Q Is the dolly used to convert a semitrailer to a
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drawbar trailer regarded by law as a "trailer"? I am not at all clear on the legal situation.
A The legal status of the dolly in the United Kingdom is confused because there are two ways of regarding this piece of equipment, in the eyes of the law.
The situation was summed up this week by Mr W. Mills at the PTA seminar in Leeds. He pointed out that the Department of the Environment generally regarded the semi-trailer and dolly as two vehicles for plating purposes, but if this line of thinking was pursued in relation to their use on the road then it appeared that a combination consisting of a towing vehicle, a dolly and a semi-trailer would be regarded as a rigid vehicle towing two trailers and would therefore require a statutory attendant in addition to the driver.
If, on the other hand, the dolly and semitrailer combined were to be regarded as a drawbar trailer for the purpose of use on the road, then it was logical to expect that drawbar trailer outfit weight limits should apply; in this case, the gross limit would usually be significantly lower than the total weight permitted for a vehicle towing two trailers. Moreover, treatment of the vehicles in this way would be inconsistent with the treatment for plating and testing purpos es.
Mr Mills said that operators would have their own individual views of where the balance of advantage lay, whether it was preferable to regard the dolly and semitrailer as a drawbar trailer, sacrificing payload but saving the cost of an attendant; or whether to treat them as two vehicles, gaining payload but accepting the need for an attendant.
It is understood that the DoE has been asked by the operator associations to take an early opportunity to cater specifically for the operation of such outfits, in the relevant regulations.