When loading grain sometimes the weigher is weighing less than what is actually on, and some days it is spot on. Is there a percentage of the weight before prosecution. eg 44t. 5% over = 44220kg. Or best to be bang on 44t.
you’ll be ok if your a bit over. but it’s usually a case of don’t take the ■■■■.
but you can never be too sure what plods mood is going to be.
if he’s determined to give you a ticket, then you’ll get one.
Isn’t 5% over on 44tn - 46.2tn?
dougal1:
Is there a percentage of the weight before prosecution. eg 44t. 5% over = 44220kg. Or best to be bang on 44t.
I think the guidance is that as long as you are unaware of the overload you are allowed whichever is the lower of 5% of 1t over, so in the case of an artic bulker you would on that basis be OK up to 45t (as 5% over would be 46.2t). That said I wouldn’t fancy being pulled at much more then 200-300kg over personally as I think if you were 44800kg then whilst they might not do you for the weight they would probably spend a lot of time trying to find something else to get you for…
If you are aware of the overload (due to having loaded somewhere that gives you a weighbridge ticket) then in theory there is no grace and you will get done even if you are only a small amount over.
Paul
well i got pulled at ringwood about 16 months ago, i knew i was over by 600kgs and told them so, no point in hiding the fact i didn’t know, they weighed me said yes you are, but not interested to do anything unless i was over 5% and then only issue a waring letter, and would only prosercute if i was over10%. i don’t know if this has changed since the fixed penilties have come in 
oh and didn’t even bother looking at my cards sent me on my way
What about from an operators point of view Paul, any ideas? Personally I try not to run any more than 200kg over but you know what its like, loading on an angle or bloody farmer chucking it in and your body rocking all over the place! A driver who sub contracts to the same firm as me got pulled at Todhills rest area at 44.960 but because all his axle weights were correct he dint get any punishment. wouldn’t av believed it myself but actually saw the printout they gave him.
Some weighbridge operators are so careful they want it to be within 20kg of Max, much easier to put a bit more on than take it off.
I found the worst things to load ■■■■ on were powder tankers as you cannot see how level it is inside.
I`ve always wondered what % you will get prosecuted for. I own/operate a concrete mixer and we are never loaded by weight always volume.
One load can be wet, one load dry with a 500kg difference. I also carry 450 litres of water. I very rarely get chance to get weighed.
My GV WT is 32T. i weighed recently with a wet load, full of diesel @ 32.2T. What do you think would happen if I was caught out with that weight?
If i open the water tap and let the water go, I would be under.
I was always lead to believe it was 44t & that was your lot?? None of this 5% per axle on a 44t gross vehicle.
I may & probably am a tad out of date though>>>>
I dare say you are on the money, John, although they may be lenient to a point. I am sure they could nail you for anything if they really wanted, but probably only go after the major offenders or after those that will earn them the most. They aren’t going to be able to make another TV show about those that are 200kgs over, are they.
That said, I got nailed with a liquid tanker a few years back at Wylie. They jumped out in front of me and the load was rolling like crazy. The VOSA man wouldn’t let the load settle before weighing me and it said I was over a tonne over so that was it, I was off the road. He wouldn’t accept that the movement would skew the scale at all. I was over, but not by that much.
Anyway, I wrote to the Traffic Commisioner and complained about the attitude. Said I had requested a reweigh and that the man refused. I also put it in my statement to him at the scale. I didn’t get nailed for it at all, although the VOSA man was after me from that day onwards.
Over here they will allow a small amount over on your axles, but they are rabid about gross weight.
Different Vosa man on a different day may have realised you was talking sense Bob. I’ve met good ones & some complete planks but that goes in every job I reckon. I was ■■■■ sure that 44t was your lot though, or it was that way when it came out, it was a concessionary tax bracket I recall too. Not that I’ve ever overloaded though 
Ehhm it seems a bit strict in the GB.
What would happen to me if I were to be weighed, say 41t when the max gross on my vehicle was 31.5t? This is juuust a hypothetical question;)
143H500:
Ehhm it seems a bit strict in the GB.
What would happen to me if I were to be weighed, say 41t when the max gross on my vehicle was 31.5t? This is juuust a hypothetical question;)
I think its around £1000 per 1000kgs, I doubt it would look good being around 25%, plenty of blokes over the years have been taxed & plated @ 31t for the insurance & road tax savings. I always went for 34t as I could still load 20t on a flat & be legal…
fly sheet:
143H500:
Ehhm it seems a bit strict in the GB.
