At Ability Handling we often find our various customers enquiring about the same topic. One concern that has arisen recently is in regard to whether forklift trucks should be used on the road and if so what are the regulations and laws surrounding this.

If the forklift truck will travel more than 1000 yards on a public road then it must comply with Construction and Use Regulations or have Type Approval. However if you are just going to cross the road from one side to another, then there is no need to make major modifications to the truck however you are still advised to register your forklift truck in order to tax and insure it.

Legal requirements will be involved and it is possible that as an effect of this major modifications to your forklift will need to be carried out which can often seem quite complex.

The Construction and Use Regulations are more lenient with those which will travel less than 1000 yards, they state that it can be driven with little modification but must be registered and insured.

Understanding the rules and how it all works is somewhat confusing, Ability Handling can help you out if this is something that has really left you with a blank expression.

Rules which surround the use of forklifts on a public road include items such as, lighting, number plates, operator requirements and other important topics. It is very important that all these are addressed and the correct requirements obtained from the various government departments.

If you have a forklift truck that will be travelling over 1000 yards on a public road or simply 10 yards on a private estate and you are not sure about what requirements you need to adhere to then contact Ability Handling we will be able to advise you and give you relevant up to date information.