1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182 
M6 Toll axle shock
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
OPERATORS USING revolutionary new trailer types on container transport face paying six times the standard rate on the M6 Toll thanks to the way the tolls are calculated.
The new skeletal designs, which allow operators to split the trailer when carrying two 20ft containers, fall foul of the M6 Toll's rules because they have an extra axle, despite carrying no more weight.
Operator Mark Robinson, who runs Leeds-based MJ Robinson Transport, only found out that his trailer would cost him extra when he was charged a whopping £35 for using the toll road, compared with :he usual artic price ofjust £6.
Robinson points out that carryng 40 tonnes on seven axles will do ess damage to the road than a 44.onne artic on six axles: "I had no idea that I would be charged this much. I could understand if! were running a low-loader with 60 tonnes on as this would cause more damage and operators usually pay more in bridges and tolls for carrying such a load.
"But if running a six-axle vehicle costs £6 then the cost for having a seven-axle should be £7 — not six times the rate."
Toll operator Midland Expressway MD Tom Fanning says signs state the charges for classes 1 to 5, and these cover the vast majority of vehicles that use the M6 Toll, including those up to six axles.
"There are other classes which cover, larger wider or abnormal loads," he adds,"but it is not practicable to give prices for these on signs. Charges for all vehicles can be found on our website."