Rob K:
How can it be 5% up to a max of 1 t as well, when 5% is 2 t?
5% or 1t, which ever comes first.
So you can be up to 46 t overall, but not more than 5% per axle, is that it?
No, because the 1t would kick in first so 45t gross. They allow for 5% or 1t whichever is the smaller figure and as 5% is 2.2t then it is the 1t that comes into play.
(I know it says 46t in the bit from geebee45 I quoted earlier but maybe it’s a typo.)
On the 10.5t axle it is the 5% which is the smaller figure, just over 0.5t.
11.7t on the drive? You want cheese with your burger?
I have just read an interesting article in the Horse & Hound about overloading.
It was written by an informed member of these forums
Now, those amongst us used to transport will say that the tolerance quoted is unfair to smaller vehicles because larger vehicles could be overloaded to a greater degree think 2.2 tonnes on a 44 tonne artic. However, like so many things in life there is a ‘yes, but.’ In this case is the plated weight is exceeded by 1 tonne then prosecution will be automatic, irrespective of the actual percentage involved.
Rob K:
How can it be 5% up to a max of 1 t as well, when 5% is 2 t?
5% or 1t, which ever comes first.
So you can be up to 46 t overall, but not more than 5% per axle, is that it?
No, because the 1t would kick in first so 45t gross. They allow for 5% or 1t whichever is the smaller figure and as 5% is 2.2t then it is the 1t that comes into play.
(I know it says 46t in the bit from geebee45 I quoted earlier but maybe it’s a typo.)
On the 10.5t axle it is the 5% which is the smaller figure, just over 0.5t.
11.7t on the drive? You want cheese with your burger?
Yes of course, I didn’t engage brain before replying in my last post. Wonder what GB has to say about his 46 t then. I could put my usual “all VOSA are a bunch of [zb]s and don’t know their arse from their elbow” but as he had the courtesy to reply then I’ll restrain myself just this once.
when Geog Fischer / Le Bas were relocating from Manchester to Cov
a driver was pulled on the A556
grossed 40t
split unit from drag
unit 23t trailer 17t
so both legal on there own
to sum up the drivers dad spoke to the dad of the drivers girlfriend and they sorted it out between themselves
handy people these coppers with rank
Rob K:
Confused by that bit as it seems to contradict itself unless I’m reading it wrong.
I think what he’s saying is that you will generally be let off up to 45t if you were unaware of the overload, whereas if they find out you have a weighbridge ticket from where you collected the load that says 44800kg then you will probably be in trouble regardless of the “5% or 1t rule”.
For those of us on bulk grain work I think the phrase we need to learn is “I loaded it on a farm without a weighbridge, my weigher must be playing up”.
Rob K:
So I had a trailer last night which scaled at just under 45 tonne. Tells bloke in office - Mr. Been-Driving-40-Years-Stuck-In-The-Drifts-On-Shap-etc and he says “be reet, you’re allowed 5% over”. “I don’t think so”. “No, you’ll be fine, we do it all the time”. “Which specific rule in the book states that then?”. “No idea, always been the way since the 70s and it’s been that way ever since”. Like a true so-called professional driver I took it anyway as it was only going up the road but my internal BS detector siren was going off quite loudly in my head.
So what is the verdict from our resident VOSA members? In a situation where the driver can’t reasonably have known what the actual weight was before taking it, up to what amount over would VOSA wave you through on with a warning and what would have them park you up til you removed the excess?
Are you there Bryan? Can’t remember your username.
i was under the 5% was for a vehicle that was loaded with tonn bags of sand up to the limit. you go home and that night it rains like mad. as long as you can prove you were not overloaded when you loaded and it was rain water that put you over then your ok. remember it somewhere in the cpc managment notes.
Rob K:
Confused by that bit as it seems to contradict itself unless I’m reading it wrong.
I think what he’s saying is that you will generally be let off up to 45t if you were unaware of the overload, whereas if they find out you have a weighbridge ticket from where you collected the load that says 44800kg then you will probably be in trouble regardless of the “5% or 1t rule”.
For those of us on bulk grain work I think the phrase we need to learn is “I loaded it on a farm without a weighbridge, my weigher must be playing up”.
