Legal regulations for carrying and using wheel chocks with trailers
Small parts – big impact. The even bigger question is: are you legally required to carry wheel chocks with your trailer? A look at the German Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO) provides the answer. Section 41 specifies which vehicles and trailers must be equipped with one or even two wheel chocks.
How many wheel chocks do I need?
A wheel chock is required for two-axle trailers with a permissible gross weight of more than 750 kilograms, as well as for motor vehicles with a permissible gross weight of more than 4,000 kilograms. In accordance with the same regulation, at least two wheel chocks must be fitted to the following vehicles: semitrailers, three-axle and multi-axle vehicles, as well as rigid drawbar and centre-axle trailers with a permissible gross weight exceeding 750 kilograms.
The correct installation
Since wheel chocks are legally required for these vehicles, they must always be carried on board. They must be fitted either in or on the vehicle using appropriate holders.
It is important that the chocks are easily accessible, and the holders are designed so that the wheel chocks do not rattle and the risk of losing a chock is completely eliminated.
The effectiveness of the wheel chocks must be verified by the vehicle manufacturer in accordance with Section 41 of the German StVZO. Safety must be guaranteed on slopes or gradients up to 18% for both the unladen weight and the permissible gross weight.
By the way, all AL-KO VT wheel chocks comply with DIN standard 76051, edition 11/92, which is generally recognised in all European countries.
Basic and Plus: Wheel chocks from AL-KO VT
Within its wheel chock product range, AL-KO VT offers various solutions. The silver-coloured BASIC wheel chocks are made of sendzimir-galvanised steel sheet and offer limited protection against corrosion. The PLUS version, designed for the highest demands, uses polypropylene plastic as the preferred material.
The PLUS wheel chocks offer a lower unladen weight and permanent corrosion protection. For orders of 1,000 units or more, the black model can also be customised with a customer logo. Both product lines offer wheel chocks in various versions and sizes, with wheel loads from 800 to 6,500 kilograms per chock. This allows users to select exactly which version best fits their needs.
Since this year, the newly developed AL-KO VT wheel chock UK 53 K-2 has also been available. Its main advantage is that it complies with DIN 76051 even without slip protection (metal edge). This means the UK 53 K-2 can also be used for hazardous goods.
You can find more information on road safety at www.alko-tech.com/de.
