Hi folks, I’m hoping someone can give me concrete advice here.
I have a c1 licence and I drive a daf 7.5 tonne delivering food to ships. These products are either on pallets or in roll-cages, depending on customer.
There’s some confusion at work about the maximum weight we (me and the other c1 drivers) are allowed to carry.
This week I was out with a large load and I was a bit concerned so I trundled off to a local weighbridge, vehicle weighed in at 10,300 kg. I thought this was over weight but the TM says the c1 licence means I can drive a vehicle of up to 7.5 ton empty, with a load up to the permissible max plated weight of that vehicle.
I checked the DVLA site and it seems quite clear that the c1 licence is limited to 7.5 ton TOTAL weight.
Obviously I don’t want to go putting foot in mouth but also don’t fancy a humungous fine for overloading.
Gingerpose:
Hi folks, I’m hoping someone can give me concrete advice here.
I have a c1 licence and I drive a daf 7.5 tonne delivering food to ships. These products are either on pallets or in roll-cages, depending on customer.
There’s some confusion at work about the maximum weight we (me and the other c1 drivers) are allowed to carry.
This week I was out with a large load and I was a bit concerned so I trundled off to a local weighbridge, vehicle weighed in at 10,300 kg. I thought this was over weight but the TM says the c1 licence means I can drive a vehicle of up to 7.5 ton empty, with a load up to the permissible max plated weight of that vehicle.
I checked the DVLA site and it seems quite clear that the c1 licence is limited to 7.5 ton TOTAL weight.
Obviously I don’t want to go putting foot in mouth but also don’t fancy a humungous fine for overloading.
Advice please?
Cheers
Gingerpose
Hi Gingerpose, WELCOME.
Please tell me that your post isn’t a wind-up, cos I can’t believe that you’d not know there was something SERIOUSLY wrong with the way that your vehicle drove whilst on the way to your delivery.
Just to add on to the expert correct advice already given - it is very easy to overload one axle (illegal) and still be inside the max weight (legal) - the only weigh ( sorry -way ) to check the axles and be sure of the total weight is to use a weighbridge.
The onus to pay the weighbridge fee is with the employer - not the driver - overloaded going directly to or from the nearest weighbridge is permissable.
Wheel Nut:
He maybe delivers food to shops on ships. or maybe to light ships
Hi Wheel Nut, It doesn’t matter whether it’s ships, shops, ship’s shops, chips or chip shops, lighthouses or lightships- it’s staggering in terms of the % overload.
It could be a wind up but as the maximum plated weight for the vehicle is mentioned I assume it could have been a larger vehicle than Gingerpose usually drives, I mean usually a 7.5 tonne vehicle would be plated for 7.5 tonnes wouldn’t it ?
If this was the case then the vehicle may not have been over loaded but would have been driven without the appropriate license.
It seems he wanted concrete advice, then the advice I would give him is to ask to see the qualifications of his TM.
This bloke should lose his CPC like a driver would lose his vocational entitlement.
whether it is a 2.8 tonne overload or the fact that the TM thinks he can make his own rules up to suit his delivery deadlines. the sooner these firms are out of business the better.
Well folks cheers for the responses. Firstly, it’s food to sea-going vessels, otherwise known as ships.
I was sure that I was getting sent out overloaded, but perhaps due to my relative inexperience in this area (1 year) I bowed to the greater knowledge of the TM,
I believe the plate in the truck states Max Train Weight 11000kg, can’t remember much else though I know they weigh around 5600kg fuelled but unladen. It’s a Daf LF 45/150, does that give any more info?
Wheel Nut:
no one on the road would be that easily duped, would they?
No disrespect to 7.5tonner drivers but most got their licence by passing their car test and have had no formal goods vehicle training or background. It’s understandable that most would trust their so called ‘transport manager’.
Gingerpose:
Well folks cheers for the responses. Firstly, it’s food to sea-going vessels, otherwise known as ships.
I was sure that I was getting sent out overloaded, but perhaps due to my relative inexperience in this area (1 year) I bowed to the greater knowledge of the TM,
I believe the plate in the truck states Max Train Weight 11000kg, can’t remember much else though I know they weigh around 5600kg fuelled but unladen. It’s a Daf LF 45/150, does that give any more info?
