when did they go from 40 to 45 i remember some dutch firms and norbert dentresangle running daycabs with top sleepers so they could runem in this country before they increased the limit in this country.
It was about 1985 - 86 when I first saw one of those long trailer / cab top sleeper’s on the continent, I think it must’ve been about 1993 - 94 when they first broke cover in the UK.
Ross.
pretty sure it was 91 - i know we made some good money taking 13.5m sections of the British Pavillion for the 92 Expo in Seville because we had a couple brand new longer tilts, ahhh happy days 
we started pulling 45’containers in 1988 got nicked on a14 at the old d/dogs but it never went to court then used day cabs with top pods all on f/g so must have been 88/89
Another vote here for 91. I was on for Stardes at the time and they were just getting some new 45’ trailers.
somewhere around 89/90 i used to pull Laser tilts to Italy 40ft tandams. Later i did drop some in Telford for stretching and they became tri axel taults. So 91 must be about right 
toothpick johnny:
…
So 91 must be about right
I think sheeter’s post above nails it at 1990, doesn’t it?
just had look at old photos we started pulling 45ft containers 1988/89
First time I reversed a 45’ trailer onto the dock is forever ingrained in my memory, and probably still on the dock and the trailer chassis as well! 
finnally found some pics of the n d topsleepers
The dangerousangle & DeRooy top sleepers were to get around the 15m overall length limit with a long trailer, it got ridiculous, with them running 35 pallet trailers & some seriously cut down cabs, there was a firm by the side of the A6 before Macon that had the club of four cabbed renaults with the cab cut down so much that there was no window behind the door, you must’ve had to stand up to drive it 
eventually common sense prevailed & the law was changed, sort of on this subject 
DeRooy had a wagon & drag that had a trombone coupling & carried one 16m tilt body, I saw it in Bordeaux & the bits that stuck out when it went around a corner had to be seen to be believed
I worked for lash transport in 86 ,we used to do traction for B.J WALTON the ones that run a fleet of ERF day cabs with sleeper pods on top. we pulled N.DENTRESSANGLE ( thats a mouthfull) 45 ft tilts ,i was driving a 2026 merc left ■■■■■■ and the transport manager came to see if i could pull it with ripping the air lines off.
Does anyone have any photos of the “Transmove” truck(s) parked in the background of the 1st pic of the ND topsleeper? (The one with all the flags on it)
Thx
does anyone remember the maximum length/maximum height drawbars parceline had…a 4x2 1831 merc prime mover with a single axle self extending dolly with 5th wheel and then a two axle trailer(all double deck)…when stationary the whole thing was close coupled and measured the correct length,…when moving the whole thing extended and was able then to go round corners below 30 mph…above 30 mph the whole thing became close coupled again.
it was a nightmare to operate…there’s quite a few islands and bends that everyone went round above 30 mph,with the consequences that can be left to the imagination.
and sometimes when slowing down to a halt for some reason you would get propelled forward by the ram as it extended to make turning possible.
not a success.
mikey1:
Does anyone have any photos of the “Transmove” truck(s) parked in the background of the 1st pic of the ND topsleeper? (The one with all the flags on it)Thx
There you go
1990 we had new 16.5 m trailers at Cartransport BRS, Hoyner had been testing them for a few months prior to that.