Hi, Can anyone clarify the situation of using FLT's on the road. I am aware that if they are on the public highway then they will need to be plated. However the area in question is a private industrial estate , but this is used by occupants of the units and also the public has access to the road leading into the estate (private). Would the truck need to be plated ? Thanks

I think there is something somewhere that says that even on a public road, plated or not, you can go a distance of 500m....perhaps someone can clarify this...

Hi Try the forklift truck association http://www.fork-truck.org.uk/fact-sheets they should be able to give you a steer in the right direction.

There is some guidance out there (I will try and dig it out) relating to short distance being allowed. Used it in a previous role to allow a side loader to travel from one entrance to another due to the size of the material being carried. (Risk Assessments completed and controls put in place). I will see if I can find the book. Rob

Spull Chucker!!!! Safety not Safty!!!

Have you asked the DVLA?

The above poster makes some good points which is why you need to focus on asking the people that count (DVLA and your insurance company) and get the facts. Yes there is confusion over the 1000 yard issue. My suspicion is that this stems from the simple fact that so long as you are not travelling more than 1000 yards (it may be now quoted in metric figures) you can (or could a few years ago) continue to use red diesel (a different question to the one posted).

If DVLA are giving out information like that quoted by JohnW no wonder people are confused, when in fact the legislation is straight forward. The registration and licensing of fork lift trucks is governed by the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act (VERA) 1994, which includes special dispensation if a truck travels less than 1000 yards, allowing it to be classed as a "Works Truck". The act requires all trucks to be registered and taxed, with the cost of the tax based upon method of propulsion and design weight. The "Works Truck" dispensation basically means that you do not have to make major modifications to make it road legal. We have included a section on driving on the public highway in our FLT policy, which was compiled with the guidance of insurers. I have pasted it in below. Please feel free to copy it, comment on it, rip it to pieces in the usual forum style. 17.0 Lift Trucks on the Public Highway 17.1. Attention should be paid to reducing risks at point where lift trucks may meet other Traffic or pedestrians, including areas where lift trucks load and unload other vehicles making deliveries or collections. 17.2. Where the use of lift trucks outside the workplace is unavoidable, for example to load or unload lorries which cannot enter the workplace and are parked on public roads, risk assessment should include the extra hazards, such as the movement of road vehicles and pedestrians, which are not part of the work activity. 17.3. This risk assessment should form part of a safe system of work, and planning of the lifting operation should take the extra risk into account. 17.4. If a truck is to travel a distance greater than 1000 yards then it must be fully registered, according to weight and will need to comply with Construction and Use Regulations. Few lift trucks would readily meet these requirements and site should elect to transport the truck by other means. 17.5. If the truck is to travel less than 1000 yards then special dispensation is available. Registration and licensing of fork lift trucks is governed by the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act (VERA) 1994. For licensing purposes a truck may be described as a "Works Truck " when its use complies with the following conditions :- • It is designed for use in private premises and is used on public roads only for: - Carrying goods between private premises and a vehicle on the road in the immediate vicinity - Passing between one part and another or to the private premises in the immediate vicinity - In connection with road works at or in the immediate vicinity of the site of such works Therefore the truck would fall within the Works Truck category and would be registered as such. The actual taxation class would depend on the manufacturers design laden weight and method of propulsion. All electronically propelled lift trucks fall into the electric vehicle class and are exempt from duty. However, they must display registration plates on the rear of the vehicle or alternatively on either side and a null tax disc to show they are registered. Lift trucks with a design-laden weight of 3,500kgs or less fall into the private/light goods class and sites must pay the required duty. 17.6. Any lift truck being driven on a public road must be insured. The minimum requirement is third party liability insurance. 17.7 Operators of any lift truck lift truck being driven on a public road must hold a full category B driving licence and be over 21 years of age. 17.7. There is no requirement for an MOT. The vehicle should, of course, have a current Thorough Examination certificate but this is not required for registration. Operator Daily Checks are required as detailed in 10.1.