Anybody a tractor driver?
Discussion
Would like some inside info on the use of `tractor + trailer` as an alternative to HGV haulage.
On the way to work today spotted 2 T+T `s from a local agribusiness fully 27 miles from the `farm` they operate from.
That means ~ 8 miles on dual carriageway & the rest on a trunk road. Lots of tailbacks of course. Have found a bit of info on the web concerning regulations on the free tax, red diesel & a 20mph (!!!???) limit.
Is this just a way of undercutting the hauliers, farmers `diversifying` or just a consequence of the family farm disappearing?
On the way to work today spotted 2 T+T `s from a local agribusiness fully 27 miles from the `farm` they operate from.
That means ~ 8 miles on dual carriageway & the rest on a trunk road. Lots of tailbacks of course. Have found a bit of info on the web concerning regulations on the free tax, red diesel & a 20mph (!!!???) limit.
Is this just a way of undercutting the hauliers, farmers `diversifying` or just a consequence of the family farm disappearing?
Fun Bus said:
Silent1 is your man on this. The 20mph speed limit is rubbish though - ever seen a JCB Fastrac move?!
This depends upon your tractor having 'road gears' - if it does then yes it can shift along with normal traffic, otherwise I'll be chugging along at an agricultural pace. 
N24 said:
Fun Bus said:
Silent1 is your man on this. The 20mph speed limit is rubbish though - ever seen a JCB Fastrac move?!
This depends upon your tractor having 'road gears' - if it does then yes it can shift along with normal traffic, otherwise I'll be chugging along at an agricultural pace. We're using them over here (Belgium) as an alternative to lorries. Moving fresh vegetables for freezing, grain and maize grains - only agricultural products. Max speed is 55 kmh (bit more than 30 mph?), but on small roads with a full load, it's probably not much slower than a lorry. We do however have to run on white diesel.
Missed this but:
Tractors can travel any distance on the road providing it's for an agricultural purpose.
They can use red as long as they're going to do something on the arrival site (collect grain from a combine, field cultivations, etc) they can't use red if they are just hauling from one site to another, although it falls over in the case of fertiliser where you can transport it on red and then not spread until a later date.
Most tractors will only do 40kph (24mph), a JCB will do 80kph(50mph) and a 'fast' proper tractor will do ~60kph (36mph), although you will find them going slower in a 30 than 30mph as it's pretty hard to herd anywhere from 10 to 60 tons through a village.
A thing to think about is the farmer you're seeing may well be contract harvesting for someone and hauling from the field to their storage bins.
As for speed limits, there's no definition of a tractor, so a fastrac is still technically limited to 20mph, but no-one obeys the law regarding this as it was drafted when tractors didn't have decent brakes and no cabs.
You will see fastracs hauling a lot as that's all they're good for, in a field pulling cultivation equipment they're shocking due to the way they're designed.
Tractors can travel any distance on the road providing it's for an agricultural purpose.
They can use red as long as they're going to do something on the arrival site (collect grain from a combine, field cultivations, etc) they can't use red if they are just hauling from one site to another, although it falls over in the case of fertiliser where you can transport it on red and then not spread until a later date.
Most tractors will only do 40kph (24mph), a JCB will do 80kph(50mph) and a 'fast' proper tractor will do ~60kph (36mph), although you will find them going slower in a 30 than 30mph as it's pretty hard to herd anywhere from 10 to 60 tons through a village.
A thing to think about is the farmer you're seeing may well be contract harvesting for someone and hauling from the field to their storage bins.
As for speed limits, there's no definition of a tractor, so a fastrac is still technically limited to 20mph, but no-one obeys the law regarding this as it was drafted when tractors didn't have decent brakes and no cabs.
You will see fastracs hauling a lot as that's all they're good for, in a field pulling cultivation equipment they're shocking due to the way they're designed.
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