Paul
I pulled off a weighbridge that said ----- I asumed it was broken got to the other end it said the same I suppose if I got pulled I could assume the vosa weighbridge was broken when that said ----- too
surely if you weigh it and its overweight before you leave the yard then you can have no defense if caught on the road overweight■■?
why would you take an overloaded vehicle on the road??you know its a fine? some people deserve all they get?
xamtex:
surely if you weigh it and its overweight before you leave the yard then you can have no defense if caught on the road overweight■■?
why would you take an overloaded vehicle on the road??you know its a fine? some people deserve all they get?
Is that just a general comment or directed at me? I shall assume the latter. Nowhere in my post did I say I’d picked it up from the yard like that. As it happens I’d loaded it 1 hour previous and was going to be tipping it at the customer in 5 minutes anyway, but as I suspected it was over and the scales were enroute I decided to check it out.
xamtex:
surely if you weigh it and its overweight before you leave the yard then you can have no defense if caught on the road overweight■■?
Whether you have weighed it or not you never have a defence if caught on the road overweight. It’s an absolute offence so you are guilty regardless of steps you have taken. You can have mitigating circumstances you can put forward to lessen the punishment but you are still guilty.
xamtex:
surely if you weigh it and its overweight before you leave the yard then you can have no defense if caught on the road overweight■■?
Whether you have weighed it or not you never have a defence if caught on the road overweight. It’s an absolute offence so you are guilty regardless of steps you have taken. You can have mitigating circumstances you can put forward to lessen the punishment but you are still guilty.
I’d tell them to take me to court if I was caught overweight from either a pre-loader or loaded at some place where you have no way of checking it yourself. I’d argue the [zb] with the magistrate and continue to do so until they throw the case out. And I’d bet a large amount of £ that it would happen too.
The 1 tonne tolerance is completely universal for all trucks, not just stuff that might get wet. And even if you slap them round the face with your weighbridge ticket proving you knew it was nearly 1 tonne over there is absolutely ■■■■ all they can do about it. They will give you a patronising lecture about it but that’s the main reason they do their job, ■■■■ ‘em.
It’s there in black and white in the handy VOSA price list. It has to be over 1 tonne to get your £60 fine, no exceptions.
Rob K:
Yes of course, I didn’t engage brain before replying in my last post. Wonder what GB has to say about his 46 t then. I could put my usual “all VOSA are a bunch of [zb]s and don’t know their arse from their elbow” but as he had the courtesy to reply then I’ll restrain myself just this once.
Those contradicting posts confused me as well. Interesting to note that the only person getting the information incorrect was the VOSA guy which just confirms what we all knew about them.
Rob K:
So I had a trailer last night which scaled at just under 45 tonne. Tells bloke in office - Mr. Been-Driving-40-Years-Stuck-In-The-Drifts-On-Shap-etc and he says “be reet, you’re allowed 5% over”. “I don’t think so”. “No, you’ll be fine, we do it all the time”. “Which specific rule in the book states that then?”. “No idea, always been the way since the 70s and it’s been that way ever since”. Like a true so-called professional driver I took it anyway as it was only going up the road but my internal BS detector siren was going off quite loudly in my head.
So what is the verdict from our resident VOSA members? In a situation where the driver can’t reasonably have known what the actual weight was before taking it, up to what amount over would VOSA wave you through on with a warning and what would have them park you up til you removed the excess?
Are you there Bryan? Can’t remember your username.
directed at you and anyone else who takes an overloaded trailer on the road…as you said on your op “like a true so-called professional driver i took it anyway as it was only going up the road”■■
maurice:
The 1 tonne tolerance is completely universal for all trucks, not just stuff that might get wet. And even if you slap them round the face with your weighbridge ticket proving you knew it was nearly 1 tonne over there is absolutely [zb] all they can do about it. They will give you a patronising lecture about it but that’s the main reason they do their job, [zb] ‘em.
It’s there in black and white in the handy VOSA price list. It has to be over 1 tonne to get your £60 fine, no exceptions.
