Washed the fleet

[Waitey]

Since the westfield is off the road now. The others cars got a treat. The Range Rover was black when i started since its been neglected recently and well the terrano van is black all the time it was just a very dirty black.

Will get one of minions/workers to wash this lot. Shouldn't be too hard since quite a few are still out.

 

[philmots]

sure i've bin cut up by one of them wagons

 

[BrianR]

Serious question, I am not fishing for an argument,
Why does an operator like you appear to be, condone the fitting of all those illegal lights on your trucks.
Is it the case that drivers are so hard to find, if you don’t give in, they won’t work for you. (As someone else told me)
What’s going to happen when the new corporate liability laws come into force next year?

 

[Waitey]

Drivers are hard to find yes so top end equipement does help. The lights are positioned legally as in they are too high to be classed as a fog lamp so are classed as a driving lamp. The bulbs in them are no more powerful than OE headlamps and during road use the are only used on what is a parking light setting. Unless some other road user seems to think that since the driver is sat high up they don't have to dip their headlamps, in which case they get a flash of full power.
Most of the time they are only used fully in either working your way around a farm made in the 1700's that was never designed for trucks thus to avoid damaging the unit/buildings at night. They're are also used for loading livestock at night.
All our international units are fitted with them since when your in places like latvia etc the more light you have the better.

 

[BrianR]

I obviously can’t comment on your drivers, but my experience of the use of those lights has always been illegal. The rules say you shouldn’t cause any unnecessary glare from your lights to other road users and recommend if you are being dazzled to slow down and watch the road on your nearside until the other vehicle passes.

Nowhere does it say a retaliatory flash is the correct or acceptable behaviour.

The RTA C&U regs also says that only white or orange lights may be displayed at the front of a vehicle. There is also a limit to how far from the road surface a light me be fitted and used. (I think its 1mtr from memory but stand to be corrected.) its certainly not above roof level.
Wherever these vehicles may end up, while they are using the UK roads they are subject to our laws.

My point, and thus my question to you, was if a driver, (from a company other than yours of course), caused an accident by use of those lights and was convicted of dangerous driving as a result, his company would be liable under corporate liability laws. That could lead to substantial claims for damages against his company and if a death was to result from that driver’s actions, it could run into £Millions and even be the cause of that company having to close down.
Even in a case where the driver was issued with a FPTor order for misuse of the lights and directed to remove them, the company would be liable for the driver’s actions.

In the real world we all know why they are there and I am sure there are others on here that have had the instant suntan from these Knights of the road.
It’s notable that high profile companies like Stobbarts don’t allow these adornments on their vehicles.

 

[benji&eka]

^hmmm
stobbies are too big for their boots! i used to work on their trucks
nowt wrong with the lights

 

[Waitey]

Hmm Stobbarts. That company has far bigger problems than lights to deal with. They probally couldn't afford a light bar.

At the end of the day we need those lights to be fitted to do our work. So called clean hand merchants who's units live on the road and well lit loading docks don't hense why the great number don't go to the expence of fitting them. There are far bigger problems facing the haulage industry at the minute. Whether it be the new working time directive or aminal right actavists tortching our units.

As long as our units get through MOTs and road side checks we're happy. The fact the general public has another means to instigate legal action is of little consequence.

 

[BrianR]

I know the AR problem only too well but unfortunately, two wrongs dont make a right.

I don’t know if your drivers use the A1 or A14 in Cambridgeshire, but if they do they need to be aware they stand a reasonable chance of being pulled over for illegal lighting.

You may know the A14 has one of the worse accident records in the country and local people have been pushing their MPs and local councillors to do something about it. At last the word has come back down the pipe and the RPU and HA are running high profile ops against truck drivers on these roads.
Recent reports have claimed one in three trucks stopped is defective or has illegal lighting. They have also found illegal warning devices fitted such as two-tone alternating horns, police sirens and blue strobe lights even.
Believe me, they aren’t messing about. They arrested 30 drivers, summoned 180 and issued over 500 FPTs in one week.

As I said in my original post, I am not fishing for an argument so thanks for your time and your candour lets hope your industry has a better time next year then perhaps we can all benefit from the removal of those illegal lights.

Merry Christmas.

