What Are The Polish Vans Carrying?
Discussion
Anyone noticed a hellova lot of brand new Ford and FIAT Luton sized (approx 3.5ton) curtain sided as opposed to panelled Polish vans everywhere?
They are clean, signed in Polish and have Polish telephone numbers on the side.
I reckon they are limited to 56mph as I always see them in lanes 1 and 2 mixing it with the HGVs.
I assumed they are carrying cargos from the continent and dropping them off here but seems odd and uneconomic to use such small vehicles on long hauls.
I also wondered if they were working over here as haulage contractors picking up and dropping off loads from the UK or just individual items/parcels door to door for the likes of Amazon (That said all my parcels are being delivered by our own usual suspects).
Anyone in the know?
They are clean, signed in Polish and have Polish telephone numbers on the side.
I reckon they are limited to 56mph as I always see them in lanes 1 and 2 mixing it with the HGVs.
I assumed they are carrying cargos from the continent and dropping them off here but seems odd and uneconomic to use such small vehicles on long hauls.
I also wondered if they were working over here as haulage contractors picking up and dropping off loads from the UK or just individual items/parcels door to door for the likes of Amazon (That said all my parcels are being delivered by our own usual suspects).
Anyone in the know?
Edited by Tannedbaldhead on Monday 12th November 11:48
They carry alsorts of cargo small machines to medicines
The advantage is they are not subject to tacho ruling so can run through out the night and make the uk by morning.
As far as I understand they only get paid when on a job hence why you see loads parked up waiting for a load to head back home
They normally carry around a ton often overloaded
The advantage is they are not subject to tacho ruling so can run through out the night and make the uk by morning.
As far as I understand they only get paid when on a job hence why you see loads parked up waiting for a load to head back home
They normally carry around a ton often overloaded
As many have said they aren't restricted by tacho laws so cover large distances in one hit . They tend to carry lighter items in bulk for the supply chain of the automotive industries or aerospace manufacturers. Yes many are overloaded.
Rumours abound through the EU that everything over 2 tonnes will be going onto tacho rules in the future. German spec commercials already have tachos fitted .
Rumours abound through the EU that everything over 2 tonnes will be going onto tacho rules in the future. German spec commercials already have tachos fitted .
grumpy52 said:
As many have said they aren't restricted by tacho laws so cover large distances in one hit . They tend to carry lighter items in bulk for the supply chain of the automotive industries or aerospace manufacturers. Yes many are overloaded.
Rumours abound through the EU that everything over 2 tonnes will be going onto tacho rules in the future. German spec commercials already have tachos fitted .
Dear God! Everything over 2 tons is everything bigger than a Berlingo/Partner sized van. Rumours abound through the EU that everything over 2 tonnes will be going onto tacho rules in the future. German spec commercials already have tachos fitted .
We had our sofa bed delivered by one of these vans and then polish vodka for our wedding was ordered here and arrived on one from Poland.
Driver said they do one circuit a week, about 2 days gathering up allsorts of small orders, 2 days getting here, a day here delivering and then 2 days back. They will usually buy primark clothes or car parts to fill the van on the return journey.
Driver said they do one circuit a week, about 2 days gathering up allsorts of small orders, 2 days getting here, a day here delivering and then 2 days back. They will usually buy primark clothes or car parts to fill the van on the return journey.
We had one turn up at work to deliver a couple of server cabinets to the Netherlands.
Driver was Romanian and turned up wearing trackies and flip flops. The truck was a curtain sider with a sleeper above the cab.
Guy was happy as this load got him a paid return trip home. Truck was already carrying loads of second hand clothes.
Driver was Romanian and turned up wearing trackies and flip flops. The truck was a curtain sider with a sleeper above the cab.
Guy was happy as this load got him a paid return trip home. Truck was already carrying loads of second hand clothes.
Hammer67 said:
These can carry nearly as much as a 7.5 tonner and the drivers hours are not limited by tachos.
A very common sight on the M20, and they sure ain't limited to 56mph, 96 possibly.
So basically a loophole vehicle: decent payload, drive it all day and night, no speed limiter.
Is that true, legally speaking, driving a company car/van? Reason I ask is at my work recently I've been told no more longer deliveries in the van or car that results in more than 9 hours.A very common sight on the M20, and they sure ain't limited to 56mph, 96 possibly.
