How fast do you drive with your trailer/horsebox?

[spotty_pony]

Question in title. I drive a 7.5 tonne and I know I can be over cautious but I don’t think I ever go above 40/50 except on dual carriageways. I hate the feeling when you go around a corner and the camber dips to the outside and you can feel it rolling. Some would say I need to go faster but I’d rather be safe…

 

[McFluff]

On A and B roads usually about 40 (if bendy, and slowing down as appropriate)
On straight A roads then maybe 50 (we have some really long straight roads here)
On dual carriageway and motorway 60 (max)
4.5T lorry - and I can see on camera if he’s ok or not

Was rather surprised to be overtaken on dual carriageway by a car and horse trailer. I was doing 60 (just below as speed limited). They must have been doing 70!
The poor horse was swaying about inside the trailer.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I drive within the legal limits and to the weather and road conditions.
Usually 60 on motorways unless weather or traffic bad. Up to the limit elsewhere but ensure I note road signage for hazards such as tight bends or hills etc.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Not very. Lorry is 1997 and sloooooow

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I nearly made it up to the speed limit last week.

I didn't have a horse on board at the time otherwise I would have been slower

 

[cold_feet]

I try to drive close to the speed limit on ‘normal’ roads. But on the single track lanes round where I live, which are (ridiculously in my opinion) national speed limit at 60mph, I rarely get above 25mph. 3.5t Renault Master. Mind you, I rarely get beyond 30 in my little Toyota Yaris round here.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I nearly made it up to the speed limit last week.

I didn't have a horse on board at the time otherwise I would have been slower

Welcome to my world

 

[Btomkins]

Very slowly on the lanes round us as they are narrow and bendy. But I do pull over to let traffic round if safe to do so. A tiny bit faster on straighter faster roads but I probably still annoy ‘normal’ drivers

 

[Merry neddy man]

nice sensible answers , well said.

 

[Jambarissa]

7.5t limited to 55mph.

I rarely go over 40 except on motorways.

I used to feel bad for holding people up but I've got living creatures standing up in the back, they come first. Will def pull over to let traffic past but it's rarely needed.

I did go faster with my heavy weight 4x4 and trailer, probably because it's a more familiar feeling in my car. Never fast though.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I've got a trailer and drive 50mph ish on straight roads. I drive as slow as I think necessary on our winding country roads.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I currently drive a 3.5t but previously had a bigger lorry. I struggle to get to 40 on any of the single carriage way roads around here as not only are they bendy but the road surfaces even on A and B roads are horrendous with massive potholes and the sides of the roads crumbling away. I often can’t do more than 30 in what has a speed limit of 60. I do try and pull over where I can periodically but often there is nowhere.

 

[SadKen]

I’ll do near the limit on dual carriageway and motorways in my 3.5t. On roundabouts, B roads, anything remotely bendy I’m down to a snail’s pace and I do mean a crawl. around 40-45 for A roads. It’s the corners that produce instability. Fortunately it’s mostly dual carriageway for me to go places.

I’ve been using my box as my daily driver for about 2 months, and I certainly keep up with traffic in it. Id imagine anyone horsey seeing me drive it like that would be horrified. There’s no horse in it though

 

[humblepie]

Depends on road, weather and traffic. Lorry is very stable - OH is mechanic and says some he drives are very unstable even on a dual carriageway. It isn’t speed limited so will do 57/60 on motorway if safe to do so. Generally stay around 55. Country lanes and bendy twisty roads a different story and drive slowly as necessary.

 

[GreyDot]

My biggest bugbear on motorways and dual carriageways is when someone overtakes me and slots themselves into my 'safe breaking space' I do like to keep a good, safe distance between myself and the car/truck infront and hate it when someone slots themselves in a hovers just ahead of me.

 

[ROG]

4.5T lorry - and I can see on camera if he’s ok or not

I hope you are not viewing the inside pf the trailer whilst driving as that would be illegal !!

 

[Squeak]

Reassuring to hear it's not just me doing the slower speeds. Sometimes I worry I should be driving faster when an HGV in front disappears into the distance but the roads are really twisty and I can hear him losing balance if I go any faster around the roads.

 

[Crugeran Celt]

I confess to travelling in a trailer with a youngster I had bought, a mini foal so I wasn't going to be crushed, I couldn't believe the effort the pony had to make to balance. I told my husband off when we got home for driving too fast and he hadn't gone over 30mph and most of the time he was doing 20mph. Really made me think about how horses manage when a vehicle is going quite fast.

 

[McFluff]

I hope you are not viewing the inside pf the trailer whilst driving as that would be illegal !!

fair point - to clarify, no, my passenger monitors the horse for me

 

[Red-1]

I hope you are not viewing the inside pf the trailer whilst driving as that would be illegal !!

It would also be inconvenient as she/he is driving a lorry

I have no idea how fast I drive as I just drive to the conditions, no need to look at the speedo as I know I am slow. I don't have a spare eye anyway as I am constantly looking for potential issues outside the lorry

 

[Tiddlypom]

I confess to travelling in a trailer with a youngster I had bought, a mini foal so I wasn't going to be crushed, I couldn't believe the effort the pony had to make to balance. I told my husband off when we got home for driving too fast and he hadn't gone over 30mph and most of the time he was doing 20mph. Really made me think about how horses manage when a vehicle is going quite fast.

