Loaded at a place the other day and weighed off to be given a printed Weighbridge ticket saying 43980 not bad for a guess I thought!! On weighing in at our yard to tip said load scales said 44820!! No probs must weigh different I’m thinking but on returning after tipping the tares where exactly the same (17220). If vostapo had pulled me who would be in the ■■■■ me or the person inputing the incorrect weight on the ticket.
Simon
IMO as long as you had the weighbridge ticket then you would be covered. The onus would be on the weighbridge owner to prove the calibration.
skids:
IMO as long as you had the weighbridge ticket then you would be covered. The onus would be on the weighbridge owner to prove the calibration.
Unless it visually looked overloaded, ie suspension springs, mudguards touching wheels, body tilt etc.
You in the eyes of the law are guilty of the offence of being overloaded. (If the VOSA weighing shows it to be overweight) . it is an absolute offence. However you have mitigation that is allowed in law to not recieve any penalties for the offence in that you had the vehicle weighed and that showed it be to legal
Mad Si79:
Loaded at a place the other day and weighed off to be given a printed Weighbridge ticket saying 43980 not bad for a guess I thought!! On weighing in at our yard to tip said load scales said 44820!! No probs must weigh different I’m thinking but on returning after tipping the tares where exactly the same (17220). If vostapo had pulled me who would be in the [zb] me or the person inputing the incorrect weight on the ticket.Simon
Did you have a big lunch? 
Seems a bit large a difference for the scales just to be incorrectly calibrated, but having a ticket with a time on it must go some way to covering you I would have thought. 
Thought as much cheers for the replies. It’s not so much to do with calibration because tare weights are the same it’s due to it being a busy spot and the tossers can’t be arsed waiting for you to tip it off so make it ‘look right’.
Simon
Was it a load that could have been made heavier by rain? As long as you have a weighbridge ticket that shows you are legal then you have done everything you could to ensure legality, so should be able to avail yourself of the statutory defence.
Was it weighed with you out of the truck at loading point, and you in the truck at the depot?
It’s a big difference tbh, as others have said, could it be caused by water (bulk tipper etc).
Not sure the weighbridge controller has any input on what’s on the printed ticket, but if they do, then they want ■■■■■■■ if they sent you out a ton over
This is were fairness & common bloody sense needs to come in! If the driver has a ticket saying his weight is okay, what else can he do!?!?!? Buy some kitchen scales for his cab and weigh each little bit before he goes. 
Even so, that’s a hell of a difference between scales.
Did you fill up with diesel?
cieranc:
Even so, that’s a hell of a difference between scales.Did you fill up with diesel?
A gallon of diesel weighs approx 7lb
Anywhere between 820 and 950 kgs per 1000 litres.
By my maths that makes a gallon of diesel weigh between 8.2 lbs and 9.5 lbs.
Or put it another way, there’s 840kgs difference in the two bridge readings.
Knock off 80 kg for the driver, if he was in the cab, leaves 760 kgs.
760 kgs of diesel at .95kg/ltr would mean about 800 ltrs of diesel.
Not totally implausable!
cieranc:
Anywhere between 820 and 950 kgs per 1000 litres.
It is certainly a theory that never crossed my mind until you mentioned it though 
dar1976:
cieranc:
Anywhere between 820 and 950 kgs per 1000 litres.It is certainly a theory that never crossed my mind until you mentioned it though
It may be due to lazy operators who keep a list of the vehicles tare weight, but in the case above the tare weights would not have been identical
More than likely you were overloaded and weighbridge man made up the weight to save the usual “can’t your lot ■■■■■■ load properly?” that most 'bridge ops hear daily. No probs for me, very accurate onboard weigher and I have it loaded light everytime.
starfighter:
Was it a load that could have been made heavier by rain? As long as you have a weighbridge ticket that shows you are legal then you have done everything you could to ensure legality, so should be able to avail yourself of the statutory defence.
There is no statutory defence to overloading; you cannot plead not guilty, you’re guilty and that’s it. The ticket would be used as mitigation so he would hopefully just be guilty with no extra penalties such as a fine.
To avoid a new thread what about if you’re sheeted yet the load still blows off? I know it’s insecure load but if (as where I work) the sheet isn’t upto the job what else can I do?
dar1976:
cieranc:
Anywhere between 820 and 950 kgs per 1000 litres.It is certainly a theory that never crossed my mind until you mentioned it though
Cannot be the diesel, he already said the tare was the same… But I almost got caught with that one too
Muckaway:
To avoid a new thread what about if you’re sheeted yet the load still blows off? I know it’s insecure load but if (as where I work) the sheet isn’t upto the job what else can I do?
moan to your boss instead of us
are you sure your vehicle was fully on the weighbridge when you gross weighed after loading, it only takes one tyre to be very slightly off the edge of W/B (millimeters) to record such a discrepancy