‘Hi drive, got your license?’ says the VOSA man. I pass ‘the attitude test’ by being as pleasant as poss. Bit of a discussion, as my tacho unit is in KM’s but speedo is in miles, so of course they don’t match, but hey ho. Out comes my card, in goes his. ‘I’ll just check your card, anything I should know about?’ he says. ‘No’ says I (fingers crossed). ‘Okay, wait 5’. Back he comes, 5 minutes later. ‘Ok, drive, no infringements…wheel tapper is busy, as is weighbridge, so off you go. Have a nice day.’ RESULT…and off I go. 
If you be ok with them then they will be ok with you. It’s when drivers just treat em like ■■■■■ that they are going to take longer than usuall checking your load,truck and trailer and find things wrong they wouldn’t normally. If you drive legal and the company are ligit and look after their tackle then you have nothing to worry about. I think drivers who run bent are the ones who do treat them like crap because they know they are going to be a few quid lighter in the pocket. I am worried with VOSA being self funding now though as are they going to find faults that aren’t faults just so they can make the cash they need? How many VOSA officers have actually any experience in transport?
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
If you be ok with them then they will be ok with you.
I wish that was true for all of them. Like all walks of life there are good ones, nice ones, buy the book ones, bad ones and some complete ■■■■■!
martyh:
went passed the one on the A17 at Sleaford the other day and one of the officers was on the road with what looked like a pair of binoculars ,i was in a battered old '51 plate merc 7.5t so surprised i didn’t get a pull .Was he checking for seat belts with the binoculars ■■
make sure you’re not texting, reading maps or phoning people 
that’s why he has binoculars! 
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
I am worried with VOSA being self funding now though as are they going to find faults that aren’t faults just so they can make the cash they need? How many VOSA officers have actually any experience in transport?
I don’t think they are self funding, at least not from fines. Fines all go straight to the crown do they not?
They can’t just fine you for the sake of it.
From what I know, a decent number have previous experience in transport.
VOSA must give discount for penalty.examply- 2 infrigement for 120 next HALF PRICE…or give discount for drivers from Eastern Europian ,who work for British company. for permament custumers must give some Club card
I obviously can’t reveal my source, but HATO will stop vehicles under a ‘safety intervention’ and ■■■■■■ them to a VOSA site for them to be dealt with. HATO not being invloved in enforcement, just stopping.
I am sure my source is more clued up on the legalities than any of us on here.
This HATO has never done it or been briefed that this practice is being carried out elsewhere.
Safety intervention has been a procedure for quite a few years nationally Highwayman.
Andrejs:
VOSA must give discount for penalty.examply- 2 infrigement for 120 next HALF PRICE…or give discount for drivers from Eastern Europian ,who work for British company.
what the kcuf! are you smoking?
Half price indeed!!!
extrucker:
Safety intervention has been a procedure for quite a few years nationally Highwayman.
yes but i wouldnt think they would ■■■■■■ them too a vosa site for prosecution, only too a suitible area where they can correct the unsafe part of their vehicle
extrucker:
More bad news for the dodgy drivers, I have heard that very soon the traffic wombles (HATOs), will also start pulling trucks for VOSA.
Time to get a Warehouse or Office Job
Immigrant:
extrucker:
More bad news for the dodgy drivers, I have heard that very soon the traffic wombles (HATOs), will also start pulling trucks for VOSA.Time to get a Warehouse or Office Job
Or, you know, you could just run legally…
extrucker:
I obviously can’t reveal my source, but HATO will stop vehicles under a ‘safety intervention’ and ■■■■■■ them to a VOSA site for them to be dealt with. HATO not being invloved in enforcement, just stopping.
I am sure my source is more clued up on the legalities than any of us on here.
if they were involved in stopping that would constitute in enforcement involvement, they would be required to give evidence in why they were instrumental in the stopping of said vehicle , they don’t and wont have the powers to do this
extrucker:
Safety intervention has been a procedure for quite a few years nationally Highwayman.
I know that as I’ve performed quite a few, but I have never escorted one to a VOSA station and handed them over, neither has any of my colleagues, we don’t step on VOSAs toes as that’s their job, not ours.
they may be skint but they had a 5 day nightime purge on the a9 between inveralmond and dunblane last week.
