Dieseldogsix:
Didn’t they have to change the windows in all those Chrysler Voyagers for having windows too dark, as for the tacho, he does have to produce the last 28 days, but only needs one in when towing the trailer, but if he starts the week off with the trailer then he has to use a tacho everyday for the rest of the week, but then once he uses it, he can always say he hasn’t towed that week,and throw them away, it is down right stupid i know.
You’ll know this fellow from the 70s into 80s. Ex owner driver from L/spa won’t mention name. But couldn’t make it so he turned and joined ministry of transport. He ran on Micky mouse permits like all of us then in the 70s 80s. Tacos out the window some ware in some foreign land before returning to uk. But we could not understand why we were all being tuged when we got home and how they knew so much of were we had been, I was running hanging meat out and fresh fruit back to uk. Over weight every trip running bent as a nine bob note, but they knew exactly what we was doing and who we were pulling for. HIS NAME. BILLY LIAR. Ring any bells from you lads around warwickshire
Hiya…i agree with taking off the window tint…it should be banned. if your driving along you can see
if drivers with no tint are looking to the right at junctions or roundabouts. a few years ago before
the law was changed when i did London work you never knew if the driver was looking to see a lorry
in its tracks, there was just a black/blank screen. anyhow why do you need tints in a country that hardly
gets any sunshine now. we just get dull cloudy days…someone posted why did drivers always ware sunglasses
in the 70,to look cool…the answer was …it was always sunnier than it is nowadays
Hi, A71 mid 70s pulled in by the ministry, loaded cattle wagon in front of me, the ministry man was obviously having a bad day by the way he was stomping about checking the cattle truck, I’m sat in the cab filling in a few log sheets listening to the radio, expecting a hard time from Little Hitler, he walks up to me and says when its your turn, turn of the f-in radio, storms back to the cattle truck and starts tapping again, eventually getting round to the o/s back wheels, he’s bent down tapping the wheel nuts when a cow ■■■■■■ all over him through the slats on the cattle box, I was in hysterics, , best part was he didn’t find a thing wrong with mine,
Les.
We’ve all had our run ins with the men from VOSA over the years but I was talking to a good friend the other day who has been in the haulage business doing the M/E, Europe and the UK for many years who had a story that pretty well sums up the health and safety burocracy that burdens the british haulage industry.
He was over here in the USA last november and bought a 2004 Ford F350 diesel pick up and a box trailer to tow behind it for some of his work in the uk. Now this is the largest pick up Ford make and it is about twice the size of the european Toyota pick up so with the trailer its about 40ft long and its taken him from buying the pick up in november till last thursday the 19th to get it on the road what with the shipping and doing everything to it to make it uk legal including putting in a tachograph although it not a requirement to keep the discs, just to have one in whilst driving so what’s the point .
So he decided to take just the pick up out for a spin, two and a quarter hours later he is pulled into a VOSA checkpoint and told that the window tint is too dark and the tacho isnt legal. Bearing in mind these are the original windows from Ford there’s not a lot he can do but the man gets out a machine to measure the tint and fines him £30, the tacho he says is’nt legal although it has been calibrated by a tacho centre and crawls underneath taking pictures saying we’ll be in touch. Totally ridiculous for something which you are not even required to keep the records for, I know VOSA are strapped for cash but they are clutching at straws in this case and it seems that they don’t want anyone to go to work anymore.
I’m sure there are many more stories out there some of them no doubt funny of the strange ways of the MINISTRY MAN I know I have a few.
Didn’t they have to change the windows in all those Chrysler Voyagers for having windows too dark, as for the tacho, he does have to produce the last 28 days, but only needs one in when towing the trailer, but if he starts the week off with the trailer then he has to use a tacho everyday for the rest of the week, but then once he uses it, he can always say he hasn’t towed that week,and throw them away, it is down right stupid i know.