What would happen to me if I were to be weighed, say 41t when the max gross on my vehicle was 31.5t? This is juuust a hypothetical question;)I think its around £1000 per 1000kgs, I doubt it would look good being around 25%, plenty of blokes over the years have been taxed & plated @ 31t for the insurance & road tax savings. I always went for 34t as I could still load 20t on a flat & be legal…
Back in about 1987-88 I got of the boat at Portsmouth & VOSA were weighing everyone, I wasn’t too bad, 300k’s over on drive axle & 37,800 gross, the friendly VOSA man waved me off into the trailer park to wait to clear. Wonder what I would’ve got done, (only plated 32 ton with £25 private tax!!!) good job they didn’t check eh? 11pm & piddling down with rain 
Ross.
repton:
dougal1:
Is there a percentage of the weight before prosecution. eg 44t. 5% over = 44220kg. Or best to be bang on 44t.I think the guidance is that as long as you are unaware of the overload you are allowed whichever is the lower of 5% of 1t over, so in the case of an artic bulker you would on that basis be OK up to 45t (as 5% over would be 46.2t). That said I wouldn’t fancy being pulled at much more then 200-300kg over personally as I think if you were 44800kg then whilst they might not do you for the weight they would probably spend a lot of time trying to find something else to get you for…
If you are aware of the overload (due to having loaded somewhere that gives you a weighbridge ticket) then in theory there is no grace and you will get done even if you are only a small amount over.
Paul
I know what you mean. I used to try to keep below 44400 as that is less than 1% overload. VOSA get a bit fussy if every load is over even by a small amount.
Hope all’s going well Paul.
bigr250:
fly sheet:
143H500:
Ehhm it seems a bit strict in the GB.
What would happen to me if I were to be weighed, say 41t when the max gross on my vehicle was 31.5t? This is juuust a hypothetical question;)I think its around £1000 per 1000kgs, I doubt it would look good being around 25%, plenty of blokes over the years have been taxed & plated @ 31t for the insurance & road tax savings. I always went for 34t as I could still load 20t on a flat & be legal…
Back in about 1987-88 I got of the boat at Portsmouth & VOSA were weighing everyone, I wasn’t too bad, 300k’s over on drive axle & 37,800 gross, the friendly VOSA man waved me off into the trailer park to wait to clear. Wonder what I would’ve got done, (only plated 32 ton with £25 private tax!!!) good job they didn’t check eh? 11pm & piddling down with rain
Ross.
The British weather being the hauliers friend for once, dark tax was a must have too Ross…
fly sheet:
The British weather being the hauliers friend for once, dark tax was a must have too Ross…
The great Brit’ snow nearly ‘did for me’ a few weeks later Malc, I was turning around in Shefield Market to drive down the middle (again about midnight) when I ripped a trailer mudflap off backing into a pile of the white stuff, this was in the days before spray suppression. I chucked it on the fuel tank & once I’d got tipped I lobbed it in the back.
I was off to load in for Spain again & got pulled dropping from the M62 into Widnes, the copper said the usual, “do you know why I’ve pulled you” I explaind that It’d been ripped off in deep snow that morning & he said “OK, have you got your documents”? Obviously on Euro work I had everything and he scrutinised the lot, V5 & all, he then pointed to the tax disc, (I pooped) & said “I know you’ve got tax, I spotted it in my binoculars”!!!
I was so relieved, after I’d loaded at Hale Rd and drove straight to the ‘Corn Exchange’ & taxed it properly!! well, 32 ton properly & didn’t even cash in the full month of (car) tax remaining:)!!! Phew, I had a few close scrapes back then, but loved (almost) every minute of it.
Ross.
Goaty:
Isn’t 5% over on 44tn - 46.2tn?
That’s what I make it. 5% is well overloaded in that case.
I was pulled at sawtry on the A1 weighing 32990 kgs in a 8 wheeler and was told “on your way driver” I was shocked to say the least as I thought I was in the [zb]. When I asked him what tolerance I was allowed he said 5% OR 1 tonne whichever is less and then said if I would of been 33 tonne I would of had a prohibition. so I guess I was right on the limit. so why the quarries wont even let us out 20 kgs over puzzles me. - jobsworths at their best.
dozer:
I was pulled at sawtry on the A1 weighing 32990 kgs in a 8 wheeler and was told “on your way driver” I was shocked to say the least as I thought I was in the [zb]. When I asked him what tolerance I was allowed he said 5% OR 1 tonne whichever is less and then said if I would of been 33 tonne I would of had a prohibition. so I guess I was right on the limit. so why the quarries wont even let us out 20 kgs over puzzles me. - jobsworths at their best.
I had a similar arse twitching moment in Hull. I had a flat trailer loaded right through with ingots and as I drove over the dynamic bridge I was totting it up in my head before the final countdown. I was 39000kg and the DOT guy just waved me forward, handed me my ticket and said have a good day driver. I never questioned him about the tonne overload, but these loads were always uniform in weight and size, so they had seen them before.