I can't remember where I read this, but I remember reading, many years ago, that the reason Britain had mainly articulated wagons, while the continent used a lot of rigid wagons with trailers, is that here the unions insisted that rigid wagons with tailers be treated as two vehicles, thus requiring two men (driver and mate).
SteveW
I've a feeling you're wrong. I *think* rigid lorry plus trailer was not allowed in the UK at one time by law. Probably before motorways arrived.
Lorry drivers at one time always had a mate. Nothing to do with unions.
There was a tax incentive here to use articulated lorries. VED was less than for a wagon and drag. The reverse was true in most of mainland Europe, which is why they mainly used drawbar trailers.
If I remember correctly, our length and gross weight limits were also less generous than the continentals', and it was easier to get maximum allowed weight on an artic in the space available and the empty weight was less, too, allowing more payload.
I had hand me down Dinky toy lorries with trailers that predated the Motorways so I don't think they were banned. Not sure where to look it up right now but weren't there legal requirements at one time which required a goods vehicles with trailers over a certain size to have an attendant as well as a driver? Artics may have got around that rule. The first common artics in the UK were those tiny mechanical horse types used near stations which became popular from the thirties,
G.Harman
Right.
Dunno. I certainly remember long distance lorries having mates. There may have been a restriction on axle weight which made trailers less attractive - the UK was always behind Europe in that.
They were very common once - the railways being a major user. Excellent turning circle compared to a rigid truck which may have been a factor for town use.
Another thing occurred - in just post WW2 UK, the average truck was extremely underpowered. A 20 mph limit was in force until the mid '50s for HGVs, so it could just be they couldn't pull anything extra.
Indeed. even in the early 60s they were barely able to get to 40-45mph and 15mph uphill was not uncommon.
Probably a good things as they had no power brakes or power steering either.
Living in a hilly part of the country as a kid, I've seen the results of a few run away lorries, even in the 70s.
MBQ
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