 

[Pep]

my dads got a range the same as that, his is in red, nice cars, but i prefer the nissan looks wise!

merry christmas!

 

[TomTom]

Bet your drivers can't afford two 56 Plate 4x4's...

Why is every tractor different, aren't they meant to look uniform?

 

[Brown.]

my lasses dad has a vogue supercharged, i hate him, rant over

 

[Ad]

Bet your drivers can't afford two 56 Plate 4x4's...

Why is every tractor different, aren't they meant to look uniform?

I am guessing its just about which ones were available at a fair price.

The uniform thing ususally comes from the fact that the hauler buys them at the same time hence getting a bulk discount.

 

[TomTom]

Bet your drivers can't afford two 56 Plate 4x4's...

Why is every tractor different, aren't they meant to look uniform?

I am guessing its just about which ones were available at a fair price.

The uniform thing ususally comes from the fact that the hauler buys them at the same time hence getting a bulk discount.

So if the tractors a slightly different 'model' could it still tow the trailers of the older ones? Ie could all the tractors shown pull all the trailers shown?

 

[Djw Dave]

I am guessing its just about which ones were available at a fair price.

The uniform thing ususally comes from the fact that the hauler buys them at the same time hence getting a bulk discount.

So if the tractors a slightly different 'model' could it still tow the trailers of the older ones? Ie could all the tractors shown pull all the trailers shown?

Yes

 

[philbolton]

What company do you work for Waitey? Do you run any DAF's? I do the finance broking for them!

 

[Paddy_g46]

get 2 work on those trucks waitey u lazy bugger! lol

 

[Waitey]

What company do you work for Waitey? Do you run any DAF's? I do the finance broking for them!

Head of I.T. for Chris Waite Transport

 

[Waitey]

I know the AR problem only too well but unfortunately, two wrongs dont make a right.

I don’t know if your drivers use the A1 or A14 in Cambridgeshire, but if they do they need to be aware they stand a reasonable chance of being pulled over for illegal lighting.

You may know the A14 has one of the worse accident records in the country and local people have been pushing their MPs and local councillors to do something about it. At last the word has come back down the pipe and the RPU and HA are running high profile ops against truck drivers on these roads.
Recent reports have claimed one in three trucks stopped is defective or has illegal lighting. They have also found illegal warning devices fitted such as two-tone alternating horns, police sirens and blue strobe lights even.
Believe me, they aren’t messing about. They arrested 30 drivers, summoned 180 and issued over 500 FPTs in one week.

As I said in my original post, I am not fishing for an argument so thanks for your time and your candour lets hope your industry has a better time next year then perhaps we can all benefit from the removal of those illegal lights.

Merry Christmas.

I've found this interesting brian. Could you PM me with fuller details or lighting regs.
Just seems odd we've never had a problem with it. Maybe we've just never beings in the wrong place wrong time situation. Oddly enough VOSA recently took the volvo in the photo's off us to check for defects as a part of some odd courtcase the road traffic admin dreamed up and the lights weren't highlighted in the report on the unit. As per usual this shows how different departments don't communicate with each other.

As for blue strobe lights i can name a few skoda vrs' which have those fitted and they aren't owned by the police.

 

[Waitey]

Bet your drivers can't afford two 56 Plate 4x4's...

Why is every tractor different, aren't they meant to look uniform?

They are all different as we change our buying habits every year. Over the last few years we've being Scania mad. Recently though we've diversified a little. Although the £105k volvo in the pic was only bought because of the free jacket that came with it lol

 

[TomTom]

Bet your drivers can't afford two 56 Plate 4x4's...

Why is every tractor different, aren't they meant to look uniform?

They are all different as we change our buying habits every year. Over the last few years we've being Scania mad. Recently though we've diversified a little. Although the £105k volvo in the pic was only bought because of the free jacket that came with it lol

Yeah I take it its the second in from the left? Seen a few of them do they have xenons as they're dipped lights, sure I've seen them on the late models. Or is that the cup version weighting only 35 tonne?

 

[Waitey]

Yeah it has xenons. That one was a ltd edition and was the first of its type in the UK. Even got a write up in the Volvo UK magasine. Its still in the ltd edition green it came in from volvo hence why it doens't really match.