i am searching for regs to do with all aspects of our jobs but at the moment i am looking specifically for the rules and penalties on overloading. i have tried the vosa and dft websites but i cant find the actual regulations as stated by law. can anyone point me in the direction of a printable copy of these things?
usdaw.org.uk/getactive/resou … shbook.pdf
it is a PDF and should print OK…
the relevant points are way down the pages…
Reading through properly
Overloading is a LEVEL 5 offence and carries a maximum fine of £5000
It is an offence of failing to comply with construction and use regulations and as such carries a penalty of 3 points
However … further down the page maximum weights are listed at 38 tonnes for an artic, so it is possible the fines and points may have increased since this was published
Rikki-UK:
and as such carries a penalty of 3 points[/b]
Now theres a surprise! NOT
scanny77:
i am searching for regs to do with all aspects of our jobs but at the moment i am looking specifically for the rules and penalties on overloading. i have tried the vosa and dft websites but i cant find the actual regulations as stated by law. can anyone point me in the direction of a printable copy of these things?
Who are you planning on grassing up now then, just to try to earn some extra brownie points with your gaffer in a vain attempt you’ll get the TM job ?
I got caught overloaded on the front axle last summer (familiar scenario to anyone who’s done multi-drop rigid work I’m sure - take part of the load off the back etc etc…) by VOSA at Shotton. 33% over on the one axle 
Got the interview off the VOSA bloke, who assured me that overloading wasn’t an endorsable offence?? Anyhow, I wrote a grovelling statement to the court when the time came and ended up with a £280 fine (which was paid by my employers) and no points, thankfully.
But, the VOSA guy definitely assured me it was non-endorsable. But from watching others during my stay there it’s worth remembering that swearing at them, getting irate and watever else is a waste of time. They can make life a LOT more difficult for the driver than you can for them. Politeness and honesty would seem to work in your favour - after weighing my wagon they left me alone. Some others got the full ‘no stone left unturned’ treatment.
i hardly think so Rob. this is a point that has been raised time and time again that the bosses have ignored. i need this stuff to give to the drivers at the meeting next week. they dont seem to realise that being overloaded could land them a £5000 fine PER AXLE plus up to 2 years in prison if they are charged with dangerous driving for being grossly overloaded.
maybe you look out for number one but i am looking after my mates and giving the boss the middle finger too. its part of team work, try it if you find a team who are willing to work with you
the VOSA guy definitely assured me it was non-endorsable
the offence of Overloading is not endorseable
however by overloading you are failing to comply with construction and use regulations which is a seperate offence and can be endorseable
Rikki-UK:
the VOSA guy definitely assured me it was non-endorsable
the offence of Overloading is not endorseable
however by overloading you are failing to comply with construction and use regulations which is a seperate offence and can be endorseable
I see what you (and others) are/were saying now. Even though 33% falls, I assume, in the ‘seriously overloaded’ category, I was charged with neither the failure to comply with C&U regs, nor anything else. Maybe I was just lucky, I suppose.
cheers Rikki 
deaks, just out of interest, you say 33%, what was the front axle plated at?
from what i have heard, they are more interested in axle overloading than gross overloading. how do we check that though? our weighbridge is only capable of weighing the entire vehicle and i am fairly sure that our axles are over at times. on the other hand, someone mentioned that self levelling air suspension will not allow axle overloading. is that true■■?
paul b:
deaks, just out of interest, you say 33%, what was the front axle plated at?
Only 6,500kg - I was a bit more than 2,000kg over that. Smaller wheels had been fitted to our ERFs, to lower the deck when we’re unloading - laudable in its aim, but not carried out properly as they failed to consider the consequences of a low max. weight on the front axle when carrying pallets weighing well in excess of a tonne each. As a result of me being pulled, all the ERFs had larger front wheels fitted to enable to front axle to be plated at 8,500kg (or something like that). So when you see a Bargain Booze ERF with the front wheels stupidly bigger than those at the back it’s thanks to me!
scanny77:
from what i have heard, they are more interested in axle overloading than gross overloading. how do we check that though? our weighbridge is only capable of weighing the entire vehicle and i am fairly sure that our axles are over at times. on the other hand, someone mentioned that self levelling air suspension will not allow axle overloading. is that true■■?
i said on here a few weeks ago that the ministry will always try and get you on plate weighers to check individual axle weights, one or two old hands thought it was crap, how little they know!
you can check the front axle weight of a rigid on a normal weigh bridge, the fellas that operate these things tell me that if you just put the front wheels on it will give you an aprox weight but it will always be under the actual load on the axle so if it’s over loaded using this method it is definately over weight. as for the air suspension, i can see how it would help on a rigid but to say you “can’t” overload a front axle with it, is just daft.
scanny77:
from what i have heard, they are more interested in axle overloading than gross overloading. how do we check that though? our weighbridge is only capable of weighing the entire vehicle and i am fairly sure that our axles are over at times. on the other hand, someone mentioned that self levelling air suspension will not allow axle overloading. is that true■■?
I can’t see how. It will ensure that the truck runs level (and therefore it is less obvious that it is overloaded), but it will only reduce the axle weight by a very small amount (by rotating some of the load above the more lightly-loaded axle to the other side of the axle).
