Farmers flout law
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• Scottish hauliers are continuing to lose more work to farmers and agricultural contractors who are using a legal loophole to flout regulations and cut rates.
Farmers are allowed to haul agricultural produce without an Operator's Licence up to 15 miles from the field to the farm using their own tractors. But a Tayside-based haulier, who prefers not to be named, says that he is losing work every week as farmers cut costs by using unlicensed tractors often running on red diesel.
One persistent offender, he claims, is regularly using tractors to transport grain for about 25 miles from the farm to a grain mill.
"This is ruining my livelihood. I just can't get the rates and last week I only made 263," says the haulier. "My tractive unit spends most of its time off the road." Another Scottish haulier claims that he picked up just seven loads last week.
Two years ago Commercial Motor ran an expose after reporters witnessed this type of activity for themselves but Scottish hauliers say the authorities are failing to crack down on offenders.
A spokeswoman for the Vehicle Inspectorate says: "We are aware of concern about the use of some agricultural tractors in some areas and take all reasonable steps to deaf with such cases."