VOSA Are self funding they need the money to pay the wages
rocky 7:
Can anyone tell me Is the purpose of VOSA, to try and keep the roads safe , or to try to generate as much cash as they can with small “infringements”
They can only do you for an infringement if you’ve committed one.
.No booking times, you turn up you join the queue
You’re quite thick aren’t you?
mazzer:
Agree about the axle weights a couple of years I lifted a sealed trailer in Stockport got pulled in Carlisle 13.5 ton on the pin yet all up weight 35 ton result a £200 fine and £50 to a local haulier to move the pallets explained to VOSA that I was not to know the axle weights and as the trailer was sealed I couldn’t check inside to see that it was badly loaded (it was empty for the last 12 foot so all the weight at the front) tough came the reply. Until the UK adopts the German system where any weight or security issues are the fault of the loader it will always be the driver who cops it.
There is nothing stopping you asking for the container to be opened before picking it up to check load distribution, if refused, you can refuse to take it, just like any other container picked up off the docks, its either take it off you, or off loading goods, or reloading it to get weights right!
No point blaming others, when there are options.
weeto:
mazzer:
Agree about the axle weights a couple of years I lifted a sealed trailer in Stockport got pulled in Carlisle 13.5 ton on the pin yet all up weight 35 ton result a £200 fine and £50 to a local haulier to move the pallets explained to VOSA that I was not to know the axle weights and as the trailer was sealed I couldn’t check inside to see that it was badly loaded (it was empty for the last 12 foot so all the weight at the front) tough came the reply. Until the UK adopts the German system where any weight or security issues are the fault of the loader it will always be the driver who cops it.There is nothing stopping you asking for the container to be opened before picking it up to check load distribution, if refused, you can refuse to take it, just like any other container picked up off the docks, its either take it off you, or off loading goods, or reloading it to get weights right!
No point blaming others, when there are options.
The trailer was picked up at 3 in the morning when the place was closed waiting till 8 in the morning when it reopened is hardly an option when you are booked on the 10.30 out of Cairnryan if the loader had done his job properly then there wouldn’t have been a problem
Dan Punchard:
This is something I have often mentioned nick to vosa at different levels,they just don’t care how you weigh or what your reason for being over ,you would think that if safety was a number 1 issue then every town should have a axle weigher paid for by the county council free for use ,most weighbridges now are the ones with a ramp so no way can you even attempt to check axles ,there’s only the odd brick works ect that have a axle weigher and then you can’t always use it. There’s a thread on here about unmarked cop cars where there’s a mr perfect who never breaks the law ,well your mate is a prime example of getting done for something that wasn’t his fault.
I agree wholeheartedly Dan , we involved in any part of the aggregate industry are forced by the quarry’s heath and safety executive to undertake an epic course which means sitting in class room being told the do’s and dont’s of every aspect of the aggregate game and some of it is interesting and we need to know a lot of what is preached to us by some lad who wouldn’t know the difference between a p.t.o and B.T.O ( bachman turner ,overdrive) and we lose 9 hours being told its up to us how we’re loaded which is great until they tell us we’re not allowed to get out and approach the loader driver to direct them or have a look in the body/trailer , so I presume we are allowed to leave the site jump up check the load if its wrong return to the weighbridge to report the problem then rectify the problem ( tip off and reload I presume) probably get the loader a bollocking run the risk of a lifetime of overloads from the offended loader driver , but at least the driver was trained and not the loader driver who should share part if not all of his poor loading skills ,moan over I thank you.
Dan Punchard:
This is something I have often mentioned nick to vosa at different levels,they just don’t care how you weigh or what your reason for being over ,you would think that if safety was a number 1 issue then every town should have a axle weigher paid for by the county council free for use ,most weighbridges now are the ones with a ramp so no way can you even attempt to check axles ,there’s only the odd brick works ect that have a axle weigher and then you can’t always use it. There’s a thread on here about unmarked cop cars where there’s a mr perfect who never breaks the law ,well your mate is a prime example of getting done for something that wasn’t his fault.
We’ve been pushing for a network of axle weighbridges for years but then we do have a vested interest as we manufacture them!
However, the best way of doing it is for more operators to fit their own and charge people to use them. We charge £6 for using ours and it brings in about £8,000.00 a year income. Also an operator could charge for a forklift to redistribute the load, storing excess load or even shipping the extra.
When there’s money to be made from the system it’s a bit odd that more operators don’t do this.
Councils won’t provide them as they would need to be secure and safe from vandals, the real cowboys won’t use them and might even try to put them out of action. It’s happened before - someone once even got the IRA to blow one up!!
A system in a nice secure yard which was open when you needed it is a much better option.
We’re in Picow Farm Road Runcorn WA7 4UN by the way if anyone needs to check their axle weights.
No one will bother with the huge expense of a weighbridge in the UK because the chances of getting caught are so remote. In the 3 and a half years I drove in the UK before moving to Canada I only got weighed by Vosa once. In North America the DOT have scales all over the place and its not unusual to be weighed 3 or 4 times a day and as a result, every truck stop has a scale for trucks to use and many large companies have them. This is purely because the likelyhood of getting from A to B in North America while being overweight and not getting caught is quite slim unless you take some pretty time consuming detours. In the UK you can quite easily go months or years without ever seeing a Vosa weighbridge.
limeyphil:
They have a job to do, i’ve been pulled every 2 weeks for years.
Every 2 weeks…why? Either you drive something that looks illegal or your driving arouses suspicion! Of course there is a 3rd option, but that would mean you were talking ■■■■■■■■…oh hang on…
truckerdave1:
VOSA Are self funding they need the money to pay the wages
Simples…VOSA are there to make money, just like every business out there…
tango boy:
The majority of Foreign Trucks now are new or nearly new and the up keep of them put some uk Hauliers to shame in my opinion. I think they get the foreigners in driving/working time offences, I believe vosa do do a good job in most respects but in other ways like weight distribution they need a re think
I think one of the main problems a foreign driver suffers is when they arrive at an English port to find there is no parking provided, the industrial estates do not allow parking and most RDC or factories do not have showers, drivers rooms or even clean toilets, this didn’t happen when the foreigners started coming over, it was always so.