Saw on the M1 today a wide load taking up lanes 1 & 2, now this never had a police ■■■■■■ but did have a van belonging to the same haulage company behind it with orange lights flashing doing the job the police would do. As the law now changed so you can do it yourself ?. I know in the States they have the ■■■■■■ trucks then when they have droped the load off they drive the ■■■■■■ trucks on to the back of the tractor units. Are we know doing the same.
About 5 years ago I took some 100 tonne, 100ft long wind turbine masts from Hull to Ireland. We got a Police ■■■■■■ from Hull docks to the M62 then were on our own even down the A66 and A75 to Cairnryan.
There have been moves to pass abnormal load ■■■■■■ duties onto specialist firms.
Thanks for your reply Conor. I just remember the companies name it was HC Wilson. I’ve seen there trucks about for many years I think mainly on Combines.
Conor:
A75 to Cairnryan.
That must have been fun pulling that thing along there 
Most police areas now allow “Self Escorting” of STGO loads… the exact limits between self ■■■■■■ and police ■■■■■■ I havent got to hand right now…
Hopefully either jj172,Innit or Niall will spot this thread before I am forced to go looking!!! 
self escorting of abnormal loads is now common practice in this country since january this year, for more info on the requirements for self escorting;
highways.gov.uk/roads/projec … ice/03.htm
a very good thing indeed but should be properly regulated with the vehicles undergoing a seperate inspection and cetification for use.
Hello Everyone
This Subject is one i’m currently interested in, I am thinking of starting a Abnormal Load ■■■■■■ Company, I have been in touch with all the suitable industry accosiations and got all the info,
It seems that since January hauliers have been able to self ■■■■■■ there vehicle rather than waiting about at force borders for the police, But there are strict condition that will be imposesd on and ■■■■■■ vehicle, you can’t just bang a mag mount beacon on your car and do it.
I have an interest in anything big, so this seemed the way for me to go, I am currently looking for a suitable vehicle for the job, I was thinking an ex Police Range rover, and get it stickered up for maximum visabilty and get some lights for the roof,
My plan is to make it look as close to being a police car as possible without getting into deep water with the police, e.g. blue light, blue/yellow batternburg etc! 
The reason is becasue everyone notices a police car straight away, and seeing a an ■■■■■■ vehicle is there to be noticed, Well there you go!
I also need to find if there will be a demand for my services as it would be a part time operation, weekends and odd days here and there as I have a full time job as well,
Any advice from any heavy haualge people on here would be great 
Thanks for listening to me going on.
hello in answer to your question here in Germany the ■■■■■■ vehicles have built on the roof a visible screen this can from the drivers seat with different signs .Like the following No Overtaking . No Entry. SpeedLImit.or Direction signs :I will try to get some more information from here on the German web.
hi discopete, you need to click on the link i posted and view the vehicle specifications required for escorts.
you will be required to have a light bar at the front and rear of your vehicle, this also has to have a sign in the middle that is illuminated wide load/abnormal load, the entire rear of the vehicle has to be covered in half reflective half non reflective patterned tape as well as just inside the rear on each side, you will also have to have ■■■■■■ in black arial print on each side, not sure if you would be able to keep the other police type flashings or not but you will have to write to the dept for transport for an exemption for the vehicle so that you can use the flashing beacons above 25mph.
there is a lot involved in what you are planning, don’t take it lightly and you are not really going to be making serious money if you only work part time at it.
some loads take all day just to travel 100 miles, some don’t even get that far in a day.
there is work out there for this type of venture but you need to make up your mind if you are going to be a serious player?
the rear flashings can cost anything from £500 to £3500 to have done.
call round some heavy haulage operators and see how they work, if they have a need for a man that can but only part time or if they could use someone more than part time.
Maybe if you could set up a complete Door to Door service, for Convoi Exceptional.
Arrainging everything, like permits, routing and everything else involved as well as the actual ■■■■■■ . I would think that would be especially useful for foreign companies bringing loads into this country where they aren’t fully up to speed with the UK system.
Just a suggestion but, I would think, more likely to be a full time job and so pay more like a full time job.
