I knew I was over my payload.....

We were behind an artic loaded in Barnard Castle and it was a stone built medieval bridge with a 7.5 tonne limit ,and the driver was dithering at the lights on green for us ,it was a Polish wagon when he took off with a lively spurt ,I waited too see if he had made it and the bridge was still in one piece .Luckily everybody ok but I don’t think the bridge could put up that weight for very long . he had few options as the road was narrow and there was a long queue waiting either side he could not turn round .
 
We have a lane near us with a three ton weight limit at a weak bridge, signed at end of road and repeated at bridge

it is used daily by a school double bus ? causes much discussion on local FB page, defended by same few each time who claim that buses have different rules and are weighed differently ?

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
A tragedy just north of Toulouse last week when a 40 tonne lorry collapsed a suspension bridge with a 19 tonne limit. The lorry driver and a 15 year old girl in a following car, on her way to school, were killed. five others injured.

Those weight limit signs mean something!
 
mitzimad said:
is it just me but i cant see if theres a weight limit on that bridge?
Click to expand...

You may not be able to, but the coach driver could hardly miss it.

1574592172233.png

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
DavidG58 said:
We have a lane near us with a three ton weight limit at a weak bridge, signed at end of road and repeated at bridge

it is used daily by a school double bus ? causes much discussion on local FB page, defended by same few each time who claim that buses have different rules and are weighed differently ?
Click to expand...
It always amazes me ( not difficult) when people say that weight limits do not apply to motor homes when weight limit signs are put at entrances to towns, try arguing that with Guardia or Genderarmmes
 
DavidG58 said:
We have a lane near us with a three ton weight limit at a weak bridge, signed at end of road and repeated at bridge

it is used daily by a school double bus ? causes much discussion on local FB page, defended by same few each time who claim that buses have different rules and are weighed differently ?
Click to expand...
We have a similar bridge near us David, which I used as a coach/bus driver, and is still used by school buses/coaches today.
If the signage for the bridge weight limit, is like this.............

1574594423610.png
................then it applies to all vehicles.

If the weight limit sign is like this............

1574594607245.png
...................... Then it only applies only to Goods Vehicles.

In the case of the next sign, 44 Tonners (and above) can access the route, providing they are loading/unloading.

1574594879225.png


HTH,

Jock. :)
 
frogijock said:
It always amazes me ( not difficult) when people say that weight limits do not apply to motor homes when weight limit signs are put at entrances to towns, try arguing that with Guardia or Genderarmmes
Click to expand...
They don't apply to MHs, if the signage depicts a Goods Vehicle, as exampled above. ;)

Cheers,

Jock. :)
 
4420CC27-D1F6-4466-9FF3-52BD1DF849C4.jpeg


this is our local one, the ‘justifiers’ come out with all sorts of excuses for buses

it’s per axle

it only applies to lorries

Service buses don’t have to obey these signs


I share your logic for France JockandRita that if it shows a weight only it applies to all, but a picture of a lorry then allows us access in MH

I certainly wouldn’t cross the sign in my photo while in my MH, but buses apparently can ?

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
DavidG58 said:
We have a lane near us with a three ton weight limit at a weak bridge, signed at end of road and repeated at bridge
Click to expand...
Is that the one on Buttermilk....David ?
have often wondered how many loaded recyclers go over it ?
 
Wildge said:
Is that the one on Buttermilk....David ?
have often wondered how many loaded recyclers go over it ?
Click to expand...

thats the one, although I am confident the lorries turn left out the dump it site, like you I am sure most vans on that road are over 3tons

we used to have a Toyota Landcruiser that was over 3tons empty
 
I can't remember what exactly the weight limit is at the railway bridge at the eastern end of Wyre Piddle where we run the rally at Avon Bank Meadows but what I do know is that it is significantly less than the weight of a bus.

However 'ordinary' vehicles are not allowed to cross the bridge but Buses are. Please go figure.
 
DavidG58 said:
We have a lane near us with a three ton weight limit at a weak bridge, signed at end of road and repeated at bridge

it is used daily by a school double bus ? causes much discussion on local FB page, defended by same few each time who claim that buses have different rules and are weighed differently ?
Click to expand...

?

And these people are allowed to vote and have children ?
 
Emmit said:
I can't remember what exactly the weight limit is at the railway bridge at the eastern end of Wyre Piddle where we run the rally at Avon Bank Meadows but what I do know is that it is significantly less than the weight of a bus.

