I know every skelly and every container and unit and every driver will weigh in different. But what’s your magic load weight number before you think your overweight, 26000kgs?
Just doing some quick sums container tare + skelly + load and looking at unit specs online I’m fairly sure I’m running overweight on the odd occasion. Last night kinda took the biscuit with the load paperwork saying 27800kg, I thought the terminal where going to knock me back as I was getting some back chat about the weight and some dodgy looks.
Email to office has fell on deaf ears but at least it’s a bit of proof about my concerns. I do have access to a weighbridge (old employer) who wouldn’t mind me using it. But it’s a bit of trek off route. I don’t know what to do, run to a weighbridge to be proven right or wrong. If I’m proven right are you allowed out on the road to go back to depot?
Also another question are unit factory specs on weight inclusive of a full tank of diesel?
28,000 - plus 8 tonne for the unit and 8 tonne for a lightweight slider. They can be as heavy as 12 tonne, though, so check the trailer plate and adjust accordingly. (We used to pull 30 tonne boxes, but the units were lighter then).
Do it. No reason why you’d get more than a raised eyebrow if you got a tug and explained the craic. Better if you tare off empty though, then there’s no risk taken at all.
Not usually, no. Add approx 500kg for safety’s sake.
Load - 27894kg (blue chip customer so assume weights are correct)
Tare container - 4770kg (this was marked on box)
Unladen skelly - 4850kg (this was marked on skelly)
Daf CF factory specs lists sleeper cab as 8197kg and space cab as 8235kg.
So total is 45801kg excluding fuel and driver.
I’m quite new to this particular work. I pull a multitude of different skellys and containers on any given night and hop between a sleeper cf, space cab cf and on occasion and xf. Going by your info it seems my skelly and container are pretty heavy before a load is even put on. The company I work isn’t a proper container company it’s kinda of a side thing they won the bid for, they hired in 8 skellys , 4 sliders and 4 static and off I went away from my normal duties. I’m just a little concerned they don’t know how close or over I’m getting every night.
Load - 27894kg (blue chip customer so assume weights are correct)
Tare container - 4770kg (this was marked on box)
Unladen skelly - 4850kg (this was marked on skelly)
Daf CF factory specs lists sleeper cab as 8197kg and space cab as 8235kg.
So total is 45801kg excluding fuel and driver.
I’m quite new to this particular work. I pull a multitude of different skellys and containers on any given night and hop between a sleeper cf, space cab cf and on occasion and xf. Going by your info it seems my skelly and container are pretty heavy before a load is even put on. The company I work isn’t a proper container company it’s kinda of a side thing they won the bid for, they hired in 8 skellys , 4 sliders and 4 static and off I went away from my normal duties. I’m just a little concerned they don’t know how close or over I’m getting every night.
Why would they care? It’s your licence, your responsibility for a safe load…they won’t care, always look out for yourself and your licence.
If in doubt then straight onto the nearest public weighbridge to check. If all is in order you can then continue your journey without that horrible niggling feeling in the back of your mind.
You are allowed to drive from where the vehicle was loaded to the nearest available weighbridge, and if found to be over, to drive from that weighbridge to the nearest suitable location where any excess weight can safely be removed without obstructing any road.
I wouldn’t do it, on your calculations if you add a full tank of fuel plus the driver you will be running at over 46 tonne overall. Also you say you are new to this, have you heard of dvsa weigh in motion sensors? solentscales.co.uk/blog/dvs … sors-wims/ They have these dotted around at various locations and its only a matter of time before you drive over one and get a tug if you are regularly overweight.
msgyorkie:
If in doubt then straight onto the nearest public weighbridge to check. If all is in order you can then continue your journey without that horrible niggling feeling in the back of your mind.
This. Loaded some timber at Hull docks. They’re putting it on, I’m looking at the weights on the packs, adding it up and telling them they’ve put too much weight on. “You’ll be fine everyone has been taking that many.” Pops on the weighbridge, 48 tonnes. Back round to the shipping office to have some packs lifted off.
magic number I would say it 30 - 30.5 tonne max including the box itself
8.7 tonne for unit plus 4.8 tonne for sliding skel = 13.5 combined
some customers include the weight of the container in their declared weights, some just the goods inside of it, (some paperwork just estimations too lol)
Assuming approx 2.2 tonne for a 20, or 4.5 tonne for a 40 (plus more if reefer) would make the difference in your circumstance from being 2 tonne over or underweight so that would be my first thing to check if the customer is allowing for box or not.
DP world Southampton will give the driver the total weights (box itself plus goods) of all import containers, but don’t think exports work the same.
PA22:
magic number I would say it 30 - 30.5 tonne max including the box itself
8.7 tonne for unit plus 4.8 tonne for sliding skel = 13.5 combined
some customers include the weight of the container in their declared weights, some just the goods inside of it, (some paperwork just estimations too lol)
Assuming approx 2.2 tonne for a 20, or 4.5 tonne for a 40 (plus more if reefer) would make the difference in your circumstance from being 2 tonne over or underweight so that would be my first thing to check if the customer is allowing for box or not.
DP world Southampton will give the driver the total weights (box itself plus goods) of all import containers, but don’t think exports work the same.
I normally tare off at 17-18t with a 40HC on. Tare of a 40HC is roughly 4 ton, so you’re looking at a tractor and skelly tare of 13-14t.
Previous company I worked at had the tare weight of its relatively standard SDC skellies marked on the trailers as being 4500kg.
If you’re being given an exact looking weight (27894kg), I’d say that that is the VGM (Verified Gross Mass) supplied either by the shipper or the shipping line. So that includes the tare weight of the box.
I know a few people are saying load weights include box tare weights but nowhere on the paperwork lists box tare weight. The paperwork lists each individual stock line by weight and then totals up then finally adds the 26pallets weight those stock lines sit on to give the gross weight.
44000kg minus (skelly 4850kg) minus (tare container 4770kg) minus (tractor unit 8197kg)
Equals 26183kg for load, driver and fuel
Next time the weight is listed over 27000kg I’m running to the weighbridge. Ironically since I’ve made this thread all loads have been between 22000-24000kgs. I’ll update the thread when the opportunity arises.
