Trailer weights

daveydiesel1

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co antrim
Was told today that its comin in that maximum weight that can be towed behind a tractor is gonna be 18t? Can any1 verify this or is this old news? Thatl put all the big slurry yokes off the road. Presumably anything much over 2000 gallon would be overweight or mabe 2000 gallon will be overweight?
 

P.O.T

Member
Been 18.6tons for a long time. Local quarry won't let to leave if you are carrying too much weight. Tankers have gallons written on side of them how nobody gotten into bother yet is beyond me. Our 2500 tanker is 16tons when full. Seen a few 3500 going about definitely overweight. Seems as usual with farming have to wait until there is a serious accident to happen for things to change.

Edit :in UK, see your in Ireland.
 

Phil P

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
North West
Taken from gov website -

“From 9 March 2015 an agricultural tractor towing an agricultural trailer will be able to travel at a higher combination weight limit of 31 tonnes (t), increasing from 24.39t. The existing trailer limit of 18.29t remains in place.”
 

Boohoo

Member
Location
Newtownabbey
Was told today that its comin in that maximum weight that can be towed behind a tractor is gonna be 18t? Can any1 verify this or is this old news? Thatl put all the big slurry yokes off the road. Presumably anything much over 2000 gallon would be overweight or mabe 2000 gallon will be overweight?
The 18t limit for trailers is very old news, it's been the limit for as long as I can remember. The total weight limit for tractor and trailer was increased to allow heavier tractors to be used.
Not sure where some are getting their tanker weights from but I've heard of an insurance company sending out letters saying no insurance for anything over 3500 gallon and a manufacturer saying they won't build anything above 3500 gallon because it's the maximum legal size.
 
Was told today that its comin in that maximum weight that can be towed behind a tractor is gonna be 18t? Can any1 verify this or is this old news? Thatl put all the big slurry yokes off the road. Presumably anything much over 2000 gallon would be overweight or mabe 2000 gallon will be overweight?
I don’t know but I thought Northern Ireland had the same laws as the mainland but that might be just my ignorance.
However if it does the maximum legal weight is 18.29 tons, not that that seems to worry anyone around here, most popular new trailer size around here seems to be 18 tons nowadays with some bigger.
Similar with tankers, larger tandem axles seem to be getting more common with a few tri axles about too. I was talking with a lad on Friday night who had got a tri axle tanker bogged down recently, he said tractor and tanker weighed in at something over 43 tons when loaded.
 
The 18t limit for trailers is very old news, it's been the limit for as long as I can remember. The total weight limit for tractor and trailer was increased to allow heavier tractors to be used.
Not sure where some are getting their tanker weights from but I've heard of an insurance company sending out letters saying no insurance for anything over 3500 gallon and a manufacturer saying they won't build anything above 3500 gallon because it's the maximum legal size.
A 3500 tanker will hold close to 16T of slurry, so will be totally illegal unless it's below 2.5/3T empty, which of course it won't be.
 
The 18t limit for trailers is very old news, it's been the limit for as long as I can remember. The total weight limit for tractor and trailer was increased to allow heavier tractors to be used.
Not sure where some are getting their tanker weights from but I've heard of an insurance company sending out letters saying no insurance for anything over 3500 gallon and a manufacturer saying they won't build anything above 3500 gallon because it's the maximum legal size.
I have often heard it said that by adding a dribble bar or such like to the back of a tanker it is then classed as a trailed implement or something like that which the laws on weight don’t apply to.

Seem to remember discussing it on here with @simon Chilles and he says that is not correct
 
I don’t know but I thought Northern Ireland had the same laws as the mainland but that might be just my ignorance.
However if it does the maximum legal weight is 18.29 tons, not that that seems to worry anyone around here, most popular new trailer size around here seems to be 18 tons nowadays with some bigger.
Similar with tankers, larger tandem axles seem to be getting more common with a few tri axles about too. I was talking with a lad on Friday night who had got a tri axle tanker bogged down recently, he said tractor and tanker weighed in at something over 43 tons when loaded.
An 18 T trailer is fine if it's for something bulky like grass etc. because you'll never get it anywhere near it's max weight, but if hauling grain or something else that's dense you'll be running with part loads as you'll only be able to put about 13T in it as the trailer itself will be about 5T.
 
I have often heard it said that by adding a dribble bar or such like to the back of a tanker it is then classed as a trailed implement or something like that which the laws on weight don’t apply to.

Seem to remember discussing it on here with @simon Chilles and he says that is not correct
I wouldn't like to be relaying on that to get me off causing an accident.
 
A 3000g single axle with a boom just gets under the limit
Interesting, I remember talking to the high spec rep some years ago when buying a tanker, I had also been to see a 3000 gallon red rock . The high spec I was looking at was 2500 gallons and he said at the time they wouldn’t make a 3000 as it would be illegal on the road, although I see they have been making them since. He may have been talking about axle loads rather than overall weight though,
 
An 18 T trailer is fine if it's for something bulky like grass etc. because you'll never get it anywhere near it's max weight, but if hauling grain or something else that's dense you'll be running with part loads as you'll only be able to put about 13T in it as the trailer itself will be about 5T.
Yes yes, I know, all these 18 ton trailers are running with part loads.😂😂😂😂😂😂
You might believe that !!!!!!!
 

shumungus

Member
Livestock Farmer
I don’t know but I thought Northern Ireland had the same laws as the mainland but that might be just my ignorance.
However if it does the maximum legal weight is 18.29 tons, not that that seems to worry anyone around here, most popular new trailer size around here seems to be 18 tons nowadays with some bigger.
Similar with tankers, larger tandem axles seem to be getting more common with a few tri axles about too. I was talking with a lad on Friday night who had got a tri axle tanker bogged down recently, he said tractor and tanker weighed in at something over 43 tons when loaded.
Yep, we are the same as mainland GB. 18.29 tons limit towed behind tractor. UFU sent a letter out with the membership invoice highlighting the legal limits.
 

shumungus

Member
Livestock Farmer
Interesting, I remember talking to the high spec rep some years ago when buying a tanker, I had also been to see a 3000 gallon red rock . The high spec I was looking at was 2500 gallons and he said at the time they wouldn’t make a 3000 as it would be illegal on the road, although I see they have been making them since. He may have been talking about axle loads rather than overall weight though,
I have talked directly to two of the large manufacturers here and asked the legal weight question. Both of them replied that since their equipment is agricultural usage they are under no obligation to make them under a certain capacity. As long as they are made up to safety / traffic / highway / brakes / axles / drawbar weight standards and their unladen weight is below legal limit they can go to any size as these machines are primarily for use off road. Plenty car manufacturers make cars that do 140mph but you don't have to drive them at that speed. Basically your 5000 gallon tanker or tri-axle silage trailer is insured and legal when it is empty but not when it is full.
 
I have talked directly to two of the large manufacturers here and asked the legal weight question. Both of them replied that since their equipment is agricultural usage they are under no obligation to make them under a certain capacity. As long as they are made up to safety / traffic / highway / brakes / axles / drawbar weight standards and their unladen weight is below legal limit they can go to any size as these machines are primarily for use off road. Plenty car manufacturers make cars that do 140mph but you don't have to drive them at that speed. Basically your 5000 gallon tanker or tri-axle silage trailer is insured and legal when it is empty but not when it is full.
Makes perfect sense from a manufacturers point of view, they’re legal to tow on the road empty or with a part load up to legal weight, there are no weight restrictions off road so can be used to full capacity and have been designed to carry that weight.
If the farmer/contractor chooses to use them on the roads over weight that is their responsibility.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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