My boss loves attending training courses and was recently talked to by VOSA who actually told him they allow a certain set percentage of overweight.
I know the percentage they said, but dont want to influence replies to my question.
What do you think would be an ‘acceptable’ weight for a 44 tonner if stopped by the authorities?
espresso:
My boss loves attending training courses and was recently talked to by VOSA who actually told him they allow a certain set percentage of overweight.I know the percentage they said, but dont want to influence replies to my question.
What do you think would be an ‘acceptable’ weight for a 44 tonner if stopped by the authorities?
One to two % at a push! Kerb weight ( tools, iPad and knuckleshuffle mags ) 
5%? I think we’ll allow upto 44400, 32300,26260 and 18200.
Anything smaller is not ours so they please themselves.
About 5% !!
Its 5 per cent
They allowed to give 5%, it doesn’t mean they have to, they can book you for any overweight if they are in the mood, never be seen to go out knowing you are overweight, only if a load is wet etc and has gained weight will “normally” they let you off
bjd:
Its 5 per cent
That equates to 2.2tonne! Never 5% 
It is i have fallan foul of it didnt get done but was told they allow 5 per cent think i was just under on the axle weght on the tri but under 44t overall
Yep … 5% is what VOSA told my boss.
BTW, I presume that is obviously 5% of total load capacity and not 5% of 44 tonnes?
Some places I go in bulk tipper allow you upto 44.440 whereas others will not let you out over 44.000, I’ve even been sent back to a shed to to of 20kg. Some places don’t care and will let you out at whatever you want, but these are becoming few and far between. Personally I run up to about 44.300 and no more if I can help it!
A mate of mine got pulled by VOSA at the Todhills site near Carlisle and was weighed at 44.960 overall. However, because all his axles were within their limit he was sent in his way with a warning to keep his weights down. I’ve also heard of a driver being issued with a fixed penalty for weighing 44.240 but I presume he must have been overloaded on one or more of his axles.
xfmatt:
Some places I go in bulk tipper allow you upto 44.440 whereas others will not let you out over 44.000, I’ve even been sent back to a shed to to of 20kg. Some places don’t care and will let you out at whatever you want, but these are becoming few and far between. Personally I run up to about 44.300 and no more if I can help it!A mate of mine got pulled by VOSA at the Todhills site near Carlisle and was weighed at 44.960 overall. However, because all his axles were within their limit he was sent in his way with a warning to keep his weights down. I’ve also heard of a driver being issued with a fixed penalty for weighing 44.240 but I presume he must have been overloaded on one or more of his axles.
Good thing to let the VOSA guys and gals who look at this site know
You’ve to watch axle weights more than overall I think, as thats what they’ll get you on
Most of the dd stuff I do we run over the weighbridge…if anything is over at all --it stays in the yard and is reloaded/distributed. Even Mr VOSA can’t do you then! 
Loading with a large bucket makes it difficult to get near the front of tippers unless they have no sheeting system; One driver complains that we put too much on the rear yet will not wind in his sheet right in. That foot or so he leaves it out must stop a good half a ton going on the front axles?
For the bulk tipper boys who carry about 28500 or so, I put about 15000 over the trailer wheels and the rest as far up the front as I can; The bars halfway down get bent otherwise…
theonlybigman:
xfmatt:
Some places I go in bulk tipper allow you upto 44.440 whereas others will not let you out over 44.000, I’ve even been sent back to a shed to to of 20kg. Some places don’t care and will let you out at whatever you want, but these are becoming few and far between. Personally I run up to about 44.300 and no more if I can help it!A mate of mine got pulled by VOSA at the Todhills site near Carlisle and was weighed at 44.960 overall. However, because all his axles were within their limit he was sent in his way with a warning to keep his weights down. I’ve also heard of a driver being issued with a fixed penalty for weighing 44.240 but I presume he must have been overloaded on one or more of his axles.
Good thing to let the VOSA guys and gals who look at this site know
Which part? I don’t think they’re gonna be hell bent on catching someone off an Internet forum for running 300kg overweight. Do you?
3.6 Excess Weight Offences
When a fixed penalty notice or conditional offer is issued for an excess weight offence, the
examiner will also prohibit the driving of the vehicle on a road. The prohibition is designed
to stop an overweight vehicle from being used on the road and to preserve road safety.
The fixed penalty will be the preferred option for dealing with excess weight offences,
unless the offence is too serious to warrant the issue of a fixed penalty or the maximum
number of notices (as explained in section 3. 2) would otherwise be exceeded. Below is a
table showing the current graduated penalty levels for excess weight matters:
EXCEED WEIGHT
Severity Endorsable FP amount
0 up to but not including 10% No £60.00
10% up to but not including 15% No £120.00
15% and over No £200.00The legislation shows that a £60.00 penalty will be levied for a 0%-9.99% overload, but
VOSA examiners will allow a 5% tolerance before Fixed Penalty or Prohibition issue
unless the relevant weight has been exceeded by 1 tonne or more. It is likely that a fixed
penalty would be inappropriate for serious cases of overloading (i.e. in which the vehicle is
overloaded by 30% and over, or the excess weight is 5 tonnes or more) and therefore a
court summons would be issued.
If the effect of the excess weight and the manner in which the load is carried is having a
significant effect on road safety, for example causing serious instability or loss of
directional control, alternative construction and use or road traffic offences that will need to
go to court may be appropriate, with the excess weight contributing to the offence.
Thats off the official VOSA booklet. So its UP TO 5% but NOT more than 1 tonne before they will give you a fixed penalty.
What annoys me is when I underload someone so they gross in just under maximum, say 31800 and the gimp comes back around for a bit more but will moan if they then go above 32000.
Last week a builder in a transit wanted 1.5t (overloaded); I gave him 1.3odd and he came back for what was about a barrowful. Now, he gets 1/4t more than what he asks for so he doesn’t come back.
Before anyone thinks this is awkward, when I was on the tippers I’d not go back for a tonne, never mind 200kgs. Tonne of sand doesn’t make much concrete anyway.
me and my mate had to go out and recover a 7.5 ton meat wagon last week with a lowloader as both tyres on one side of his rear axle had blown.
vosa got involved because hato had reported him.
it turned out he was 62% overweight.
7.5 ton meat wagon 62% overweight. 
It wasn`t kosher then ?
trux:
7.5 ton meat wagon 62% overweight.
It wasn`t kosher then ?
halal!