Q I have a long wheelbase four-wheeled
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truck fitted with an 18ft body which projects 8ft from the centre of the rear axle. The tailboard when dropped adds 2ft Gin. to this. What further overhang am I legally allowed?
AThe amount of legally permitted overhang is dependent upon the wheelbase of a vehicle and not the body length. The current Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1966 stipulate that overhanging shall not exceed 60 per cent of the wheelbase. A recent decision in the Queen's Bench Division confirmed that in determining the amount of overhang any part of the body used to support a load, including a tailboard, should be included.
You do not state the wheelbase of your vehicle but it is presumed that it is just over 13ft. If that assumption is correct the 8ft you quote as a measurement from the centre line of the rear axle to the rear end of the body will be approximately the maximum overhang permitted. You would not therefore be legally able to travel with your tailboard down supporting a load.