Yesterday pm, trundling south bound on the M74, coming up to the swish new ministry checkpoint around the Moffat area, and all the signs were switched to indicate HGV’s n/s lane only. Now there was a plod patrol car on his perch just before the slip just sitting there observing approaching traffic, no arm signals, but all the trucks in front of me dutifully turned into the checkpoint without being directed in, except the Hayton Coulthard subbie in front who carried on past the entry.
So I thought, {zb] it, I’m carrying on too. Keeping an eye on the rear view, half expecting a mirror full of blue lights, nothing happened.
So was I right, if there been a bod on the hard shoulder pointing me in I would have complied as I was legal and had nothing to wory about, but if they want me they’ve got to pull me properly.
BTW, they pulled me this pm on the M62 Ainly top heading back to Man 
VOSA bod in a battenburg escorted me up the hill, me keeping a safe distance, when a 7.5 tonner carved me up and pulled in between us 
he must have [zb]ed himself when he spotted the FOLLOW ME matrix on the VOSA mobile, because when VOSAman pulled onto the hard shoulder to let him to pass, he followed . There followed much dramatic arm waving by VOSAman to try and get him past out and of the way. 
I got stopped on Tuesday in 7.5 tonner,going over Humber Bridge.
Big Joe;
You did nothing wrong by continuing on your merry way down the M74. If the Ministry / Police want you they will signal you to pull in. Perhaps the drivers of the vehicles in front had guilty consciences and wanted to ‘confess’ their sins to the nice people at the checksite 
Had there been a sign indicating that all vehicles over 3.5 t were to exit the M74 and drive through the site, then you would have committed an offence by staying on the motorway. You don’t see this type of sign much in the UK but they are used alot abroad, usually with a couple of bike coppers just after it to reinforce the message for those that ‘miss’ the sign.
That is what I do as well, if they want you to go in they can signal you to - or put up a sign that directs you in. I did the same thing at Knutsford last week with no problems, although they signalled the 7.5 tonner in front of me in … … …
G
One thing to remember though is make sure you get in the nearside lane when instructed to do so, because at some check points they have a plod positioned to take the reg’s of those that don’t. They then follow up accordingly.
geebee45:
Big Joe;
You did nothing wrong by continuing on your merry way down the M74. If the Ministry / Police want you they will signal you to pull in. Perhaps the drivers of the vehicles in front had guilty consciences and wanted to ‘confess’ their sins to the nice people at the checksite
Had there been a sign indicating that all vehicles over 3.5 t were to exit the M74 and drive through the site, then you would have committed an offence by staying on the motorway. You don’t see this type of sign much in the UK but they are used alot abroad, usually with a couple of bike coppers just after it to reinforce the message for those that ‘miss’ the sign.
100% correct, if they want you, they will wave you in. If they dont wave you in, you carry on.
Big Joe:
BTW, they pulled me this pm on the M62 Ainly top heading back to Man
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Joe, this is one of the funniest things I’ve read for a long while. I can just imagine the confusion when the buzz box pulled in front of you
And I’ve never heard them called battenburg’s either, which I think is bloody funny too
geebee45:
Perhaps the drivers of the vehicles in front had guilty consciences and wanted to ‘confess’ their sins to the nice people at the checksite .
Or maybe they thought the BBC might be there & they wanted their 15 mins
I was pulled into this check point on Thursday at 1pm and the Police officer was directing the goods vehicles into the checkpoint about ten at a time so you were probably at the end of a line he had just pulled in.
It was only a safety check and they didnt bother with tachographs but saying that, they did me a favour, ive been driving our spare unit for the last 3 months waiting for new units to arrive from MAN, and i told my gaffer i wasnt happy about it as its a right heap although its serviced regularly but they found a problem with the suspension brackets (apparrently too much play in the pins) 
so the gave me a 7 day prohibition, which I took great pleasure in handing to my gaffer.
i got had in last week in norwich now thats 3 times in 4 months there …the big gall must like me lol