Driving lorries
- Thread starter LMH
- Start date
Damian
Moderator
All UK HGV's are limited to 57mph, but that will be slower on uphill gradients and could be faster on downhill stretches.
Non UK vehicles seem to be able to any speed they are capable of.
Non UK vehicles seem to be able to any speed they are capable of.
The speed limit for HGVS is 60 mph.Although limiters are set at 56mph/90 km/h.7.5 tonners before oct 02 were not required to be fitted with limiters,but now are.
The speed limit for HGVS is 60 mph.Although limiters are set at 56mph/90 km/h.7.5 tonners before oct 02 were not required to be fitted with limiters,but now are.
Thanks
Damian - when you say 'All UK HGV's are limited to 57mph, ' does that mean the vehicle is physically incapable of doing more than 57mp give or take a couple of mph?
What about busses on the motorway? anyone know what the limit is for them?
Lisa
Damian - when you say 'All UK HGV's are limited to 57mph, ' does that mean the vehicle is physically incapable of doing more than 57mp give or take a couple of mph?
What about busses on the motorway? anyone know what the limit is for them?
Lisa
Damian
Moderator
Lisa, no they are not incapable of doing more, just that they have limiters fitted to keep them at around the 56 to 57 mark, but can be able to top 60 in places.
Buses and coaches depends on the seating capacity, some are limited some are allowed to do 70
Buses and coaches depends on the seating capacity, some are limited some are allowed to do 70
hi all
the speed limit for a hgv is 60mph but hgvs registered after 1988 are required by law to be fitted with speed limiters
in 1988 the limiter was set at 60mph.from i think 1990 all new hgvs had the speed limit set to 56mph (90kph) and older hgvs fitted with limiters were reset to 56mph by about 1995
since 2004 hgv speed limiters were set to 53mph (85kph)
the 60mph speed limit still applies to all hgvs which means when going down hill on a motorway a hgv can do 60mph
the way a speed limiter works is when the hgv gets to a set speed it cuts the power of the engine untill the speed drops below the set speed.so untill the set speed is reached the driver still has full the power of the engine
coaches are limited to 62mph (100kph) and when this came in were banned from using the 3rd lane of the motorway
hope this helps and i think i have got most of the facts right
hgv dave
the speed limit for a hgv is 60mph but hgvs registered after 1988 are required by law to be fitted with speed limiters
in 1988 the limiter was set at 60mph.from i think 1990 all new hgvs had the speed limit set to 56mph (90kph) and older hgvs fitted with limiters were reset to 56mph by about 1995
since 2004 hgv speed limiters were set to 53mph (85kph)
the 60mph speed limit still applies to all hgvs which means when going down hill on a motorway a hgv can do 60mph
the way a speed limiter works is when the hgv gets to a set speed it cuts the power of the engine untill the speed drops below the set speed.so untill the set speed is reached the driver still has full the power of the engine
coaches are limited to 62mph (100kph) and when this came in were banned from using the 3rd lane of the motorway
hope this helps and i think i have got most of the facts right
hgv dave
Almost Dave with the exception that the limiters are still set at 90 km/h. Although an operator may have them set lower.
The speed limit for an unrestricted 7.499 tonner is still 70mph on the motorway.
The reason for the discrepancy that occurs between vehicles are many.
Some drivers play with the throttle coming off it slightly and going back on will get you upto about 58 for a short while but you will tire of this.
When the limiter is set there maybe about 1 mph difference between vehicle due to the inaccuracies of the tachograph and the rolling road the vehicle is on.
Then there are various ways to cheat a little.
Under inflated tyres at time of calibration will give about 1 mph when reflated back to 110psi.
On vehicle without a digital tacho some will present the vehicle on low profile tyres and then switch it back to normal. this will allow the vehicle to hit about 60 mph.
Then there is the illegal where the fuse for the limiter is pulled allowing most to run to about 75 - 85 mph. This removing the fuse is legal in vehicles that shall spend time running outside EC and AETR areas such as Africa or Iraq.
The other thing to terrify you is on a stretch like the shap on the M6 the driver maybe running out of gear and coasting.
The speed limit for an unrestricted 7.499 tonner is still 70mph on the motorway.
The reason for the discrepancy that occurs between vehicles are many.
Some drivers play with the throttle coming off it slightly and going back on will get you upto about 58 for a short while but you will tire of this.
When the limiter is set there maybe about 1 mph difference between vehicle due to the inaccuracies of the tachograph and the rolling road the vehicle is on.
Then there are various ways to cheat a little.
Under inflated tyres at time of calibration will give about 1 mph when reflated back to 110psi.
On vehicle without a digital tacho some will present the vehicle on low profile tyres and then switch it back to normal. this will allow the vehicle to hit about 60 mph.
Then there is the illegal where the fuse for the limiter is pulled allowing most to run to about 75 - 85 mph. This removing the fuse is legal in vehicles that shall spend time running outside EC and AETR areas such as Africa or Iraq.
