This may be too complex to answer but I’d like to know at what point gross weights on various combinations of axles changed and also if possible the connected length limit.
For instance in my time its gone up from 38 to 44 tons for an artic. What was it before that and what was it for a 6 legger rigid? Or an 8 wheeler or a 4 legger?? And how long were they?? I’ve heard 22 or 24 foot for an 8 legger but does that include the cab or is it just load space?
When did tandem trailer make way for triaxles and why?? And when did tandem trailer wheels give way to super singles and why?
If anyone could point me at a ministry explanation somewhere I’d be delighted but google is not coming up with anything so far
Thanks in advance 
I remember 6 wheelers going to 26 from 24 in the early 90s ,my dad had a l reg Atki 8 wheeler which was a long wheelbase one of the first 30 tonners I think ,38 tonne could of been about 83 and 44 tonne was early 2001 ,some l reg lorries were on the euro 2 list and some were not ,road friendly springs also were needed it didn’t have to be on air .
Table of weights from 1861 to 2001 from the Companion to British Road Haulage Industry.
Table of widths and lengths from 1861 to 1998 from the Companion to British Road Haulage Industry.
Brilliant that was exactly what I was looking for, cheers
Lonewolf Yorks:
Brilliant that was exactly what I was looking for, cheers
Your welcome, the book is not an in-depth volume but is a good insight into the haulage industry in the Twentieth Century.
I remember hauling 44 ton in the late 90’s
We used to collect them from the docks to a certain railhead.
Arrive at railhead book it in.
Drive round and arrive at exit window with same container.
Sign same box back out and deliver.
That’s how we got round the 44 ton rail/ road bit.
Also some of eh 44 ton boxes were too heavy for the railway.
We used to drop tham at the railhead and then next day collect and run to the ferries.
Gopt a couple of nice steady runs to Southampton and Pompey on that game.
Wolfie, the main change from Tandem axles to Tri-axle came with the weight rise to 38 tonne (and metrication), at the time hauliers had a choice of keeping the two axle units (which usually were rated for 38 - 40 tonne anyway) which previously ran at 32 Ton Gross in the UK so could pull a Tri-axle trailer at the new weight or have a Three axle unit and carry on pulling a Tandem at the new weight or have a Three axle unit with a Tri-axle trailer which would come with a reduction in road fund tax as it was deemed this axle layout with air suspension was less harmful to road surfaces. History shows the choice of Three and Three at first seemed the most popular for fully laden running and as the rise to 38 tonne was in the pipeline many manufacturers started to produce Twin Rear Steer and Rear Lift axle units while the Trailer makers turned out Tri-axles. Many Tandem trailers were converted to Three axle still with twin wheels at the onset although the tyre life on these especially the front axles was not good. Super Singles though and Tri-axle trailers were not new solely to the 38 limit, they were around in the Sixties onward for certain applications, however the Two axle unit and Tandem had a good long reign in British transport history. Cheers Franky.
Your wrong with that first table, the gross weight for 38 tons changed before 1994, if it didn’t then there were a lot of hauliers that got it wrong. I’m pretty sure they change the gross weight of 5 and 6 axle artics to 38 tons in 83 or 85. It came out at the same time they introduced side guards and spray suppression, they also change the speed of draw bars on single carriage ways from 30 to 40 mph, ( not that most folk took any notice of that one ) And they had a fiddle about with drivers hours as well.
Jeff…
Jelliot:
Your wrong with that first table, the gross weight for 38 tons changed before 1994, if it didn’t then there were a lot of hauliers that got it wrong. I’m pretty sure they change the gross weight of 5 and 6 axle artics to 38 tons in 83 or 85. It came out at the same time they introduced side guards and spray suppression, they also change the speed of draw bars on single carriage ways from 30 to 40 mph, ( not that most folk took any notice of that one ) And they had a fiddle about with drivers hours as well.
Jeff…
If you read the chart properly you will see it is 1983.
It does say the Artic 5 axle weight change to 38 tonne was 83, you might have been looking at the Rigid and Trailer column Jelliot. I’m sure Six axles were 38 too but it isn’t marked on the table!
I seem to re-call that in ‘73 there was a slight increase in the axle spread on tandem bogies which lifted the weight from 18 tons to 18:5 tons (9:25ton per axle) I remember this change because the first new trailer I got with this bogie weight got check weighed at Rickmasworth it was fully loaded for Bracknell but we had stuck an extra ton on for elsewhere in West London and the bogie was spot on at 18:5 tons 
,I’d actually left a note for the driver saying something like,“it’s fully freighted so I hope those ■■■■■ aren’t check weighing at Ricky” 
And if I remember all our first tandem trailers we got between late 70 until 72’ ? could only operate at 30 ton gvw until the C & U regs changed around 73’.Bit hazy but someone will correct me I hope.Cheers Bewick.
OK fairy nuff, it didn’t matter if you were on 5 or 6 axles artics, the limit was 38 ton, but cheaper tax on 6 axles. Draw bars were still at 32 ton but could go 17 ton on either the truck or trailer if it was plated as such. I never bothered getting my F12 up graded as weight was never much of a issue with it.
Again you could get cheaper tax if you ran a 3 axle truck plated at 22 ton pulling a 2 axle draw bar with a gross weight of 32 ton, but you were giving away 700 kg in the weight of the axle and wheels, which is why most draw bar operators didn’t bother. 60 feet was the legal length, although there was a cop in Tyne and Wear that had other ideas.
Jeff…
I think that at the time 44 tonne came out 5 axles went to 40 tonne and if running 6 axles went to 41 for none euro2 .
