JCB has secured a change in regulations which will allow trailers to be towed on the road by wheeled construction machinery – potentially saving customers thousands of pounds a year.
The decision affects towing rules in England, Scotland and Wales and has seen the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) create a new Vehicle Special Order (VSO).
Under the new regulation, it will be possible for customers to use wheeled engineering plant, such as backhoe loaders and wheeled excavators, to tow a trailer on the highway, for the purposes of construction, maintenance, and repair of roads.
“Recognition by the VCA of the benefits of safely towing a trailer behind these types of wheeled machines will be welcomed by contractors and equipment owners,” says Richard Brooks, JCB’s group product innovation director. “We have been pushing for this change in legislation, as it will greatly increase the versatility and productivity of this type of wheeled machine. By towing a trailer to and from site, customers will reduce the need for additional vehicles to carry materials and tools, cutting emissions and unnecessary traffic, while increasing efficiency in road construction maintenance and repair.”
It has taken some years for JCB to demonstrate to the Department for Transport (DfT) and VCA that this is an effective and efficient use of machinery and will facilitate, amongst other issues, the repair of potholes. While this is only a temporary derogation to The Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) General Order 2003, the company remains committed to a permanent change and will continue to work with all agencies to effect this.
Despite the availability of trailer hitches and towing equipment for a range of wheeled machines, it has until now, not been possible for this type of machinery to legally tow a trailer on public highways.
Under the new order, backhoe loaders like JCB’s 3CX Compact, along with wheeled excavators such as JCB’s Hydradig and Pothole Pro, will now be permitted to tow a trailer that is unladen, or that is carrying material or tools to and from a road construction, repair, or maintenance site, greatly increasing versatility and productivity for the customer, while reducing the need for additional transportation.
The machines will be allowed to tow on all types of roads, other than motorways, at speeds of up to 20mph. The wheeled engineering plant must be road-registered and shall comply with all applicable aspects of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. The overall length of the combined machine and trailer cannot exceed 8m and the trailer must bear the same number plate as the towing machine.
Operators wanting to take advantage of this change in the law, can apply in writing to the VCA, advising that they wish to use a machine, or a number of machines, to tow on the road. Applications should be submitted to vso@vca.gov.uk and must include the name of the person or organisation making the application.
