rha.uk.net/campaigning/campa … uly_2014#1
DVSA announce a pilot using HATOs to stop vehicles
DVSA and the Highways Agency are working on a pilot scheme that will allow Highways Agency traffic officers (HATOs) to stop vehicles on the road network for DVSA, the RHA has been told.
Dear lord the cone fondling drama squad are going to be like real plastic plod now. 
Doesn’t make it very clear what they can stop you for though. Is it coincidental it starting in September when we should all be good boys and girls and have our cpc cards on us !!!
Wonder if they’ll sit behind you on the hard shoulder to make sure you don’t get hit,like they do for other motorists, or they’ll just sit in front of you when they’ve pulled you?
billybigrig:
RHADVSA announce a pilot using HATOs to stop vehicles
DVSA and the Highways Agency are working on a pilot scheme that will allow Highways Agency traffic officers (HATOs) to stop vehicles on the road network for DVSA, the RHA has been told.
Lolz 
Just wait till they give the members of the Caravan Club the right to stop lorries. 
I can understand their philosophy though. If truckers can afford all those twinkly lights, chrome air horns, custom murals and curtains with the extra tassels, then there has gone to be a quid or two in it for the HATO people too.
Should have linked the DQC’s to folks VISA cards. 
only 3 years 'til I retire, thank fork…
Trukkertone:
only 3 years 'til I retire, thank fork…
Got that one past the censors, didnya!
Steve
Is this true or a late April fool can’t see them being happy about that they would have to do some work and burn diesel
Ste46:
Trukkertone:
only 3 years 'til I retire, thank fork…Got that one past the censors, didnya!
Steve
shush.
There’s an element of truth about it, in that I’ve been told that Hato’s were to be sold off to an interested party, who where then more than a little annoyed by how little ‘power’ the hatos have. MMTM, with MM being a hato.
billybigrig:
Says the steering wheel attendant 
Big Jase:
billybigrig:
‘…Says the steering wheel attendant…’
Don’t pull beyond your MTW , matey 
This country is becoming worse than I could have ever envisaged 
This is a sad day.
Big Jase:
billybigrig:
Says the steering wheel attendant
Yep and proud of it
commercialmotor.com/latest-n … -stop-hgvs
Doxey ■■
I’m just hoping that there are strict safeguards in implementation for some of the " power crazed but clueless muppets"
I see trouble ahead… and confusion… it will be bad enough for British drivers suddenly being confronted with Highways Agency vehicles displaying stop signs…
but how confusing for foreign drivers ■■?
and how long before one of these stop vehicles gets wiped out ■■?
Trukkertone:
I see trouble ahead… and confusion… it will be bad enough for British drivers suddenly being confronted with Highways Agency vehicles displaying stop signs…
but how confusing for foreign drivers ■■?and how long before one of these stop vehicles gets wiped out ■■?
I think it would be more of a “Follow me” only a suicidal maniac would stop on the HS unnecessarily ? or a “sleeping trucker”.
Trukkertone:
it will be bad enough for British drivers suddenly being confronted with Highways Agency vehicles displaying stop signs…
but how confusing for foreign drivers ■■?
Don’t think that will be a problem tbh. There are a bewildering array of vehicles that are authorised to pull Senor Trucker over across the water, so I’d imagine that they would stop for any official looking vehicle with any colour lights whatsoever on it’s roof. Hell, they’d probably pull over for an ice cream van playing its tunes (I know I would 
).
I will tell you what is particularly scary, when we see in the distance a vehicle on the hard shoulder, we do the obvious things, check mirrors, look for debris on the HS etc etc, then put our lights on and pull over. I am sure you can guess where this is going, the following foreign trucker thinks we are stopping him so follows us in, we can stop quickly, he can’t. This has happened many many times and even car drivers do it. Do any of you remember what happened to 2 of my colleagues oooop North back years ago?
They pulled up behind an Audi TT that had broken down and a truck thought they were stopping him so he pulled over, trouble was, he was drunk, didn’t stop and hit them, they were seriously injured and the woman in the TT was killed. One guy iirc hasn’t worked since, the other does speeches now regularly breaking down on stage so I am told due to his ongoing psychological injuries.
That is a very sad story Jase, and I reckon a tragedy that could easily have been avoided!
Part of my (and your) job is to anticipate and preempt the actions of the hard of thinking that walk/drive amongst us. If it had been me driving one of your vehicles I’d have been 100% aware of the possibility of the vehicle following me coming onto the H/S behind me and as such my window would have been down ready to wave the errant motorist past.
I’m not in any way, shape or form blaming your colleague for the accident, but I do reckon that he/she could’ve mitigated the circumstances somewhat by preparing for the nutter to follow them in. Of course you cannot prepare fully for a drunk in charge of a truck but you can help yourself whenever possible.