Q I am a timber contractor engaged in felling and extracting softwood timber,
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most of which goes as pulp wood for papermaking. However, a small proportion is sent to local sawmills. am interested in the possibility of doing the short-distance haulage with an agricultural tractor and trailer, and would like to know the answers to three points: 1. What is the maximum distance one is allowed to travel while carrying a load on a a excise licence?
2. Would it be legal if the hauling was for reward. i.e. not one's own produce, or would some form of El licence be necessary?
3. What are the legal requirements as regards brakes, number of axles, tyre sizes and maximum permissible g.t.w. for an agricultural tractor and trailer?
AThe maximum distance from a site from which one may carry a load with a tractor and trailer on a £5 excise licence is 15 miles. It would be illegal to carry any of this timber for hire or reward unless a B-licence was obtained. Full details of these clauses from the Road Traffic Act 1960 are issued in Ministry of Transport pamphlet. G6/12.
As far as your third question is concerned, it is essential, first, to establish the definition of an agricultural tractor. These are classified as "land tractorsfor the purposes of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations and must comply with the requirements of the C and U Regulations applicable to land tractors when used on public roads.
Regulation 3(11 of the C and U Regulations states:
"land tractor" means a tractor having an unladen weight not exceeding 7,11, tons de3igned and used primarily for work on the land n connection with agriculture, grass cutting, Forestry, land levelling, dredging or similar Dperations , which is: la) the property of a person engaged in agriculture or forestry or of a contractor engaged in the business of carrying out on farms or forestry estates any such operations as aforesaid, and
(b1 not constructed or adapted for conveyance of a load.
The following legal requirements apply )enerally to land tractors: Irractor Brakes An efficient braking system having one means of operation. A parking brake acting on at least two wheels. Axles Number of axles depends on design; obviously it normally will be two.
Tyre size Sizes not specified: clearly they must be suitable for the particular tractor wheels and will depend on design of tractor.
Agricultural trailer Defined in Regulation 3(1) of the C and U Regulations as: "Agricultural trailer" means a trailer, the property of a person engaged in agriculture, which is not used on roads for the conveyance of any goods of burden other than agricultural produce or articles required for the purposes of agriculture.
Brakes If more than 2 cwt in unladen state it requires: An efficient braking system capable of being applied when the trailer is being drawn to at least two wheels in the case of a trailer having not more than four wheels—at least four wheels in the case of a trailer having more than four wheels, and so constructed: 1. Brakes can be applied either by drivers of the drawing vehicle or by some other person on the drawing vehicle or the trailer.
2. Brakes capable of being set so as to effectively prevent at least two wheels from revolving when the trailer whether attached to the drawing vehicle or not, is not being drawn (i.e, parking brakes).
3. Over-run type of brake is permitted las main system 1) provided gross weight does not exceed 31 tons.
Axles depends on design of trailer, normally one or two.
Tyres Same remarks as for tractors.
Gross weight depends on design of trailer, etc. Most agricultural trailers are of the over-run brake type, and are therefore limited to 31 tons gross. If not depends on construction and design of a particular trailer.