The “silent check” Ministry Men were the worst.It was always a moment of trepidation when I handed me log sheets/books in.One from Sheffield used to come and sup tea with our gaffer,all the drivers were fearing the worst…
One advantage of working for a reputable company was we rarely got pulled. Although one morning coming out of Ramsgate I did get a tug. First thing the MM said to me was “Why the hell did the copper pull you? I know there will be nothing wrong but we’ll just have a look to keep them happy” He then made a cursory check of my tacho whilst asking me about Norman our West Indian driver.“Do you know, last time I stopped him and asked where he’d been he pulled up his trouser leg and said; On holiday, how do you think I got this tan?”
With that the card was handed back and I was on my way. Quite pleased to be honest he hadn’t looked too close
Could be a touch over 3,500 kgs Depending on spec i.e. Single, club or quad cab - Long box or short box - dual or single rears - 2 or 4 wheel drive - Fuel and with any other equipment on board i.e. tool box, spare wheel etc tow hitchs(bumper and goose). Even a bed liner adds a fair few pounds
At least being a 2004 it should be a Super Duty 6 cylinder not the Brunellien old V8
The windows may be original and legal in the U.S. but not EU legal for tint
What surprises me is that a big U.S. trailer would be legal for width and braking system over here I’m sure it’s doable but would of thought that would be the “sticky wicket” in this
this is my mate steves f350 super duty,power stroke v8 with full banks’s turbo tuning kit on it.it had to have 3 sva tests due to over zelous ministry men ( wiring for foglight not the right colour! headlights 4mm over hight from ground ) does go like stink though
billybigrig:
The windows may be original and legal in the U.S. but not EU legal for tint
Exactly and different States in the US have different tinting laws.
The windscreen must allow 75% light through, the side windows forward of the B pillar must allow 70%
I was interested in the comment about the Chrysler Voyager, because unless it was a US import they do still conform to EU laws. The Voyager and Grand Voyager were built in Austria. My sister in law’s car dealership still sells the Chrysler Voyager and the factory tint is definitely legal, however there were a lot of styling companies and glass tinters who fitted tints for the dealers which caused problems for customers.
On another vehicle, a local biker bought a HD in Australia, yet when he shipped it home he had to have new headlight, tail lights and indicator lenses fitted because they didn’t have the CE markings. Any savings he thought he had made were snatched back by the local HD dealership.
billybigrig:
The windows may be original and legal in the U.S. but not EU legal for tint
Exactly and different States in the US have different tinting laws.
The windscreen must allow 75% light through, the side windows forward of the B pillar must allow 70%
I was interested in the comment about the Chrysler Voyager, because unless it was a US import they do still conform to EU laws. The Voyager and Grand Voyager were built in Austria. My sister in law’s car dealership still sells the Chrysler Voyager and the factory tint is definitely legal, however there were a lot of styling companies and glass tinters who fitted tints for the dealers which caused problems for customers.
On another vehicle, a local biker bought a HD in Australia, yet when he shipped it home he had to have new headlight, tail lights and indicator lenses fitted because they didn’t have the CE markings. Any savings he thought he had made were snatched back by the local HD dealership.
Hello Malc, the Chrysler tint problem started after a bloke in Manchester was pulled and done for the glass being to dark, it was when they first started to arrive here, whatever year that was.
billybigrig:
The windows may be original and legal in the U.S. but not EU legal for tint
Exactly and different States in the US have different tinting laws.
The windscreen must allow 75% light through, the side windows forward of the B pillar must allow 70%
I was interested in the comment about the Chrysler Voyager, because unless it was a US import they do still conform to EU laws. The Voyager and Grand Voyager were built in Austria. My sister in law’s car dealership still sells the Chrysler Voyager and the factory tint is definitely legal, however there were a lot of styling companies and glass tinters who fitted tints for the dealers which caused problems for customers.
On another vehicle, a local biker bought a HD in Australia, yet when he shipped it home he had to have new headlight, tail lights and indicator lenses fitted because they didn’t have the CE markings. Any savings he thought he had made were snatched back by the local HD dealership.
