I am being told now I must take a tonne weight of safes to manchester in a 3.5 tonne van. Now it has a tail lift to which is adding to weight but what concerns me is we’ve been caught before although it was not intentional and we were let off by some very sound coppers in scotland. I dont think it will take a tonne and im being told its good for 1.5tonne so get on with it. Any one know for sure he I will be ok with it?
You should be OK. I don’t know of any “standard” 3.5 tonne van which won’t carry at least a ton and a half.
If in doubt, load it and take it to your nearest weighbridge (ensuring that you’ve pre-advised them) before setting off on the trip.
At least you won’t get done for “un-safe” loading! 
You should really know what you’re unladen and gross weights are, so you know what weight you can carry.
You know you’re in a 3.5T van so they can, as far as I know, carry about 1.5 tonnes. No idea what the tail-lift weighs though. 500kg sounds right. You can’t be far off the mark ? Get it on a weighbridge, unladen.
Whats the unladen weight van? If you know that, subtract it from 3.5 tonne then you’ll have your payload.
If your not sure, then take it once it’s loaded to a weighbridge.
DAFMAD:
No idea what the tail-lift weighs though. 500kg sounds right. You can’t be far off the mark ? Get it on a weighbridge, unladen.
It’d have to be a helluva big tail-lift to weigh half a ton. You’re right, though, DAFMAD, I should have said get it weighed before loading; it’d be a good idea to get a note stuck on the dashboard for future reference.
Well one is too big so they’ve taken it off so I should not need worry now. Might nip into scrap yard in manchester though and get it weighed with nothing on then we will know for sure. I got a load of stick for questioning it now they reckon im looking for problems! Not there bloody license though is it 
gnasty gnome:
You should be OK. I don’t know of any “standard” 3.5 tonne van which won’t carry at least a ton and a half.If in doubt, load it and take it to your nearest weighbridge (ensuring that you’ve pre-advised them) before setting off on the trip.
At least you won’t get done for “un-safe” loading!
I could only get 1.3tonne on a mercedes sprinter i used drive
Tonyb
tonyb70:
gnasty gnome:
You should be OK. I don’t know of any “standard” 3.5 tonne van which won’t carry at least a ton and a half.If in doubt, load it and take it to your nearest weighbridge (ensuring that you’ve pre-advised them) before setting off on the trip.
At least you won’t get done for “un-safe” loading!
I could only get 1.3tonne on a mercedes sprinter i used drive
Tonyb
Spot on Tonyb. A ply lined LWB Sprinter will legally have a payload of between 1200 and 1300kg. Obviously a smaller van will carry slightly more, factor in the tail lift, and or any passengers and you’ll be sailing very close to the wind.
I used to drive a luton body Sprinter van with a tail lift and that would carry around 900kgs.
The new shape Sprinter panel vans carry even less weight than the previous shape.
OllieNotts:
Well one is too big so they’ve taken it off so I should not need worry now. Might nip into scrap yard in manchester though and get it weighed with nothing on then we will know for sure. I got a load of stick for questioning it now they reckon im looking for problems! Not there bloody license though is it
Very True Ollie, it is your license so you protect it. The rest of the lads are spot on about check weighing, you are entitled by law to do this.
I have a 06 plated XLWB Sprinter and the payload is 1250kg, but once all my kit, full tank of derv etc is in it along with my lythe like self it’s down to 1125kg.
As regards the new shape sprinter they have a lower payload and use more fuel than the last model. Volume wise they carry more.
Iain
OllieNotts:
Well one is too big so they’ve taken it off so I should not need worry now. Might nip into scrap yard in manchester though and get it weighed with nothing on then we will know for sure. I got a load of stick for questioning it now they reckon im looking for problems! Not there bloody license though is it
QUITE RIGHT TOO ollie!!it’s your license me ode mate,and further more THEY should be able to confirm to you the carrying capacity of any vehicle they need you to operate,although i would imagine the onus would also fall on the driver…?! 
gnasty gnome:
DAFMAD:
No idea what the tail-lift weighs though. 500kg sounds right. You can’t be far off the mark ? Get it on a weighbridge, unladen.It’d have to be a helluva big tail-lift to weigh half a ton. You’re right, though, DAFMAD, I should have said get it weighed before loading; it’d be a good idea to get a note stuck on the dashboard for future reference.
If getting the unladen weight then make sure you have a full tank of fuel and you are sitting in it when it is weighed.
Make sure about your axle loadings as well. The front axle on our LWB sprinters can only take about 270kg (!). Get it on a weighbridge and do the axles separately as well as the all up weight. Overloading offences are PER AXLE as well as all up weight - ie potentially 3 offences for one overload.
1250 max on any 3.5 ton van
but to be safe make ti 1100kg
gogzy:
1250 max on any 3.5 ton vanbut to be safe make ti 1100kg
Not so my friend, Puegeot, Citroen, Fiat all 1575kg depending on the spec.
make sure u don’t go 4 a dump before hand!
dieseldog6:
gogzy:
1250 max on any 3.5 ton vanbut to be safe make ti 1100kg
Not so my friend, Puegeot, Citroen, Fiat all 1575kg depending on the spec.
yea but thats always my rule, i never take any more in a van.plus if you dont know the payload then its easier to stick to that.
Thanks for the replies guys, I didnt have time to get it checked but will in due course when we have a quiet day. Got a bit more flack this morning for moaning yesterday with pee taking cries of “but its my license” 
We have got an agency bloke in and he has been put in charge of us while our stand in gaffa is off completely unbelievable and he was very proud in telling us this morning he would be grassing anybody up that is breaking company rules even though he smokes in the lorries Really hope I pass my arctic test next week now. If he ends up staying on as gaffa or takes my job on the arctic(will happen if I fail) I need to get out, he really has turned into a grade A prick. And tail lift takes 500kg and isnt massive, we had a tonne one on old 7.5 and it was massive so at a guess 250-300kg max, is a ford 3.5 tonner to, doesnt look too heavy a body but with me and fuel weighing nearly 200kg then tackle and pallet truck about 50kg I cant see it taking much over a tonne. Our last 7.5 when empty weighed 6.4 
i’ve got 3.5t transit lwb with tail lift flat bed it can take 1100kgs and that does not include driver or fuel so i would be careful with wanting to put 1.5t on your van 