Q When shall I be restricted to carry no
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more than a 7-ton load on my 7-ton TK Bedford? Also will the permitted gross weight have to be stamped on the chassis. and if so do I have to contact the Ministry of Transport?
AAs far as new vehicles are concerned,
those registered on or after January 1 1968 will carry a plate specifying the maximum weight at which they can operate, together with axle weight limits. Regarding existing vehicles, such as your Bedford. these will be plated when they are put through their first test at a Ministry of Transport testing station.
These annual tests are due to start next year and older vehicles will be taken first. As happens with annual car tests, it will no doubt be announced that vehicles registered before a certain date have to go for tests and the age wilh be progressively reduced until all vehicles have been tested. This means that your vehicle will be plated some time after the start of the scheme and it is understood that all vehicles will have been tested by 1972.
Until your Bedford is, in fact, plated you will not be limited to carrying a maximum load of 7 tons, i.e. running at the manufacturer's recommended weight limit, under this section of the regulations concerning gross weight. But you must bear in mind that from January 1 1968 all vehicles on the road will have to meet braking efficiency requirements and in your case these would be 45 per cent for the service brakes and 20 per cent using a second means of application, such as the handbrake.
The 1961 Bedford TK 7-tonner can meet these requirements at the manufacturer's recommended gross weight figure but we consider it would be unlikely to do so if you ran the vehicle at 14 tons gross. Therefore you will have to fix a maximum weight at which you can get 45 per cent and 20 per cent braking efficiency, by using a Tapley meter, for example, because roadside checks by the MoT will include brake tests and if you could not meet the required efficiencies you would be in trouble.