The wide load and long load system here baffles me. A guy pulling a low loader with a buldozer on needs ‘OVERSIZED LOAD’ signs and an ■■■■■■, yet I can rip along the interstate driving a 25ft long truck pulling ‘TWO’ 48ft long trailers at 70 mph with out any cop batting an eye
Pat Hasler:
The wide load and long load system here baffles me. A guy pulling a low loader with a buldozer on needs ‘OVERSIZED LOAD’ signs and an ■■■■■■, yet I can rip along the interstate driving a 25ft long truck pulling ‘TWO’ 48ft long trailers at 70 mph with out any cop batting an eye
All going to prove that BIG is not always beautiful! 
Cheers Guys
To answer a few questions,
I have contacted a supplier of reflective kits for the police, They are quoting about £500 to £600 for a full kit, I was thinking of rear chevrons and orange and yellow batternburg style down the sides, The regulations state a yellow stripe down the side but I have seen some different designs in use,
I have contaced Convoi people but recieved no reply!
I was going to do it part time because I have a well paid(If one exists!) full time job, and there can’t be that many abnormal loads at one time, Can there?
I was going to start local, Sort of Warwickshire, West Midlands, Staffs areas and see how it goes, Be it meeting a load at a point or going the whole distance with it, If a job lasts a whole day or more, All I would do is take the time off work, I’m not looking to make a fortune but as long as my costs are covered and some extra beer tokens would be enough, For now anyway!
Also some companies have there own vehicles for escorting now, So I need to find out the demand in the local area and go for there.
Thanks for the advice.
Been moving abnormal loads before the self escorting regulation came into force.
Depending on the size of load and destination the police sometimes would not move me till after 9am and be parked up by 3pm due to rush hour traffic.
One particular load from Oundle Northamptonshire to Hull marina took
4 days so the size of vehicle you are thinking of using must be a large van
so you will have somewhere to sleep
So how do we come off using LANE 3 when there are no police about to direct us into it (iirc thats the only legal way we can use lane 3)… !!!
Do the ■■■■■■ vehicles give us the right… ■■ And how long will it be before someone overtakes ANYTHING with an amber light in lane 3 and gets busted…
Luv
Chrisie…
Ragtop:
So how do we come off using LANE 3 when there are no police about to direct us into it (iirc thats the only legal way we can use lane 3)… !!!Do the ■■■■■■ vehicles give us the right… ■■ And how long will it be before someone overtakes ANYTHING with an amber light in lane 3 and gets busted…
Luv
Chrisie…
Well if you want to sit behind it that’s fair enough
Ragtop:
So how do we come off using LANE 3 when there are no police about to direct us into it (iirc thats the only legal way we can use lane 3)… !!!
There are 4 sets of circumstances under which it is legal to use the 3rd lane on a motorway in a vehicle over 7.5 tonnes…
- Where the inner lane becomes a slip-road, branching off from the main carriageway…eg. M42/M40 southbound,or M5/M6.
- When it is signposted that HGVs may use any lane, eg.M271 through Leeds.
- When there are 4 or more lanes.eg.M62 up Windy Hill.
- When passing any wide load or stationary obstruction, escorted/marked or not.
It is also worth noting that the “no trucks in the outside lane” law only applies to motorways…so you can use whichever you like on the 3 lane bits of the A1 down past Tadcaster!!! 
Escorting an abnormal load is much more than just sitting behind with some amber beacons, different trailer configurations react and steer in different ways, and will use different areas of the available road space to make a turn, as the ■■■■■■ you will have to have some idea of where the back end of the trailer will go when the outfit turns so you can ensure the safety of the other road users.
The same goes for what is bread and butter work for escorts… Route planning and checking rather than escorting… Knowing how certain combinations act will determine wether you will have to get the Street Furniture removed or if it can be hand steered passed the obstruction…
Looking for power lines and telephone cables become a habit, as does judging cambers that may lead to a positive steered trailer running off straight.
If you have never done Abnormal loads, or worked as a steersman then I would strongly suggest getting down to your local heavy haulier and asking to watch some large moves, I personally wouldnt be confident with an ■■■■■■ who had no heavy experience either as driver or steersman
Most hauliers who use a “subby” ■■■■■■ will go for those who conform to ALEN standards ( alen.co.uk/ )
we had a driver that worked with us,he was shall we say an extremly wide load
he got the name saddle bags cos his backside hung down each side of the seat
off subject but reminded me and made me laff