Hello Malc, the Chrysler tint problem started after a bloke in Manchester was pulled and done for the glass being to dark, it was when they first started to arrive here, whatever year that was.
I found the link, but it wasn’t factory fit, it was a “Chrysler Approved Contractor” what ever that means!
fly sheet:
They’re a gang of planks, common sense removed soon after joining.
A big statement that, it is like a member of the public saying all drivers are ******* when one cuts him up on the M6, or the press & TV saying what a Coyboy industry we have when someone works round the clock or forces driver’s to do things they dont want to.
I have some tar and a brush in the shed, if I was to let you borrow it please don’t cover us all with the same stuff.
As for ££££££££, yes the UK is skint, but all fixed penalty fines go to the government central office and not the agency issuing the penalty.
As for tinted windows is this good, this car an IMPORT had just 7% light transmission
(should be no lower than 75% factory fit) driver’s & passenger side window.
(the owner had just bought the car from a second hand dealer and thought it was full tint glass, when it fact it is after market tint film applied on tinted glass, at night he put the window down at junctions to see if anything was coming ?)
But yes it did look good, but on a safety aspect it was removed by the owner at the time. I am also informed that this can also make your insurance invalid if you have not informed them of fitment (modification)
wideboybob:
this is my mate steves f350 super duty,power stroke v8 with full banks’s turbo tuning kit on it.it had to have 3 sva tests due to over zelous ministry men ( wiring for foglight not the right colour! headlights 4mm over hight from ground ) does go like stink though 0
Back in ‘93 I was working for the Ministry of Defence contracted to the USAF out of Upper Heyford Oxfordshire as an HGV driver although curiously having had an hgv licence for over 20 years working for the yanks you did’nt need one as they issued a Dept of Defence licence for just about anything you were likely to drive for them. We had old 1984 Sed Atki tractors that were in a drab green and were classed as military vehicles with american tri axle trailers with the red brake/indicators and their own registrations.
One day while delivering equipement to Southampton docks I was directed into Sutton Scotney services on the A34 during a miinistry check, the whole truck park was full of trucks and wheeltappers. One of them came over and asked for the usual eg: licence, tacho disc, where was the O’ licence , tax disc. I replied I did’nt have an Hgv ( we were told not to carry them or admit to having one as it had caused problems in the past), the truck did’nt need a tacho and as for the tax and O’ licence he should take it up with my boss. Who might that be he asked, Bill Clinton I replied and pointed out the fact that it was a military vehicle and did’nt need all the aforementioned, he then went to confer with a colleague who confirmed my story and said I should be on my way. I said that as he had pulled me in the services I might as well have my lunch as it was about that time, they were’nt to happy as I was taking up a space where they could have put another unfortunate driver so if I saved anyone a check I’m happy.
As anyone who knows the northbound side the is a slope towards the A34 in the truckpark and a livestock carrier had just pulled up opposite me facing uphill with a load of bullocks on with very runny bottoms. At the edge of the park parallel to the road was a low loader with two wheeltappers underneath, I watched as the stream of cow ■■■ got closer to the tappers, just before it reached them one turned round saw it and scrambled out of the way but his mate was’nt so lucky and his white overalls turned decidedly brown, it certainly got the approval of the low loader driver and a few of the others as well as a loud cheer went up.
Chris Webb:
The “silent check” Ministry Men were the worst.It was always a moment of trepidation when I handed me log sheets/books in.One from Sheffield used to come and sup tea with our gaffer,all the drivers were fearing the worst…
I know exactly what you mean Chris, we would all be ■■■■■■■■ ourselves if the local MM visited our office.
he walks up to me and says when its your turn, turn of the f-in radio, storms back to the cattle truck and starts tapping again, eventually getting round to the o/s back wheels, he’s bent down tapping the wheel nuts when a cow ■■■■■■ all over him through the slats on the cattle box, I was in hysterics, 
I’m sure it’s doable but would of thought that would be the “sticky wicket” in this 
