Devon Haulage Boss Clarifies Comments about Law on Towing

The director of a Devon haulage company recently took time out to clarify comments he made regarding the current law on towing in the UK, after a backlash from a number of caravanning organisations. Gregory Distribution’s John Gregory suggested in a radio interview that caravans should be banned from the West Country’s main roads during the daylight hours of the summer months. He now says his comments were really directed at a push to widen the A303 and A30.

Gregory originally stated that caravan crashes routinely tie up the only major route in and out of the West Country, causing heavy financial losses for companies like his. In clarifying his comments, he made it clear that the radio interview was conducted on a day when a caravan that crashed on the M5 caused miles of tailbacks.

Despite his clarification, Gregory stands by his assertion that, until the Government addresses the road widening issue, something has to be done to keep traffic moving during the busy summer months. He proposes banning caravans from major arteries between the hours of 6am and 6pm. He said that while it is unacceptable for the region to have the M5 as the only major route in and out, it would obviously take time to correct that situation. In the meantime, traffic could be improved by limiting road use at appropriate times.

Gregory Distribution maintains a fleet of 500 trucks and a staff of 1,500 providing service throughout the UK. And as John Gregory points out, few industries in Europe are as heavily regulated as transport and haulage. Companies such as his are already struggling to make money; he says they lose as much as £60 per hour every time a delivery is late.

Gregory insists his idea to ban caravans during the summer months is just one idea that could be considered among many others. In the meantime, he says he will continue to push for the widening of the A303 and A30 so that lorries have other options for getting in and out of the region.

Learn to Tow Properly

Whether or not you agree with Gregory’s idea, we can probably all agree that learning to tow a caravan properly should not even be a question. Police officials warn us every spring about inexperienced towers causing a measurable increase in road crashes during the summer travel season. There is no need for you to be one of those drivers.

The current law on towing in the UK allows some drivers to tow caravans without the need of an enhanced licence. It all comes down to the combined weight of the trailer and the tow vehicle. However, even if an enhanced licence is not required, training is still a very good idea. Training will prepare you to operate safely, whether on the road or at the campground.

The HGV Training Centre offers trailer training for towing both caravans and light utility trailers. Contact us for more information regarding classes and pricing.

Sources:

1. Western Morning News – http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Haulage-firm-boss-defends-summer-caravan-ban-idea/story-22973424-detail/story.html