I've travelled in a trailer too, aged about 12 along with my friend and our two ponies being towed to pony club by her dad with her tractor . It really brings it home how every little change of speed or direction are felt massively more in the trailer than in the tow vehicle, hence I've grown up to be a very careful tower.

I could tow at full legal whack with my current outfit, which is rock solid (LWB Shogun + Ifor 510) but with horses up I tow very steadily indeed. Maybe 15mph when I first set off from home up the wiggly lane to the main road to let the horse(s) settle in, and then a max of 40mph, 30mph for bends for the first few miles of the A49 that I do - it's a 60 road but is narrow and has sharp bends. There are sections of A road further away where 50mph is ok. And then there are the potholes .

I do pull in if I can to let traffic by, but locally the laybys are not well placed and/or have poor visibility on exit, so locally I just keep going.

 

[meesha]

With trailer just faster than hgvs on motorway if safe to avoid constantly being overtaken by them. Otherwise whatever feels safe, sometimes almost speed limit of straight, clear road, good conditions. Other times slower !!

 

[Peglo]

I confess to travelling in a trailer with a youngster I had bought, a mini foal so I wasn't going to be crushed, I couldn't believe the effort the pony had to make to balance. I told my husband off when we got home for driving too fast and he hadn't gone over 30mph and most of the time he was doing 20mph. Really made me think about how horses manage when a vehicle is going quite fast.

I traveled in the back with Tali once. It was only 3 miles along the road and I was getting a bit annoyed with OH as thought he was going fast but when I realised how long it took to do that 3 miles and when I spoke to him he had been under 40 the whole way. There’s quite a few bends on that stretch of road. A good eye opener.

 

[alibali]

I'm sure everyone posting on this thread is fully aware of the speed limits that apply to the vehicle combinations they're driving so this post isn't aimed at anyone in the thread!

Just a reminder to anyone browsing it that when posters are saying they stick to the speed limits these are not the same as for cars. Limits are 50mph for anything over 3.05 tonnes max laden weight on single carriageway and 60mph on dual carriageway.

When towing or driving a box with livestock I rarely breach 40 on single carriageways unless the road is exceptionally good. I do pull in if a queue builds behind me to prevent holding other drivers up. I often feel an uncomfortable pressure to go faster and not slow other road users down but the fear of having an accident with my precious cargo on board keeps my right foot light!

 

[Widgeon]

Very slowly on the lanes round us as they are narrow and bendy. But I do pull over to let traffic round if safe to do so. A tiny bit faster on straighter faster roads but I probably still annoy ‘normal’ drivers

Same here, with the trailer on I do about 20-35 on the lanes, depending on windiness and lumpiness of the road (ours are mostly both) and pull over if there's traffic behind me. Then on better roads I do up to 45 max, depending on weather and road conditions.

I think some of it depends on your exact setup, particularly for towing - my car / trailer combo starts to feel slightly less good over 50 so I don't do it, even on a perfect dual carriageway. I couldn't define exactly what I mean by that but I prefer to stay *way* within the bounds of what's safe so I don't push it!

ETA to I have always thought I was an extremely slow tow driver so I'm reassured to see that most other posters on this thread also crawl around at a similar speed to me!

 

[Widgeon]

I often feel an uncomfortable pressure to go faster and not slow other road users down but the fear of having an accident with my precious cargo on board keeps my right foot light!

Me too. But having the horse on board gives me attitude that I don't normally possess! The angry Audi drivers can just lump it. I imagine that's how tractor drivers feel all the time

 

[holeymoley]

No more than 40mph on our nearest A road, it has a lot of bends so sometimes not even 40. Will sit at 50/60mph on a dual carriageway/motorway providing it’s not busy and there’s ample braking room.

 

[Polos Mum]

As part of uprating to 4.5 T my box had a 56 mph speed limited fitted. I never hit that driving with horses, my OH taking it for plating etc. does occasionally.

I take a "driving Miss Daisey" approach and leave ample time to get anywhere. I pull over where I can if loads of cars have built up behind me and try to v clearly thank people.

A scary ride could put a horse of nice loading for months so not worth it for some impatient so and so in a rush.

 

[Rowreach]

I'm sure everyone posting on this thread is fully aware of the speed limits that apply to the vehicle combinations they're driving so this post isn't aimed at anyone in the thread!

Just a reminder to anyone browsing it that when posters are saying they stick to the speed limits these are not the same as for cars. Limits are 50mph for anything over 3.05 tonnes max laden weight on single carriageway and 60mph on dual carriageway.

When towing or driving a box with livestock I rarely breach 40 on single carriageways unless the road is exceptionally good. I do pull in if a queue builds behind me to prevent holding other drivers up. I often feel an uncomfortable pressure to go faster and not slow other road users down but the fear of having an accident with my precious cargo on board keeps my right foot light!

I wouldn't assume that people who tow or drive lorries do actually know that the speed limits are different for them

 

[dorsetladette]

Our lorry has a governer fitted. so 56mph is tops for us. I was probably over cautious with the trailer, B was a nervous traveller which made me a nervous driver.