Using a Forklift Truck on Public Roads

It is not true that if you are just going to cross a road from one site to another, or offload a lorry outside on the road, you do not have to register, tax and insure your fork lift truck. That is an old wives’ tale!

If, on the task to be performed, the Fork Lift Truck will travel more than 1000 yards, then it must comply with Construction and Use Regulations or have Type Approval. This involves all sorts of legal requirements and probable quite major modifications to the truck and should not be undertaken lightly. Compliance may become quite complex.

However, if, on the task to be performed, the Fork Lift Truck will travel less than 1000 yards, on public roads, between sites or for unloading vehicles, then there is special dispensation from compliance with the Construction and Use Regulations. In most circumstances it can be driven with little modification; but it must be registered and insured. Compliance may be relatively simple but understanding all the rules is not straigh­tforward. The rules cover items such as excise duty, lighting, number plates, operator requirements and even what is a public road.

The information required to understand all of the requirements needs to be obtained from a number of different government departments. The FLTA has brought this together in a comprehensive technical bulletin. The bulletin, which is detailed below, is available for purchase. However all FLTA member companies have access to this document and will be familiar with the requirements.