The other thing to terrify you is on a stretch like the shap on the M6 the driver maybe running out of gear and coasting.
Thanks for the replies. It's just that I seem to have seen a few lately that I'm sure were driving at more than 60 mph on the flat.
Lisa
Lisa
hi slowcoach
sorry my friend but hgvs from 2004 are limited to 53mph.....i know this because the scania that i drive has a sticker in the cab saying that which is a legal requirement
now saying that the boss has had it taken up to 56mph and im passing newer hgvs with ease,in fact im passing newer hgvs from my own fleet.
you are correct older 7.5 tonners can do 70mph but of last year new 7.5 tonners have to be fitted with a speed limiter and the speed set at 53 mph
as for pulling a fuse,with the older speed limiter that were retro fitted to hgvs.....yes that could be done.
i use to work for a firm and the fleet was scania 113s and a driver there had a wire fitted with a spring clamp and when he earthed the wire it knocked off the tacho and speed limiter
with the erf ec i use to drive and the scania r series i drive now there is no separate speed limiter....its all done by the engine management system....i would think that there is a way around it but i for one am not interested
hgv dave
sorry my friend but hgvs from 2004 are limited to 53mph.....i know this because the scania that i drive has a sticker in the cab saying that which is a legal requirement
now saying that the boss has had it taken up to 56mph and im passing newer hgvs with ease,in fact im passing newer hgvs from my own fleet.
you are correct older 7.5 tonners can do 70mph but of last year new 7.5 tonners have to be fitted with a speed limiter and the speed set at 53 mph
as for pulling a fuse,with the older speed limiter that were retro fitted to hgvs.....yes that could be done.
i use to work for a firm and the fleet was scania 113s and a driver there had a wire fitted with a spring clamp and when he earthed the wire it knocked off the tacho and speed limiter
with the erf ec i use to drive and the scania r series i drive now there is no separate speed limiter....its all done by the engine management system....i would think that there is a way around it but i for one am not interested
hgv dave
It might depend on how you are measuring the speed. If you are comparing it to your own speedo in the car, then you may well have -10% error, such that you may be travelling at an indicated 60mph, but in fact you may only be doing a real 54mph. In practice most car speedo's are slightly better, so a real 56 is quite possible.
Just to clarify, NO vehicles in the EU including the UK have speed limiters set to MPH. All regulations refer to KPH. Currently, where speed limiters are required to be fitted,in general they are set to 90kph for LGV's and 100kph for PCV's.
I could fill a page with exceptions,( i.e. Isuzu NQR with T as the 10th VIN character). There are various lists available from VOSA detailing what does/does not require a limiter and at what speed it needs to be set to.
Some vehicles, ie Scania, may have a sticker with 85kph on it but this is a throw back to the time when RSL's first became a MOT testable item and take account of the tacho +/- 6kph allowance. The limiter can still be legally set to a stablised speed not exceeding 90kph.
I could fill a page with exceptions,( i.e. Isuzu NQR with T as the 10th VIN character). There are various lists available from VOSA detailing what does/does not require a limiter and at what speed it needs to be set to.
Some vehicles, ie Scania, may have a sticker with 85kph on it but this is a throw back to the time when RSL's first became a MOT testable item and take account of the tacho +/- 6kph allowance. The limiter can still be legally set to a stablised speed not exceeding 90kph.
Not wanting to contradict you Dave, but the legal requirement is to have speed limiters on haulage vehicles[upto 32tonnes and 8 wheelers,might be different for artics] set to 56mph, not 53mph.
Indeed last January we had to have our [2]7.5 tonner restricted,and that was to 56 mph and not 53mph.as deemed by the new legislation that came into effect in jan2006, but given grace till jan 2007.
Although it does seems a lot of 7.5 tonne lorry of that age are not restricted yet! God knows why as it should be pulled up at yearly test.
Indeed last January we had to have our [2]7.5 tonner restricted,and that was to 56 mph and not 53mph.as deemed by the new legislation that came into effect in jan2006, but given grace till jan 2007.
Although it does seems a lot of 7.5 tonne lorry of that age are not restricted yet! God knows why as it should be pulled up at yearly test.
we also have 2, 55 plate 32 tonners,and various 18/ 14 tonners from 56,57,58.plate none are restricted to 53, all have the 56 mph rule applied from new, and vary in speed from 54 to 57mph.
g
Although RSL's are a testable item the vehicle will not fail it's MOT for the speed limiter not working. If the limiter works but cuts in ABOVE 90 kph then the vehicle will fail. This is because it has been shown to cut in too late. Not all speed limiters can be tested by VOSA and just because they can't test the RSL doesn't mean it's not working. They should ask to see tacho charts for 5 consecitive days so they can see the vehicle has not exceeded 90kph but as this is so hit and miss many testers don't bother asking and just mark the test card as "no RSL cut in speed" and pass the vehicle.
