Weight restriction and L plate training lorries
Discussion
Does anyone know if trainer lorries (HGV all type) on L plates, are they exempt from local weight restrictions?
A local village campaigned for years to get a 7.5T weight restriction through the village as it was being used as a cut through from a trunk road with lots of lorries. Move forward a number of years and while the commercial lorries no longer come through the village, there are arguably more lorries driving through the village than ever.
These lorries are all driver training lorries on L plates, from rigid lorries right up to full 18 wheelers. Seems odd that they should be allowed to ignore the weight restriction of the road. Is there a legal premise for allowing this?
A local village campaigned for years to get a 7.5T weight restriction through the village as it was being used as a cut through from a trunk road with lots of lorries. Move forward a number of years and while the commercial lorries no longer come through the village, there are arguably more lorries driving through the village than ever.
These lorries are all driver training lorries on L plates, from rigid lorries right up to full 18 wheelers. Seems odd that they should be allowed to ignore the weight restriction of the road. Is there a legal premise for allowing this?
essayer said:
is the training centre within the weight restriction zone?
Must be thisCan’t see what the training companies would have to gain from going through a weight limit otherwise.They are in no hurry so obviously don’t need to take shortcuts.
Certainly no way an examiner will take a driver on their test through a weight limit.
Does the weight limit have certain times of the day/ night applied to it?
and31 said:
Must be this
Can’t see what the training companies would have to gain from going through a weight limit otherwise.They are in no hurry so obviously don’t need to take shortcuts.
Certainly no way an examiner will take a driver on their test through a weight limit.
Does the weight limit have certain times of the day/ night applied to it?
Not sure where the training centre is based, might even be more than one company. But they aren't in the village. No time restrictions on the weight limit. It seems to be part of their test/training route.Can’t see what the training companies would have to gain from going through a weight limit otherwise.They are in no hurry so obviously don’t need to take shortcuts.
Certainly no way an examiner will take a driver on their test through a weight limit.
Does the weight limit have certain times of the day/ night applied to it?
and31 said:
Must be an awful lot of hgv learners coming through the village if there’s more lorries than before the weight limit was brought in-how many a day on average do you reckon?
I don't have numbers, but you can't drive through the village without seeing 1 or 2 training lorries these days. Total number of lorries are probably less, but there are a considerable number of the trainer ones throughout the day.the-norseman said:
Get pictures next time.
So all routes into the village have signs like this:
The number of trainee lorries is thankfully so prolific that even Google Maps has a picture of one.
Which is about 1/2 mile down the same road as the 1st photo above.
Few 100 yrds down from the 1st lorry above (there are as many articulated lorries as not that come through, same companies).
Bit further down the road on Google maps:
No pics of articulated lorries, but they are a regular site.
Edited by 300bhp/ton on Tuesday 17th January 12:13
300bhp/ton said:
So all routes into the village have signs like this:
The number of trainee lorries is thankfully so prolific that even Google Maps has a picture of one.
Which is about 1/2 mile down the same road as the 1st photo above.
Few 100 yrds down from the 1st lorry above (there are as many articulated lorries as not that come through, same companies).
Bit further down the road on Google maps:
No pics of articulated lorries, but they are a regular site.
Local ish to me then as MK driver training is my local company. The number of trainee lorries is thankfully so prolific that even Google Maps has a picture of one.
Which is about 1/2 mile down the same road as the 1st photo above.
Few 100 yrds down from the 1st lorry above (there are as many articulated lorries as not that come through, same companies).
Bit further down the road on Google maps:
No pics of articulated lorries, but they are a regular site.
Edited by 300bhp/ton on Tuesday 17th January 12:13
Might be worth contacting the companies and asking them.
AGK said:
Totternhoe is a DVSA test route for the test centre on the other side of the A505 and there is an exmeption from the weight limit for professional driver training vehicles.
Thanks.Doesn't it all make a mockery of a weight restriction though? Plenty of non restricted local roads they could use. And as you can see, Google Street view caught 3 lorries within 3/4 mile. Which I'd guess is probably not a bad reflection of how many lorries come through the village.
300bhp/ton said:
Thanks.
Doesn't it all make a mockery of a weight restriction though? Plenty of non restricted local roads they could use. And as you can see, Google Street view caught 3 lorries within 3/4 mile. Which I'd guess is probably not a bad reflection of how many lorries come through the village.
If unladen (while practicing rather than laden for test etc) they probably are under 7.5t though. So in all likelihood the exemption is common sense in the main. Doesn't it all make a mockery of a weight restriction though? Plenty of non restricted local roads they could use. And as you can see, Google Street view caught 3 lorries within 3/4 mile. Which I'd guess is probably not a bad reflection of how many lorries come through the village.
normalbloke said:
MustangGT said:
normalbloke said:
They also have to carry a certain weight for the test.
I did my HGV class 3 in the early 80s, had a 4 ton unladen truck for the test. Class 2 (12 months later) was also unladen.Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff