Driving on the road with Agricultural vehicles. . . Whats the real rules??

[Liamhn8560]

Agricultral law is getting silly now.

Its just one step closer to wiping out british farmers.

50k tractors now are generally fitted with air suspension so I dont know if that changes anything.

BUT.....to drive a tractor at 50k will require a HGV license (law is still not agreed yet) and then if you are driving on a HGV licence it is not classed as a agricultral vehicle (classed as a industrial vehicle) so there for, it would be illegal to run your tractor on red diseal.

Boy, the govermet like to make it tricky!

[MODELFARMER]

I'm Beginning to wish i'd never started this topic ha ha

great points being raised and some light being shed on the grey areas and other grey areas getting greyer ha ha

[archbarch]

front axle suspension on modern tractors is fitted to aid driver comfort nothing to do with legal speed requirements.

as for laws wiping out British farming thats nonsense the Agricultural industry needs bringing in to line when any form of road work is involved, roads are busier than they were 10 years ago, a MOT system for tractors and trailers should be compulsory by now.

Sprayers have tests and sprayer operators are tested an mot system for tractors and trailers would help farmers in the long run.

in the mid 80s i was fined and 3 points for not having trailer brakes or number plate visible another driver was fined the same and as the manager was responsible he got 6 points and the total fine.

[ploughmaster]

do you not need a licence do drive a farmmaster on the road a full uk drivers licence does not cover pivot steer or articulated steer

No, both class B and F will allow you to drive pivot/artic steer or skid steer. 

The only agricultural machines not covered under these two classes are tracked machines steered by their tracks ie crawlers (whether on metal or rubber tracks).  Machines such as Challengers and JD 8000T and 9000T ans Quadtracs fall into this category (the Quadtrac is a bit of a grey area, but the advice from DVLA is that it should be considered to be steered by its tracks, therefore you need a class H licence, and be at least 21 to take them on the road)

[ploughmaster]

front axle suspension on modern tractors is fitted to aid driver comfort nothing to do with legal speed requirements.

as for laws wiping out British farming thats nonsense the Agricultural industry needs bringing in to line when any form of road work is involved, roads are busier than they were 10 years ago, a MOT system for tractors and trailers should be compulsory by now.

Sprayers have tests and sprayer operators are tested an mot system for tractors and trailers would help farmers in the long run.

Have to agree entirely with that.  Every survey of agricultural tractors and trailers that has been done has shown that far too high a proportion of them are maintained to a woefully inadequate standard (and I can vouch from my own experience that not only have I been expected to use similarly unroadworthy equipment,  most of my past employers showed no interest in putting things right).   

We are not dealing with 2 ton tractors pulling a 3 ton Fergy cart anymore,  most tractor/trailer combinations are being run close to (or above) the maximum permitted 24,390kg Max Gross train Weight.

There is absolutely no valid argument against the introduction of both tractor AND trailer MOT tests.

[fergie 699]

some interesting points there ploughmaster its a pity all the points made over the last few pages couldn't be answered by someone in authority be less grey areas

[powerrabbit]

Some very valid and pertinent comments, especially in the last few posts. If you are an employee, in whatever type of employment, it is the owners or employers responsibility to ensure that any equipment expected to be operated by an employee should be in a safe and useable condition, state of repair and complies with the safetey requirements and law of the land. As an employee, it is your given right to refuse to operate any equipment that you either suspect or know that is below the standard required under the law and theres sod-all your employer can do about it except fix it. You have to know your rights! Interestingly, the e-newsletter I have just received from the NFU has a report in it saying that throughout the country a number of farm tractors towing equipment on the road, particularly trailers,  have been stopped by the Police for displaying a different registration plate than that attached to the tractor. The law states that this is perfectly legal providing that both tractor and trailer are registered to the same 'keeper'. This statement shows that a number of Police Forces are not up-to-date with the law. If this is the case, then what else are they getting wrong at our expence?

My next Open University subject to study will be Agricultural Law. 

[MODELFARMER]

I don't have any number plates on me trailers, i havn't seen any round here with them though i do know they are meant to be there, someone told me today that the 20mph limit and no rear suspension is because of road damage, anyone shed light on that?

[fergie 699]

Some very valid and pertinent comments, especially in the last few posts. If you are an employee, in whatever type of employment, it is the owners or employers responsibility to ensure that any equipment expected to be operated by an employee should be in a safe and useable condition, state of repair and complies with the safetey requirements and law of the land. As an employee, it is your given right to refuse to operate any equipment that you either suspect or know that is below the standard required under the law and theres sod-all your employer can do about it except fix it. You have to know your rights! Interestingly, the e-newsletter I have just received from the NFU has a report in it saying that throughout the country a number of farm tractors towing equipment on the road, particularly trailers,  have been stopped by the Police for displaying a different registration plate than that attached to the tractor. The law states that this is perfectly legal providing that both tractor and trailer are registered to the same 'keeper'. This statement shows that a number of Police Forces are not up-to-date with the law. If this is the case, then what else are they getting wrong at our expence?

My next Open University subject to study will be Agricultural Law. 

in saying that the driver is also responsible for what hes driving /towing before you operate any machine you are meant to do your daily checks make sure all is in working order

[MJB1]

in saying that the driver is also responsible for what hes driving /towing before you operate any machine you are meant to do your daily checks make sure all is in working order

all very true, if stopped by the police, they have the power to give you a fixed penalty notice ranging from £60 - £200, payable within 14 days , thats for the driver not the  owner, these fines only affects the owner if he's the driver . the police also have the power to prohibit any further use of the vehicle they find to be unsafe for road use.

so if they pull you & say you're going no further with this vehicle thats it & all about it

!

few years back i was pulled on a dual carridgeway for having under inflated tyres , i argued the fact that they were actually low profile tyres & were meant to be like that , but i wasn't allowed to procede untill a tyre fitter was called out nearly an hour later to confirm it 

[Gav836]

We're now implementing a daily/weekly check system on our tractors and machinery to try and ease the amount of time I spend in the workshop putting things right due to lack of maintainence, more around one member of staff than anything The sheets in the link below may be helpful to anyone else wishing to do it. Helps with proving machines are checked regularly as well in the case of problems arising

http://www.bagma.com/vehicle_health_check_scheme.htm

I think its only a matter of time before an MOT system for tractors and ata's comes in, can't come soon enough with some of the relics getting towed around these parts!

[Tractorman810]

been doing checks like that on the van and stuff for ages at work, prob a good thing to do on agri stuff to, overall you will spot probs a lot earlier  than say breakdown in harvest time, the vosa now pull our vans and look for those sheets to,

[Lord Ferguson]

My computer system produces a vehicle check form for each journey for my vans at work... not so sure they get done properly... but we keep a file of drivers 'acceptance' of their vehicle being 100% legal and servicable for each delivery... helps when we get speeding/parking fines through the post as well  \

My tractor is washed and greased each week... oil checked... cab swept visual inspection etc... trailer is 100% too.. although I do have a broken stud on one wheel of the Griffith trailer at the moment 

[MJB1]

MVF are getting quite friendly with VOSA in wales , matter of fact i think some of the drivers & officers are on first name terms  :D & it's all to the good , the maitainance by the drivers is being taken more seriously as none of them want the fines or points