Driving A Forklift On The Road - What Are The Rules ?
Discussion
My Dad has a farm and a Forklift truck.
I am soon to be building a house approx 5 miles away.
The forklift would be handy to borrow from time to time.
Obviously it has no tax, no MOT etc
I have insurance cover for 'any car' but it isn't a car.
So what are the rules on these things as I don't know where to start.
I am soon to be building a house approx 5 miles away.
The forklift would be handy to borrow from time to time.
Obviously it has no tax, no MOT etc
I have insurance cover for 'any car' but it isn't a car.
So what are the rules on these things as I don't know where to start.
Petty sure a fork lift taxed by a farm is classed as either works truck and/or limited use, which used to mean 1000yds max from the "base", but I think that distance has been dropped in favour of "reasonable distance" instead. Check DVLA website so you know for sure that you won't be pulled for being on road when you shouldn't be. As regards insurance, depends on the small print of yours (and his) insurance I guess.
redgriff500 said:
It is a telehandler, has brake lights etc.
I've certainly seen a few on the lanes and when I used to work on building sites we unloaded lorries on the road but that was 10 yrs ago.
In which case it is far closer to a tractor i would be surprised if it isn't quite easy to get it road running i would also be surprised if it isn't already registered.I've certainly seen a few on the lanes and when I used to work on building sites we unloaded lorries on the road but that was 10 yrs ago.
Most of the building site dump trucks/council lawn mowers and things you see on the road are registered. So at the least I would think it needs registering, tax and some appropriate insurance.Probably MOT exempt, But still needs to be in road worthy condition.
Our Gas forklift trucks at work are Road registered/taxed and insured. No limits on mileage.Use to drive one about 3 miles down the road to another warehouse years ago ( until someone got it stuck when they hit a big hole and it jumped onto the grass verge )The trucks weren't road registered for years with the belief that you could drive them on the road as long as you didn't exceed 3 miles per day. Apparently that was completely wrong.
Our Gas forklift trucks at work are Road registered/taxed and insured. No limits on mileage.Use to drive one about 3 miles down the road to another warehouse years ago ( until someone got it stuck when they hit a big hole and it jumped onto the grass verge )The trucks weren't road registered for years with the belief that you could drive them on the road as long as you didn't exceed 3 miles per day. Apparently that was completely wrong.
Essentially, unless your FLT has a number plate it cannot be driven on a public highway. There are a couple of exceptions that basically allow you to drive across a public highway or to use a public highway to drive from the front to the rear of your premises if there is no other access route for the FLT but only via the shortest route and in any event no more than a 'reasonable distance' which is usually taken as 500 metres.
I have always fancied taking our forklift home from work (not that I could as its not legally a road going vehicle although it does have a Q reg so it could be taxed), but I reckon a 22 mile drive across the pennines from Oldham to Huddersfield in an electric 20 year old fork truck would be a right laugh.....for all the wrong reasons !!
I have always wondered what the range would be when its fully charged, why I wonder that I will never know!!
I have always wondered what the range would be when its fully charged, why I wonder that I will never know!!
Galsia said:
Even if your FLT was road-legal, you would have to remove the forks before taking it on the road...
Not very difficult to do and as it's a telehandler they should just flip right over the top of the frame they sit in.Most if not all of them do this to allow it to run on the road more safely.OP,what kind of machine is it? JCB,Manitou etc?
I worked at a place with one, used to love driving it, the driver went out to the airlines at Manchester Cargo Centre, using it as he was too lazy to walk and it was p1ssign down, only dropping documents off at BA, comes tearing back into the warehouse, however thought this was usually fine, the boss had forgotten to do something and driven back round into the empty warehouse in his new Orion Ghia injection, matey boy screams into the Warehouse and slides on the wet floor whilst trying to brake and slides at a fair lick into the car, skewering it neatly 
made a right mess of it.
made a right mess of it.Galsia said:
Even if your FLT was road-legal, you would have to remove the forks before taking it on the road...
Not true, you should however be sensible about the height you have them off the ground when on the road.All recent telehandlers can easily be taxed and registered for road use, although only as Ag vehicles with the associated usage restrictions if running on cherryade
You will need to get it road registered for that distance. You can get the forms from the DVLA. If you're not bothered about it going on an age related plate then you can get it put on a Q plate but need to provide a letter saying that you are happy with this. You will have to get the truck insured for road use BEFORE you register it, as you wont have a reg number you can insure it using the serial number. You have to pay £55 plus the tax, unless exempt. Chances are they will send someone to inspect it but that is normally to check chassis and engine numbers. You should have full road lighting. You'll also need a Certificate of Thorough Examination, but should have one of them anyway (H&S requirement).
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