Cherry Picker – Van Mounted – MOT Exempt?

[Simon Clayton]

Don’t sound right to me mate??? i would say it’s a transit with cherry picker…and as for red diesel, i wouldn’t risk driving on the road with it..big fines if your wrong…wouldn’t the department for transport know http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/d … _page.hcsp

[John Harding]

if your vehicle is over 3.5t then as a business you need an operators licence so more headaches I think. as for the red diesel thought it was only for road laying/marking vehicles and other designated categories as simon said be very sure youre ok using red

John

[Chris Dowd]

I’ve never used red, and probably wouldn’t even if I could. It’s this plant category that would make it legal to use red though, and MOT exempt (or according to some people who seel them second hand).

Looking on the DOT site, not coming up with much… and typical, no examples of it on ebay at the moment!

[Mark B]

I used to work in the Vehicle Recovery industry and the amount of vehicles we had to pick up for using red diesel and take to be crushed was alot, any vehicle using red diesel on the road is breaking the law and you get a big fine and lose your vehicle.

[elitesigns]

if the cherry picker is mot exempt you can not carry any goods only necessary equipment for the operation of the machine, not sure about red diesel thought this was just for agricultural stuff.

[Robert Lambie]

we have a large van mounted cherrypicker.
the van needs MOT every 12 months just like any vehicle or its not road worthy.
the actual cherry picker mechanism must be MOT’d every “6 months” (not sure thats the right wording for it) every 6 months. and they must be tested by approved testers etc and your certifiacte/papers must all be stamped/crimped and signed just like your van MOT.

to be honest im happy to get the guy in, i operate mine and it takes me up 50ft ide like to think while working all is o.k.
i have a family at end of the day. ide hate them to losse out just for me to save a few quid. (just saying mate, nothing bad meant by that) but when we mess with machinery,vehicles that can cause death, we should take it serious. lots of folk and especially government milking this fact but in long run, saves lifes none the less.
better safe than sorry, your dead a long time. 😉

[carbon]

Red diesel is for agricultural tractors etc, but I seem to recall there being a mileage limitation. If you exceed this then you should switch to white. All agricultural contactors should be using white diesel

[Simon Clayton]

Good point that Rob.. Some old timer that i worked with, told me a story of how they used to do work from craddles and boson chairs…

Back then they would use scaffold type poles counter balanced over the building, weigh everyone, make the calculation, and put weights on the poles, anyway one particular time they were all on site doing a high level sign, someone had forgot to add the weight of the sign and all five of them went over the edge, all dead … very sad

Simon

[Ivan Morley]

The problem with cherry pickers, is if you obey the rules, you need a trained and competent person sitting doing nothing (except watching) on ground level, in case they need to lower the cage.

Vehicles advertised as not needing an mot and run on red diesel will be site vehicles, which will never drive on the public roads.

All people lifts, including mobile elevating working platforms require testing every six months by a competent person. Insurance companies may request the test certificate.

You can tell I have just completed a health and safety course!

Just don’t mention the new working at height regulations.

Ivan

[Lynn Normington]

are boson chairs not something to do with boats (?)

Lynn

[Chris Dowd]

Safety always must be a priority, and I would never jeopardize that, we too have our platform tested every 6 months, my comments relate to the MOT side, here’s a few examples taken from google / Jeeves:

Cherry Picker for Sale…….uktradingpost.whatever
Cherry Picker for Sale. FORD TRANSIT MOUNTED CHERRY PICKER (ACCESS PLATFORM) APPROX 35FT REACH MOT EXEMPT 6MTH TAX M REG, GOOD CONDITION…

eBay.co.uk – van, van Other Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles, Campers…
18h 40m DODGE CHERRY PICKER ACCESS PLATFORM 7.5TN 14MT REACH. RED DIESEL-LEGAL MOT EXEMPT-DRIVES ON CAR LICENCE £1,200…

IVECO/CARGO MOBILE 45′ CHERRY PICKERIVECO/CARGO MOBILE 45′ CHERRY PICKER. … 45′ TWO MAN HYDRAULIC CHERRY PICKER. WITH LARGE WORKSHOP/BOX. ALL WORKING. MOT (TEST) EXEMPT. TAX AS PLG. …

All refer to MOT exempt, one refers to red diesel-legal. Like I mentioned earlier, mine has now had 5 MOT’s and never failed one, is that because the testing station are aware that it is exempt? or have I just been lucky? The same testing station also MOT my other vans, which have been failed for small things on numerous occasions!

Again, we would not use red diesel in ours even if it was classified as plant and we could, a. because I wouldn’t even know where to buy red diesel, b. we have a convenient petrol station at the end of our industrial estate, and c. ours gets so little use a full tank lasts for ages.

I will speak with DVLA next week and get clarification though, as it certainly appears to be a grey area.

[David Rowland]

I looked breifly at this a little while ago, however we just saw large costs but from a safety perspective it was a better idea.

A competent person, I guess this is a course like fork lift type certificate?

Basically 3 MOT’s per year according to Rob, would these be standard garage or specialist centres?

Can you operate the lift from iside the basket? Someone said that someone has to be at ground level for the duration. (min 2 people)

What about those small-buggy type Cherry Pickers? do these fall under the same rules?