However 'ordinary' vehicles are not allowed to cross the bridge but Buses are. Please go figure.
Click to expand...

Yes I did notice that when we went for a walk that way.

I couldn’t figure it out ?
 
DavidG58 said:
View attachment 347942

this is our local one, the ‘justifiers’ come out with all sorts of excuses for buses

it’s per axle

it only applies to lorries

Service buses don’t have to obey these signs


I share your logic for France JockandRita that if it shows a weight only it applies to all, but a picture of a lorry then allows us access in MH

I certainly wouldn’t cross the sign in my photo while in my MH, but buses apparently can ?
Click to expand...
There is no justification whatsoever for driving across that bridge David, in anything weighing 3T or above.....................unless in an emergency, or directed to do so by a law enforcement officer.
All traffic has to obey that signage, so your local justifiers need to brush up on there Highway Code and signage. If it was a maximum axle weight, an axle would be displayed within the signage. I speak as an experienced and qualified Class 1 HGV, driver, Class 1 PSV driver, and as a former Emergency Fire Appliance Driver.

Re the logic for France. It's not logic, it is law, as it is here in Britain. A GMW is simply that. Often the 3.5t weight limit will have the wording Sauf Acce's,ie, except access, possibly to an Aire or parking area. (y)

I once had a pen pushing Council Official from the L A's Traffic Department, try to tell me that my coach was parked illegally at night, and that if I didn't stop parking there, action would be taken against me. A few days later, a neighbour knocked on the door, telling me that the police were sniffing round the coach. I went out and introduced myself to the 2 x plain clothes officers. Someone had complained about the coach being parked where it was, and was blocking them in. The two officers were happy that I was in compliance with the signage, eg,

1574602010705.png
..............which only applies to Goods Vehicles.

They informed the complainant that I was not parked illegally, nor was I causing an obstruction, by demonstrating that they could gain access to and from the parking areas. The complainant went away quietly. The following day,I contacted the same Council Official, who by this time had already been made aware, that he must have misunderstood the signage in that area, as correctly depicted in the Highway Code. Yessssssssss. :)

On another occasion whilst doing rail relief for passengers at weekends, when I safely arrived at P/boro Rail Station from Cambridge and Huntingdon, one lady passenger in the front seat threatened to report me to the Rail Company...........................for driving through a No Entry Sign. Before I could advise her accordingly, another passenger informed her, that it was a No Entry sign, except for access to buses and coaches. I know I shouldn't have, but I just couldn't resist the temptation, and told her, "And that Madam, is why I'm driving this coach, and not you." :moon2:

Cheers,

Jock. :)
 
Last edited:
I assume the op is in USA but where do they find 30+ Ton single deck busses
 
Geo said:
I assume the op is in USA but where do they find 30+ Ton single deck busses
Click to expand...

Don`t think so even The "Classic" yellow schoolbus tops out at just under 15t? (MGW). And full of schoolkids is likely no where near that?. However a 45/48ft Greyhound Bus could come out up to 24t.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Pete5996 said:
Scroll through the pics here:
https://www.linternaute.com/actuali...dre-a-mirepoix-sur-tarn/2374303-pont-effondre
Click to expand...

Wow. 19 tonne weight limit. Truck driver and teenage girl lost their lives. Darwin award for him; very sad for her.

DavidG58 said:
View attachment 347942

this is our local one, the ‘justifiers’ come out with all sorts of excuses for buses

it’s per axle

it only applies to lorries

Service buses don’t have to obey these signs


I share your logic for France JockandRita that if it shows a weight only it applies to all, but a picture of a lorry then allows us access in MH

I certainly wouldn’t cross the sign in my photo while in my MH, but buses apparently can ?
Click to expand...

We saw a similar sign on our travels. In October we drove (in SWMBO's Jazz) across an old masonry bridge over the heritage railway, under repair, with alternate single lane traffic, I think on the B4362 in Worcestershire. Several large panel vans and 7.5T trucks that were obviously over 3 tonne GVW just ignored the weight limit sign. If we had been in the PVC we would not have used that road but taken the longer detour to avoid it.

Nobody there to enforce the weight limit. What's the point putting up a sign that is routinely ignored. Must be hundreds of breaches daily if what we saw was a representative sample.
 
Hence the old "truckers" map still in use in Motorhome!. Although now relegated to a "work of reference". But handy to double check any unknown route. Still available but a lot more that mine cost back when!.

could not resist this:-
1574614315542.png


We got one for my Great Grandson to play on with his cars last Xmas!.
 
Last edited:

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top