Although RSL's are a testable item the vehicle will not fail it's MOT for the speed limiter not working. If the limiter works but cuts in ABOVE 90 kph then the vehicle will fail. This is because it has been shown to cut in too late. Not all speed limiters can be tested by VOSA and just because they can't test the RSL doesn't mean it's not working. They should ask to see tacho charts for 5 consecitive days so they can see the vehicle has not exceeded 90kph but as this is so hit and miss many testers don't bother asking and just mark the test card as "no RSL cut in speed" and pass the vehicle.
Chrisbee, what you say might be so, but considering this is new legislation, you would thing that Vosa would be up to the challenge. as I said numerous 54,55 plates on ward 7.5 tonne vehicles have gone flying past,at speed of 65 plus, that clearly shows they have not been electronically restricted,and is a clear offence now.Is it not vosa job?
To comply with the law, all of our front line appliances regestered after 05 are limmited to 90 kph.
It is only when we turn on our blue lights that the limmiter is over ridden and max speed of 75-80 mph can be achieved.
It is only when we turn on our blue lights that the limmiter is over ridden and max speed of 75-80 mph can be achieved.
from what i remember,7.5 tonners came out the factory with limiters fitted,or should i say as part of the vehicle,from 2002.before this date they were excempt.must question the RSL max speedset for test as 90k,to my knowledge your allowed 92k as long as it is"dead" at 92k.the overspeed must be 90k though.
g
Vosa test speed limiters by generating a speed signal to the tacho which in turn signals the RSL ecu. This is fine for most systems. However, certain vehicle's rsl ecu's use a speed signal directly from a separate pulse generator at the gearbox or the vehicle's ABS pole wheels. VOSA are unable to test these (and incidentaly all Volvos fitted with motometer tacho's). There is also no way for them to test the rsl if the vehicle is fitted with a digi tacho. If the seals are broken and the rsl tampered with or indeed has just failed, it is up to the owner to get it repaired. Would you?
seth,
From October 01 3500kgs and above required RSLs for international journeys, but not for UK use. Many vehicles had RSLs fitted from new but these were not "set", especially if they were operated by the vehicle ECU (fly by wire). From 1st Jan 05 they were required for UK trips and I am still finding vehicles from 2005 without RSLs fitted! As I said earlier, the vehicle will not fail the MOT providing there is a RSL sticker in the cab which can be a sticky address label with "set speed 90kph". That's all the law requires.
Any LGV with a tested RSL cut in speed of 91kph or above WILL fail the MOT.
Vosa test speed limiters by generating a speed signal to the tacho which in turn signals the RSL ecu. This is fine for most systems. However, certain vehicle's rsl ecu's use a speed signal directly from a separate pulse generator at the gearbox or the vehicle's ABS pole wheels. VOSA are unable to test these (and incidentaly all Volvos fitted with motometer tacho's). There is also no way for them to test the rsl if the vehicle is fitted with a digi tacho. If the seals are broken and the rsl tampered with or indeed has just failed, it is up to the owner to get it repaired. Would you?
seth,
From October 01 3500kgs and above required RSLs for international journeys, but not for UK use. Many vehicles had RSLs fitted from new but these were not "set", especially if they were operated by the vehicle ECU (fly by wire). From 1st Jan 05 they were required for UK trips and I am still finding vehicles from 2005 without RSLs fitted! As I said earlier, the vehicle will not fail the MOT providing there is a RSL sticker in the cab which can be a sticky address label with "set speed 90kph". That's all the law requires.
Any LGV with a tested RSL cut in speed of 91kph or above WILL fail the MOT.
Hi Lisa hope that you are well.
The point I was trying to make was that when we are not using blue lights we are a normal road going LGV.
It was mentioned that speed limmiters on new LGVs were being set at 53 mph 85 kph which is not correct. I was trying to point out that our vehicles regestered from 05 were limmited to 56 mph 90 kph to comply with the law.
Regards
Graham)
The point I was trying to make was that when we are not using blue lights we are a normal road going LGV.
It was mentioned that speed limmiters on new LGVs were being set at 53 mph 85 kph which is not correct. I was trying to point out that our vehicles regestered from 05 were limmited to 56 mph 90 kph to comply with the law.
Regards
Graham
)Oooops, sorry Graham.
Have your trucks got cctv? We've had some of the new trucks with about 7 cameras on them for ages but they've not been released yet.
Lisa
Have your trucks got cctv? We've had some of the new trucks with about 7 cameras on them for ages but they've not been released yet.
Lisa
Chrisbee,its a bit of a patchy area this,we spend a bit of time at tacho centres,been there today.as most of the non dealer ones can only set the heads and certain RSLS ,ie econocruise,grenoveld etc.we can only set a certain make of electronic engine likewise,as you know every maker has its own diagnostic tool.We were under the impression it was oct 01 for 7.5 t RSL fitment direct out the factory from new.and the interim period was july 08 for them all to be fitted by or operational.The RSL max speedset i think is down to the testers descression,we,ve seen a few ECM,s set at 92k with no problems at test.
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