Rob K:
Yes of course, I didn’t engage brain before replying in my last post. Wonder what GB has to say about his 46 t then. I could put my usual “all VOSA are a bunch of [zb]s and don’t know their arse from their elbow” but as he had the courtesy to reply then I’ll restrain myself just this once.
Those contradicting posts confused me as well. Interesting to note that the only person getting the information incorrect was the VOSA guy which just confirms what we all knew about them.
xamtex:
surely if you weigh it and its overweight before you leave the yard then you can have no defense if caught on the road overweight■■?
Whether you have weighed it or not you never have a defence if caught on the road overweight. It’s an absolute offence so you are guilty regardless of steps you have taken. You can have mitigating circumstances you can put forward to lessen the punishment but you are still guilty.
I’d tell them to take me to court if I was caught overweight from either a pre-loader or loaded at some place where you have no way of checking it yourself. I’d argue the [zb] with the magistrate and continue to do so until they throw the case out. And I’d bet a large amount of £ that it would happen too.
Case wouldn’t be thrown out, unless there was proof of some technical problem with the weighing equipment, it’s an absolute offence so you are guilty before the case even starts. The court case wouldn’t be about determining guilt, it would be about mitigating circumstances and level of punishment. With the right circumstances you could walk from the court with a guilty verdict but no punishment and that is the best you can get with an overweight offence.
maurice:
The 1 tonne tolerance is completely universal for all trucks, not just stuff that might get wet. And even if you slap them round the face with your weighbridge ticket proving you knew it was nearly 1 tonne over there is absolutely [zb] all they can do about it. They will give you a patronising lecture about it but that’s the main reason they do their job, [zb] ‘em.
It’s there in black and white in the handy VOSA price list. It has to be over 1 tonne to get your £60 fine, no exceptions.
Rob K:
Yes of course, I didn’t engage brain before replying in my last post. Wonder what GB has to say about his 46 t then. I could put my usual “all VOSA are a bunch of [zb]s and don’t know their arse from their elbow” but as he had the courtesy to reply then I’ll restrain myself just this once.
Those contradicting posts confused me as well. Interesting to note that the only person getting the information incorrect was the VOSA guy which just confirms what we all knew about them.
Who is the VOSA man?
We cannot tell you, due to the official secrets act.
xamtex:
surely if you weigh it and its overweight before you leave the yard then you can have no defense if caught on the road overweight■■?
why would you take an overloaded vehicle on the road??you know its a fine? some people deserve all they get?
maybe robk doesn’t have the benefit of a weighbridge at his yard you obviously have access to a weighbridge the way you state your criticism but not everybody has that benefit
maurice:
The 1 tonne tolerance is completely universal for all trucks, not just stuff that might get wet. And even if you slap them round the face with your weighbridge ticket proving you knew it was nearly 1 tonne over there is absolutely [zb] all they can do about it. They will give you a patronising lecture about it but that’s the main reason they do their job, [zb] ‘em.
It’s there in black and white in the handy VOSA price list. It has to be over 1 tonne to get your £60 fine, no exceptions.
Rob K:
Yes of course, I didn’t engage brain before replying in my last post. Wonder what GB has to say about his 46 t then. I could put my usual “all VOSA are a bunch of [zb]s and don’t know their arse from their elbow” but as he had the courtesy to reply then I’ll restrain myself just this once.
Those contradicting posts confused me as well. Interesting to note that the only person getting the information incorrect was the VOSA guy which just confirms what we all knew about them.
Who is the VOSA man?
Seriously? It tells you who this one is* in the thread.
I could put my usual “all VOSA are a bunch of [zb]s and don’t know their arse from their elbow” but as he had the courtesy to reply then I’ll restrain myself just this once. 
the legal weight limit is 44 tonnes on UK roads so if its over, dont take it out. you (as a driver) are easily replaced but your licence isnt
“I don’t think so”. “No, you’ll be fine, we do it all the time”. “Which specific rule in the book states that then?”. “No idea, always been the way since the 70s and it’s been that way ever since”. Like a true so-called professional driver I took it anyway as it was only going up the road 
you obviously have access to a weighbridge the way you state your criticism but not everybody has that benefit