Hi guys. I’m a newbie who’s just taken the CPC with a view to climbing a little further up the ladder at work. 
I wonder if someone could help settle an argument? We tow 3t diggers around with 26t grab wagons - no problem. However, one of the lads asked whether it would be ok to tow an empty trailer with his lwb Transit. I said it should be ok as long as he didn’t exceed the train weight for the combo (which he’d be nowhere near with an empty trailer). I then referred him to the Transport Manager though as I’m not in a position of authority.
Anyway, it turns out the Tpt Mgr forbade him towing said trailer as “it’s capable of towing a 3t digger” and that’s all that mattered apparently.
Doesn’t quite make sense, but lots of things in this industry have little twists, so I’m not sticking my head above the parapet without checking 
Be grateful if someone who’s been at this long enough to see through the fog better than me could clarify and, if the other guy’s right, point me at the relevant chapter and verse. Can’t see anything that suggests I’m wrong in C&U. Thanks in advance. Mike
Of course you are right, TM is wrong as long as it is, “under the train weight”.
If you were carrying a digger for hire and reward you would be getting into realms of tacho law and the TM is confused about that.
Thats my two’pennorth anyway.
Imagine the bloke who originally built the trailer, could he deliver it to his first customer with a car?
what’s the gross weight of the trailer ?
What sort of brakes does the trailer have ?
**:D :smiley: :smiley: Welcome Scorpion :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:**
one of the lads asked whether it would be ok to tow an empty trailer with his lwb Transit. I said it should be ok as long as he didn’t exceed the train weight for the combo
Is that a B+E licence combo 
Thanks for the replies, guys. Nice to know help is out there 
GVW on the trailer is 3.5t. It’s dual-axle with over-run brakes.
Don’t think licence is an issue as the driver usually drags around a 1.5t digger on a similar, albeit smaller, trailer. Would be at least a B+E though.
Tacho not an issue as we’re on Domestic (utilities).
Any advice welcomed - I was on the verge of asking for my money back from the CPC
Scorpion:
Thanks for the replies, guys. Nice to know help is out there
GVW on the trailer is 3.5t. It’s dual-axle with over-run brakes.
can you find the transit handbook
you need to work out the maximum towing weight for the transit - but you have to use the gross weight of the trailer rather than the actual weight - it doesn’t matter that it’s empty
on the other hand it’s perfectly capable of towing it empty so you could just do what most builders do and tow it anyway
edit: answers.yahoo.com/question/index … 625AAG17BX
I’m going with the TM on this one as the unladen weight is irrelevant with trailers, it’s the gross weight that counts.
More info here: DfT Requirements for trailers
Can’t believe I’m up this late surfing the net for trailer weight info when I should be akip!!
Looks like I was wrong though. As stated by others here, it seems the unladen weight is irrelevant (to make the law more enforceable I should imagine).
Definitely a lesson learned. What a minefield! And the official pages aren’t exactly in the running for any “Plain English” awards 
- thanks for the input chaps.
Well, we call them 3 tonners, but they’re actually 2.6t. The trailer is 700kg. Still have to watch what they throw in the trailer though. Amazing how it can strain the scales once the buckets, a breaker and a few cones are on 
As it turns out though, it’s not a Transit after all. We’re currently changing the vans over and the driver in question is now in a Sprinter. The train weight is 6.1t - well, it is now we’ve had Mercedes re-plate them. The original plates wouldn’t let us tow a Noddy car
Having said all that, the vans only tow the 1.5t - the 3t are towed by the grab wagons. Although we seem to running out of grab drivers who can tow a drawbar, so they’ve just got a Landrover for towing 3t diggers. Yep, strange world!
and maybe a spanner in the works 