Gingerpose
Max Train Weight is the Maximum you could weigh when pulling a suitable trailer. The only sure fire way to know what the vehicle is capable of or more importantly is legally allowed is to examine the vehicle plate.
You need to look for the MGW maximum gross weight, total weight of vehicle, including load, fuel and driver.
Some trucks are easier to work out from the manufacturer badging. The Daf LF 45 has a 4.5 litre engine, the 150 denotes engine power in various vague euro measurements.
The ministry plate is the only thing that the enforcement authorities will look at, to work out the overload.
However. The Daf 45 is designed to be used between 6 and 12 tonnes but It could be a 44 tonne artic unit that was downrated to 32 tonnes, unlikely but possible. The ministry plate is where you find the information.
Tare of 5.6t sounds to me like a 7.5tonner, with reefer body and tail-lift.
That means 1.9tonnes is available for load, driver, and junk in the cab, and also includes the dirt on the roof, and the flies spattered on the front.
Greater knowledge of the TM? Yeah… right…
He knows that once it’s out of the yard it’s the DRIVER who is responsible. If I were you, I’d be rather interested in VSOA’s opinion of this, phoning them or emailing them may shed some light on the issue. Probably to the severe discomfort of the TM.
He knows he can pressure silly 7.5t drivers, who don’t know anything, into breaking the law, and driving overweight so he can save money, by not buying bigger vehicles, or the hassle that goes with them, like drivers with a clue who tell him to “get stuffed” when asked to break the law.
Get him to put his “advice” in writing, so you can send it to VOSA, probably by hand when they pull you for being overweight. If you can prove tht you queried this with the TM, and expressed your concerns that it may be illegal (which it is), you’ve covered your ■■■, and it’ll be him taking the heat for telling you it was fine.
Once again thanks for the replies folks. TM has said he’s going to bring his “stuff” i.e. notes or something from his CPC training in on Monday and have a meeting with the drivers, so I will have plenty info to counter with.
It is indeed a reefer with taillift (well guessed) and the vast majority of our drops are not large enough to be of concern, as we usually deliver a couple of pallets to the harbour to the boat(s), then go back for more loads. Still, I won’t knowingly break the law and am grateful for your help.
dieseldave:
Please tell me that your post isn’t a wind-up, cos I can’t believe that you’d not know there was something SERIOUSLY wrong with the way that your vehicle drove whilst on the way to your delivery.
ERRRR…
when I was driving for a steel company, the head driver, who is still there so I won’t mention his name, was asked at a steel place in Brum where he was collecting “what weight can you vehicle take?” - he said “26 tonne” - so they loaded his 6 wheeler flatbed scanny with 26 tonne and he drove it fron Brum to near J22 M1
Gingerpose:
Once again thanks for the replies folks. TM has said he’s going to bring his “stuff” i.e. notes or something from his CPC training in on Monday and have a meeting with the drivers, so I will have plenty info to counter with.
It is indeed a reefer with taillift (well guessed) and the vast majority of our drops are not large enough to be of concern, as we usually deliver a couple of pallets to the harbour to the boat(s), then go back for more loads. Still, I won’t knowingly break the law and am grateful for your help.
Gingerpose
Or you could direct him over here to our friendly forums and let him hold this meeting in the public view of a lot of know nothing drivers
There are 2 good things that will come out of this, you will get a new C licence & training paid for by the company and then probably get a bigger shinier lorry
ROG:
ERRRR…
when I was driving for a steel company, the head driver, who is still there so I won’t mention his name, was asked at a steel place in Brum where he was collecting “what weight can you vehicle take?” - he said “26 tonne” - so they loaded his 6 wheeler flatbed scanny with 26 tonne and he drove it fron Brum to near J22 M1
He said it struggled up the hills on the A42
Oviously he’s well qualified to be “head driver.”
And it’s no wonder he’s still there, I bet the boss loves him.
Hi Gingerpose, WELCOME. 
) to check the axles and be sure of the total weight is to use a weighbridge.
and let him hold this meeting in the public view of a lot of know nothing drivers 