[Simon Clayton]

A boson chair is basicly a one man seat… plank of wood with two bits of rope… used a lot on ships

[Adrian Hewson]

Unless I am sadly mistaken unless a machine is used purely for plant use is not insured for road use and used exclusively off road (except for up to 0.5M for transfers) it is allowed to use red diesel, all other vehicles must use taxed diesel.

MOT’s are quite different. an MOT is for a vehicle which was designed as a road going vehicle, a cherry picker mounted on a transit is merely a modified transit, therefore requires an MOT. Certain vehicles are classed as specialised vehicles by the MOT, their main purpose is not transport. We own a road going forklift truck which runs on white diesel is insured and taxed but is MOT exempt as its primary use is not road transport, I believe telehandlers also come into this category.

I would certainly check with the MOT or police before listening to any lay advice

Regards Adrian

[Phill Fenton]

I’ve just been reading the new working at heights legislation that came into force in April this year:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20050735.htm

(It’s also available in “braille” – but I would have thought the government should be trying to discourage blind people in our country from working at heights…… On the other hand – a blind person presumably wouldn’t suffer from vertig0- so there is maybe some sense to their collective madness 🙄 )

I’m so glad we live in a free country that burdens the enterprising amongst us with so much legislation 🙄

I’ve turned down a number of jobs that involve working at height recently for this and other reasons. I wonder how many other sign businesses have done the same as it’s simply not worth all the hassle. Far easier to find work that involves working on ground level.

[Chris Dowd]

Ok, this one bugged me sooooo much that I emailed the VOSA, and this morning, (Civil Servants working on a Saturday… whatever next!!) I got the following reply:

Thank you for your e-mail.

Paragraph 6 of The Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988
exempts vehicles defined as “tower wagons”

A “tower wagon” is defined as a goods vehicle –
a) into which there is built, as part of the vehicle, an expanding or
extendible device designed for facilitating the erection, inspection,
repair or maintenance of overhead structures or equipment, and
which is not constructed or adapted for use, or used, for the conveyance of
any load other than such a device or articles used in connection with it.

In order to fall under these regulations the vehicle must have a Gross
Vehicle Weight of more than 3500kgs. If the gross weight is less then the
vehicle is testable as class IV or VII.

If your vehicle meets the above definition and is over 3500kgs GVW then you
can declare yourself exempt from testing by ticking the relevant box on
your V11 tax reminder.

You would need to contact Customs and Excise with regard to red diesel.
Call 0845 602 1425 for advice.

So all those people who sell small van mounts (GVW < 3500kgs) and describe them as MOT exempt, well, what can I say. In the meantime, I will continue to operate mine legally.

[Shane Drew]

quote rightsigns:

I’m so glad we live in a free country that burdens the enterprising amongst us with so much legislation 🙄

Our Labor State government here has put an added burden on sign shops as well as similar rules that you have in regards to height legislation. When installing a new sign, that has an installed height above 3 mtrs from the ground, and/or other criteria, we must have a builders license – that lets us build a house too 🙄

We can however resign an existing sign, perhaps in a less than safe sitiuation, and require no license.

If we don’t qualify for a license, but want a license, we have to sit a 600 hour course (4 years), pay lots of dollars to the government for the privledge, and be inspected by government pencils pushers at their whim.

Makes me sick, cos half the government poly’s would never survive in a self employed environment anyway, AND they are trying to tell US how to run a business they have no experince in. 👿

I’ve got to go now so I can calm down……

[Patrick Donaghey]

regards the red diesel part its totally illegal to use red diesel in any vehicle which is being used on public roads. This mean if you are a building contractor you have to use white diesel in the tractors is the are being used on the road. There is only one type of tractors that can use red diesel on the roads are the ones farmers use on the farm. these are allowed on the public roads with red diesel and only these vehicles. Believe me i know someone who was an offender HaaHa

[Chris Dowd]

I knew if I waited long enough one would appear!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? … 09383&rd=1

So according to the VOSA, test exempt is incorrect, likewise from reading some of the replies here, so is the red-diesel bit!

Just wonder how so many people get away with describing them in this way?

[Peter Normington]

They are not telling lies, all diesels will run on red, (not to be confused with heating oil) Question is, is it legal?
Peter

[Dave Bruce]

But if this vehicle is used on site all the time, then it doesn’t need Mot and can run on red d, so is being described as it has been used.

Dave

[Peter Normington]

Its down to the usage, on site fine as a piece of plant thats ok to, but, use red diesel and you cannot carry any thing except for the operation of the equipment, so the sign that you are going to fit, will have to be transported in another van. The saving on red diesel may be substantial if you are willing to cheat and are doing 10s of k per year. for a sign maker doing local work? not worth the hasstle.
Peter

[Dave Ward]

The vehicle that the link shown is actually a 5 ton vehicle so does comply with the above 3501kg mot exemption, It has been said but yes it can run on cherry (red diesel) but legally on site only and not on public roads, The only vehicles that can actually run on public roads are vehicles used for agricucltural purposes including tractors, pick ups, vans. ect ect
Trying not to go too far off topic But Heating oil (kerosine) along with cooking oil will run with engines designed to run on diesel (kerosine needs to be mixed with engine oil and cooking oil needs to be mixed with white spirits) but is illegal unless youve notified customs and excise so as to arrange to pay the vat on it.