At risk of sounding like a GCSE Physics textbook…
If you have an 8-metre long body, with axles at 2 metres from each end, and a load of 16 tonnes distributed evenly over the length, then each axle will be carrying 8 tonnes. The weight behind the rear axle is trying to push the rear axle into the ground, but also trying to lift the front axle. Looking at it another way, each axle only carries the 8 tonnes either side of it, and doesn’t carry any of the other axle’s weight.
However, if you remove the weight behind the rear axle, suddenly the front axle is supporting its 8 tonnes, plus a proportion of the rear axle’s 4 tonnes, since there’s no weight behind the rear axle to compensate for that 4 tonnes. Suddenly the front axle is carrying 9 tonnes, and the rear one is carrying 3 tonnes.
Now,how is it with an 44ton artic,if you have less then 35ton,but last Traileraxle is overloaded?
I can’t check it really through Doc’s,as i can lift a Pallet with 500kg noted with one Hand 
In that Case is it so good as unpossible to know your real weight,as after too many complains and reloading from me the weighbridge broke down
When the bottom of the tyres on the drive axle touch each other, it’s over loaded.
It’s no point getting irate with the VOSA guys, my experience of them is they will try to help you and genrally would rather advise you of problems if they are only minor, but if you are overloaded thats an offence and they are doing their job.
MrFlibble:
However, if you remove the weight behind the rear axle, suddenly the front axle is supporting its 8 tonnes, plus a proportion of the rear axle’s 4 tonnes, since there’s no weight behind the rear axle to compensate for that 4 tonnes. Suddenly the front axle is carrying 9 tonnes, and the rear one is carrying 3 tonnes.
Commonly referred to as “Diminishing Load”. Hence the popularity, some years ago, of the Chinese Six.
paul b:
you can check the front axle weight of a rigid on a normal weigh bridge, the fellas that operate these things tell me that if you just put the front wheels on it will give you an aprox weight but it will always be under the actual load on the axle so if it’s over loaded using this method it is definately over weight. as for the air suspension, i can see how it would help on a rigid but to say you “can’t” overload a front axle with it, is just daft.
Air suspension makes no difference at all.
Providing the ‘approach’ and ‘run off’ from any weighbridge are level, then weighing of individual axles is not a problem. Just get the ‘unweighed’ axle as close to the plate as possible, but without actually touching it.
When Rikki refers to Con & Use offences, then I presume he is referring to “Using a motor vehicle in a Dangerous Condition”, which, yes, is endorseable, but also requires a different standard of proof. Vosa are not interested in matters such as that. They prefer the ‘cut & dried’, ‘here are the facts’ type of prosecution. Nothing contentious.
Unless things have changed, then the general guidlines are, up to 5% overweight = warning. Between 5 and 10% overweight = prosecution. Greater than 10% overweight = prosecution + prohibition.
Having said that, I know a number of drivers on ‘skips’ that have told me tales of arriving at landfill sites, in 7.5 tonners, who, when going onto the weighbridge, with VOSA present, have been more than 50% overweight, and although knowing glances have been exchanged, no actions were taken. Grossly overweight but understandable, when collecting just soil and rubble direct from the customer to the tip, where the driver has absolutely no control concerning the weight of the load.
Let’s not forget that VOSA, for all their failings, with their requirement to be lapdogs to the governments paranoia for statistical returns, are essentially, intelligence orientated. They KNOW who the cowboys are. They would just “Love” to put them out of business. But to do so requires long term investigative involvement. The counter situation is that they are under an EC obligation to carry out a minimum number of checks and inspections each year. Targetting the ‘hard targets’ requires time, manpower, and finance. Elements that are in short supply when having to meet EC and governmental targets, and which can often be achieved better by H.M. Customs & Excise VAT staff, by following the ‘paper trail’.
How many people are aware that ‘Dynamic Weighbridges’ already exist on certain roads. I don’t think they are accurate enough for prosecution but, one was certainly built into the M6 between J7 and J6 when it was first built. It covers both lanes 1 & 2. The technology has been updated over the years and I know that it is commonly used for gathering statistical information. You can see the plates just by the the signs to the Works Unit. Other locations exist and have been mentioned on this site.
“they KNOW who the cowboys are” do they, or have they got preconcieved ideas as to they might be? fact is, if you run a tipper, an older wagon or your carrying steel you WILL get a pull! in eighteen months of operating i’ve yet to drive past one, getting a tug every time, your then in the lap of the gods as to who inspects the wagon and how they interpret the rules, time before last was on the a34 going towards redditch, got the obligatory “follow me” sign, they did the tacho inpection no problem but on inspecting the vehicle the fella said i had an illegal tyre on the lift axle, minimum tread depth, to me it was legal and at worst it was marginal but the bloke was having none of it, so didn’t argue, waited for him to go off and do the paper work then called over the fella who seemed to be running the job, “you mind having a look at this tyre, your mate’s giving me a prohibition for it” he has a look then goes off to have a word with the original inspector, upshot was, they cancelled the prohibition, sent me on my way telling me to get it sorted when i got back, a bit of common sense rather than being over zealouse. it saved me a retest, a day off work and all the grief that went with it.
paul b:
“they KNOW who the cowboys are” do they, or have they got preconcieved ideas as to they might be? .
I have been pulled by the ministry twice in the same place A52/A46 both times i was working for local companies (A.Rose and B.W.H.) one was carrying steel and the orther was a bulker carrying potatoes, but on both occasions they said they ahd been waiting for me as they always pulled these firms when the got a chance to.
The bulker was ovewrweight and the wagon with steel was ok.