So basically a loophole vehicle: decent payload, drive it all day and night, no speed limiter.
I said it wasn't illegal as the rules applied to tacho'd vehicles to no avail.
aka_kerrly said:
^^^ there are often 2 or sometimes 3 guys on board to allow continual driving for hours.
I suspect some of these vans need to be monitored as they will be in the UK for more than 6 months without being UK registered/VED paid plus no speed cameras an anpr to worry about either....
I'm sure multiple drivers is true in some cases but I have seen plenty of single crewed Luton-like vans but most I see are Romanian registered. I'm personally completely fine if my work want to limit the hours, I'm more curious to know if I really have been breaking any law by doing deliveries to say Scotland even though I've always had plenty of breaks?I suspect some of these vans need to be monitored as they will be in the UK for more than 6 months without being UK registered/VED paid plus no speed cameras an anpr to worry about either....
The first thing that tells me it isn't illegal is we know the big courier companies are single crewed and do 12+ hours days but still keep second guessing myself.
AgentZ said:
I'm sure multiple drivers is true in some cases but I have seen plenty of single crewed Luton-like vans but most I see are Romanian registered. I'm personally completely fine if my work want to limit the hours, I'm more curious to know if I really have been breaking any law by doing deliveries to say Scotland even though I've always had plenty of breaks?
The first thing that tells me it isn't illegal is we know the big courier companies are single crewed and do 12+ hours days but still keep second guessing myself.
If you’re under 3500kg, you can run as long as you like until you feel tired. If you had an accident after 18 hours of driving, I don’t think it’d go well for you though The first thing that tells me it isn't illegal is we know the big courier companies are single crewed and do 12+ hours days but still keep second guessing myself.
Jimmy Recard said:
If you’re under 3500kg, you can run as long as you like until you feel tired. If you had an accident after 18 hours of driving, I don’t think it’d go well for you though
Not correct. They come under British domestic rules in this country (and presumably similar abroad), which is a max of 10 hours driving and 11 hours duty (if driving more than 4 hours) in any 24 hour period. There is also a requirement for a 45 minute break to be taken after a certain amount of driving, it’s longer than the 4.5 hour tacho rule and is, I think in the 5.5 hour region.
ETA: that said, it isn’t policed in any way.
AgentZ said:
Is that true, legally speaking, driving a company car/van? Reason I ask is at my work recently I've been told no more longer deliveries in the van or car that results in more than 9 hours.
I said it wasn't illegal as the rules applied to tacho'd vehicles to no avail.
A responsible employer will also have their eye on their liability to ensure that if one of their drivers is involved in an accident they cannot be held liable. If I drive on business company rules mean I have to stop for a rest every 2 hours. If I chose to ignore the rules its probably up to me, but in the event of an accident my employer would be pointing at their rules.I said it wasn't illegal as the rules applied to tacho'd vehicles to no avail.
I know what they're carrying because my wife is Polish and uses their services. This time of year these vans are carrying Christmas presents to and from Poland to families on either side. They charge by the box-size, usually by negotiation and massively cheaper than using the formal mail services.
I think the last two posts sums up the confusion! I took a look at the GB domestic rules and.....Can't make head nor tail of it:
https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/gb-domestic-rules (this section of the .gov website is even listed as 'Lorry, bus and coach drivers'!?)
Mentions Goods vehicles and Passanger-carrying vehicles and even talks about keeping weekly records sheet or tachograph? Something doesn't add up.
Like I say, I can't see any of these rules (laws?) being for company cars or vans under 3.5 tonne as courier drivers/ 50-80k/yr company reps etc would be breaking the rules daily.
Not that I will complain if my work knock the longer deliveries on the head. Just the principal of knowing for sure if I have broken the law (not rules) in the past without realising.
https://www.gov.uk/drivers-hours/gb-domestic-rules (this section of the .gov website is even listed as 'Lorry, bus and coach drivers'!?)
Mentions Goods vehicles and Passanger-carrying vehicles and even talks about keeping weekly records sheet or tachograph? Something doesn't add up.
Like I say, I can't see any of these rules (laws?) being for company cars or vans under 3.5 tonne as courier drivers/ 50-80k/yr company reps etc would be breaking the rules daily.
Not that I will complain if my work knock the longer deliveries on the head. Just the principal of knowing for sure if I have broken the law (not rules) in the past without realising.
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