To answer your original post, before you moved the goalposts, yes, I would have taken it out, as the law states that you must have lights at the front and rear of your vehicle, whilst you are coupled to a trailer, the rear lights are those on the trailer, NOT the ones on the rear of the unit, these become auxiliary lights, and the law does not cover those (apart from the colours)
To answer your original post, after you moved the goalposts, then no, the truck would not have moved
If you have a truck and trailer, and the lamp unit is either smashed or missing on the rear of the unit, VOSA or the police can’t do anything about it whilst it is coupled to a trailer, because you are still complying with the law
If I could have repaired the defect I would have. I admit, I checked the fuses and could not locate a blown one. The elec engineer did find a blown fuse. I have it here, and it is not apparent immediately that it is blown.
I spent the time waiting for the elec engineer assisting the operators customers by lifting their goods into their vehicles
If I could have repaired the defect I would have. I admit, I checked the fuses and could not locate a blown one. The elec engineer did find a blown fuse. I have it here, and it is not apparent immediately that it is blown.
I spent the time waiting for the elec engineer assisting the operators customers by lifting their goods into their vehicles
good.
thought you was being one of them jobsworths,
sorry.
I followed up the question with VOSA (by email who directed me to local vehicle examiner, who returned my call promptly)
Very nice gentleman who is a vehicle examiner with VOSA, explained that in his opinion the vehicle is ok to take on roads with rear light cluster inoperable, so long as it is coupled to a trailer with rear lights on operable condition.
SD
Interesting. That’s the last thing of have expected. :-/
I would have wanted it in writing before driving it on the road, words are easy to deny later if there is an issue…
NEVER listen to the agency - they don’t know anything about it. Your licence, your responsibility. If they tell you say 'would it pass an MOT? Any answer but yes = don’t drive it. If they insist, say you wil IF they put it in writing they are demanding you take it out against your professional opinion.
i wouldnt even waste my time consulting the agency,if a company cant provide me with a roadworthy vehicle for the day,then as far as i`m concerned they can take a running jump.
commonrail:
i wouldnt even waste my time consulting the agency,if a company cant provide me with a roadworthy vehicle for the day,then as far as i`m concerned they can take a running jump.
It depends on the circumstances whether I would take it or not, if it was dark and your reversing into a delivery off a main road I would want all the lights working as that’s the bit people are going to see when the trailer is at 90 degrees, even more so on the nearside.
The thing with agency is you haven’t got to do anything and feel your letting anyone down, they don’t care about you and arnt certainly going to do you any favours unless it benefits them… It’s different when you work for a haulier full time and it’s a small close nit company and you get on well with the owner etc,
This happened to me once my light cluster was broken, I had to swap trucks on a changeover the other driver drove it with the white lights showing 2am in morning didnt have a cluster, so popped into the services got some tape and some coloured plastic and covered it up showed the red and orange and drove it back to yard noting the defects by telling the allocator how it was taken over. no issues.
To many drivers cannot think outside of the box and are just steering wheels attendants when it comes to driving trucks.
Speedy Duck:
In the event, I didn;t take it out and waited for elec engineer to arrive with replacement light cluster. The operator did not have one.
They were a one (hired) vehicle operator.
are you classed as someone in high demand?
i think not.
do you get a tyre fitter to check your tyres?
do you get a mechanic to check the oil?
the vehicle operator (hgv driver) is responsible for getting the job done, and if minor repairs are needed, then that’s part of the job.
no [zb]ing wonder some “drivers” get treated like idiots.
don’t treat my comments as harsh, just look at them as constructive criticism.
Checking the condition may be part of the drivers responsibilities but if, like the company I work for, policy is for fitters to do just about every repair then sorry Phil that’s what I’ll do. We even have to get a defect for low engine oil, I know it’s [zb] but it has been caused by people doing things to “get the job done” and contributing to an even bigger mess.
I kid you not I am aware of coolant put in the oil filler, and overfilling the engine oil causing breakdown and recovery with delivery missed. Some drivers do act like idiots.
discoman:
This happened to me once my light cluster was broken, I had to swap trucks on a changeover the other driver drove it with the white lights showing 2am in morning didnt have a cluster, so popped into the services got some tape and some coloured plastic and covered it up showed the red and orange and drove it back to yard noting the defects by telling the allocator how it was taken over. no issues.
To many drivers cannot think outside of the box and are just steering wheels attendants when it comes to driving trucks.
this is a slightly different scenario.if something happened whilst i was out and i could bodge it…to get me home,then i would.i will not,however,take a truck out that has defects.
commonrail:
i wouldnt even waste my time consulting the agency,if a company cant provide me with a roadworthy vehicle for the day,then as far as i`m concerned they can take a running jump.
If the tractor unit is coupled to the trailer at all times, the vehicle IS roadworthy
Please read my earlier post to clarify this, this point was also clarified by the OP when he emailed VOSA and they responded with the same reply
Speedy Duck:
Previous days driver smashed the lights we presumed.
TM did talk to agency about this
Did he defect it ?
If not he deserves a bollocking at least. If he did and it still wasn’t rectified then I wouldn’t take it out of sheer bloody mindedness.
i understand its legal....but at the end of the day its still a defective truck…with all the health and safety crap that gets thrown at me nowdays,ill be ■■■■■■ if im taking a truck out with such a obvious defect as this.
imagine if something does go wrong…first thing a third party solicitor is going to pick up on is the fact that you knowingly took a vehicle out with defective lights.
it also says to me that this company is a bag of ■■■■ and is probably only the thin end of the wedge…thanx,but no thanx
shuttlespanker:
To answer your original post, before you moved the goalposts, yes, I would have taken it out, as the law states that you must have lights at the front and rear of your vehicle, whilst you are coupled to a trailer, the rear lights are those on the trailer, NOT the ones on the rear of the unit, these become auxiliary lights, and the law does not cover those (apart from the colours)
To answer your original post, after you moved the goalposts, then no, the truck would not have moved
If you have a truck and trailer, and the lamp unit is either smashed or missing on the rear of the unit, VOSA or the police can’t do anything about it whilst it is coupled to a trailer, because you are still complying with the law
+1
I’m staggered so many folk don’t seem to know this and are getting their knickers in a twist about it. Comes to something when you’re defecting a vehicle VOSA admit themselves they wouldn’t
You can take light clusters off the back of units to replace broken ones on trailers as a running repair quite legally. Same with numberplate as well (often very handy).
What purpose do people think those lights serve when hooked to a trailer?
commonrail:
i understand its legal....but at the end of the day its still a defective truck…with all the health and safety crap that gets thrown at me nowdays,ill be [zb] if im taking a truck out with such a obvious defect as this.
imagine if something does go wrong…first thing a third party solicitor is going to pick up on is the fact that you knowingly took a vehicle out with defective lights.
it also says to me that this company is a bag of [zb] and is probably only the thin end of the wedge…thanx,but no thanx
so, you would openly admit that you would refuse to take out a perfectly legal roadworthy vehicle?
i don`t want to argue with anyone…but in my experience,should anything go wrong,the first thing the traffic office will do is try to wriggle out of any responsibility and lay any blame squarely on the driver.
i just try and cover my back,and make sure that things are as they should be before i leave
