Tractor & Trailer Certification and Plating

The revised standards for agricultural vehicles apply to four particular areas, namely:

Braking,
Lighting and visibility,
Weights, dimensions and coupling,
Plating and speed rating.

Personnel responsible for the safe use of electrical equipment, for example contractors, managers of electrical / electronics laboratories (test equipment and tools) office managers (electrical office machines) are each regarded by the Electricity at Work Act as “dutyholders” and should operate a routine safety testing programme.

Revised Standards

A summary of the revised standards coming into force on 1 January 2016 is as follows:

Agricultural vehicles that travel at speeds over 40km/h will need a more powerful braking system. Most correctly maintained tractors which have come into use in the past 30 years already meet these requirements.
Agricultural vehicles will need to be equipped with appropriate lighting systems, flashing amber beacons and reflective markings.
Trailers carrying weights over 19 tonnes for tandem axles and 22.5 tonnes for triaxles or travelling at speeds over 40km/h, will need a plate showing the trailer’s weight and dimensions. They will also need a speed disc.
New national weight limits are being introduced. These limits will allow tractors and trailers which don’t have plates to remain in use but at limits which are safe for such vehicles. Combinations of tractors and trailers, where either of them is unplated, will not be allowed to tow more than three times the tractor’s unladen weight.

Plated tractors and trailers

Plated tractors and trailer combinations will be able to operate at higher weight limits of up to 24 tonnes for tandem axles and 34 tonnes for triaxles if they meet certain other requirements, namely:

they must be fitted with a flexible suspension system,
to they must be fitted with flotation tyres for operation at 10 tonnes per axle in the case of a tandem axle trailer or 9 tonnes per axle in the case of a triaxle trailer,
they must be fitted with a steered or steering axles if they have an axle spacing of 1.8 metres or greater

Some types of interchangeable towed equipped such as slurry tankers, manure or fertiliser spreaders and grain chaser bins will be exempt from compliance with the revised national weight limits and plating requirements.

Agricultural Trailers

The revised standards also require that all agricultural trailers which are manufactured from 1 January 2016 and are capable of being towed at speeds over 40km/h must be equipped with:

pneumatic (air) braking systems incorporating load sensing to match the brake effort with the Load being carried and apply an appropriate braking force.
a breakaway brake to automatically stop the trailer if it becomes detached while moving.

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From a road safety perspective, and also to protect Ireland’s road and bridge infrastructure, it is imperative that vehicles (including agricultural vehicles) adhere to specified weights and dimensional limits. As a result, national weight limits are being introduced for agricultural trailers.

These limits will depend on:

the number of axles fitted,
the spacing between the axles,
the type of coupling fitted.

A revised width requirement is also being introduced for agricultural trailers, which is in line with the width requirements for heavy goods trailers.

Again, these revised standards take effect from 1 January 2016 for all agricultural vehicles.

Hook and Ring

`hook and ring’ coupling: Figure 12 below contains an image of a ‘hook and ring’ coupling. This is the most common coupling used on agricultural vehicles in Ireland and is (subject to the tractor manufacturer’s specifications) usually limited to vertical loads of 3,000kg or less. A vertical load is the downward force placed on the hitch by the coupling at the point of connection. You should check the tractor manufacturer’s specifications regarding coupling devices.

Pin and Eye

`pin and eye’ coupling: Figure 13 below contains an image of a ‘pin and eye’ type coupling. Usually, these couplings are used when drawing pieces of interchangeable towed equipment. Again, they are usually limited to vertical loads under of 3,000kg or less. You should check the tractor manufacturer’s specifications regarding coupling devices.

Flexible Suspension

‘flexible suspension system’ means, in relation to a trailer, an air suspension system, an equivalent system or a suspension system that incorporates a spring or a shock-absorbing device or both between the axle or axles and the trailer chassis. A ‘rocking bogie’ system (as shown in Figure B on the right-hand side of Figure 16 below) does not constitute a flexible suspension system.

Flotation Tyres

Pneumatic tyres with an inflation pressure of not more than 4 bar. A flotation tyre’s area of contact with the road surface is not less than 500 millimetres in width when measured at a right angle to the vehicle.

When a secondary coupling is fitted correctly as shown in Figure 17 below, it helps to prevent:

damage to the tractor’s cab, especially when tipping trailers;
injury to tractor drivers caused by the trailer’s drawbar entering the tractor cab through the back window;
breakages to the back of the tractor, including tyre damage;
handling difficulties, especially if the trailer’s drawbar impacts a wheel on the tractor’s rear axle;
the trailer’s drawbar from digging into the ground;
the tractor rearing up at the front.

Despite the fact that many older trailers may be equipped with a safety chain following the arrangement shown in Figure 18 below, the RSA advise that, if possible, this type of secondary coupling chain should not be used in future. The chain is too long and too high on the rear of the tractor. This could cause:

the trailer’s drawbar to come through the back window of the tractor and seriously injure the driver;
the trailer’s drawbar to come through the back window of the tractor and seriously injure the driver;
the trailer’s drawbar to damage the components fitted to the rear of the tractor, that is, the pick-up hitch or three-point linkage components, including hydraulic, braking and lighting connections;
the tractor to rear up at the front;
the trailer’s drawbar to dig into ground.

*Guerin Media Ltd does not take responsibility for claims made in the advertisement. We encourage all Agri Card holders to use discretion and to investigate credentials and references.

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