Is it their job to know every vehicles’ mgw?
A 7.5t Iveco tipper came in yesterday, wanting 5t of building sand. I told the ‘bridge he can’t carry that and was told "it’s not our job to know peoples’ gross weights." I loaded it (just but it was practically falling off the sides) as I’m not responsible for the vehicle but quite regularly we allow transits (and not just our caravan living tarmac cowboys) to go out of the gate grossing 4t or more.
Nevermind if they get caught they get caught. And if they don’t everyone’s happy!
they may say “it’s not our problem”.
but it could be, and it could be your problem too.
in the event of an accident, there is “chain of responsibility”, and there is the possibility of corporate manslaughter. this is where your boss could get it in the neck for not instructing you not to overload vehicles.
if a police officer did his job to the letter of the law, then you “the loader”, and the weigh bridge operator could be the drivers co-accused in court.
if the magistrate or judge decide that you are all equally responsible, then you will all get exactly the same sentence. this could be a slapped wrist, large fine, or imprisonment.
xfmatt:
Nevermind if they get caught they get caught. And if they don’t everyone’s happy!
And if something breaks and they wipe out your family?
The weighbridge operators this way won’t allow you to get loaded if your vehicle hasn’t got a reversing camera.Also if the driver hasn’t got the correct Hi-Viz clothing and helmet etc they won’t be loaded.
Dave the Renegade:
The weighbridge operators this way won’t allow you to get loaded if your vehicle hasn’t got a reversing camera.Also if the driver hasn’t got the correct Hi-Viz clothing and helmet etc they won’t be loaded.
Same here Dave, plus you have to turn your engine off and lock the cab door before you go to the weighbridge. Seatbelts and safety glasses also have to be worn or the camera’s pick it up and you then get a day or two’s suspension.
Would have thought that the weighbridge operator would be responsible in some way for sending out overloaded vehicles, at some quarries that I ran from the driver had no idea what weight he had on until he got his ticket as there was no visible weight shown on his side of the weighbridge?
Pete.
If our lot refused to load those with no ppe, beacons and cameras I’d need 2 cup holders in my cab.
Always makes me laugh is if a Smiths driver or a subbie working for us gets out without ppe, it’s a telling off, threat of disciplinary etc. If Bob the cash collect Builder does it “ah don’t upset the customers”.
The “Creative Driveways” lot are actually spot on with ppe; They need to be to impersonate Council workers.
Sorry but if a weighbridge op doesnt know vehicle gross weights then he/she isnt a weighbridge op, they are a serious danger to everyone around.
We arn`t allowed out of the quarry even if we are 20kg over our gross.
dowahdiddyman:
Sorry but if a weighbridge op doesnt know vehicle gross weights then he/she isnt a weighbridge op, they are a serious danger to everyone around.
We arn`t allowed out of the quarry even if we are 20kg over our gross.
The problem with the “no going over by 20kg” rule is, from a shovel operators’ viewpoint, you’re going to get owner drivers who’ve been underloaded by say, 200kgs, coming back for a top-up. Yes, shovels mostly have weighers but they’re not weighbridges. Lorries coming back to top up stupid amounts is bloody annoying when you’ve got material mixing, other lorries waiting, haul roads to maintain etc…
I agree with you in the main. LGVs it’s obvious regarding gross weights, it’s when you get to small builders’ pickups is where the problems start. Is a transit 3.5t mgw or 2.8t? I’d go by if it has double or single tyre rear wheels.
What about the private cash-collect customers? The type with a Rover 216 pulling a crappy Halfords’ tin trailer; Do you ask to see their V5 or inspect the VIN plate? I saw a notice at LaFarge, Banbury which basically said transit type pickups wouldn’t be allowed to exceed 3.5t mgw and small car-towed trailers, 500kgs payload. Not a bad guide.
We run a Daf LF that’s 12t mgw but looks like a 7.5t tipper, so how is a weighbridge man supposed to tell the difference?
And then the most annoying of all, Split loads; Axle weights go right out of the window there. 
Our weighbridge man got on my ■■■■ today; My shovels’ weigher packed up so for those wagons without weighers, it was guesswork. Cue weighbridge sending people back for a 1/4 and 1/2 ton top ups.
I was lead to believe that now days the weighbridge operator can also be fined if a vehicle is over weight.By allowing an offence to be commited but again im not sure how true it is
I know in Germany the company, the loader and the driver can be punished if a vehicle leaves the load area over weight or unsafe load then all concerned can be punished should be the same in UK in my mind
There are no rules in the UK as far as I know. We normally only load out our own vehicles, and we know the gross weights for each of those. But if a contractor / customer comes to collect, as we can do is ask them. If they don’t know their gross I will send them to look at the plate or ring their boss and ask - but if they out-and-out lied then there would be no way of proving that.
Not too sure about the legalities but have heard at work that the weighbridge guy can be prosecuted, as well as the company, for allowing anyone out overweight…
Aside from that, I know they have all been told that they will get the sack - no second chances - for any overweight lorries. Further to this the weighbridges are connected somehow to the ticket machine ( technology that I don’t understand 
) and won’t print the ticket if the lorry is overweight. Pain in the ■■■ but at least the weighbridge fella ( or lass ) is protected from prosecution…
If some of the shovel drivers were up to the mark, no-one should have to tip off…
Nathan
How the hell can you justify whinging about your weighbridge guy? Its hardly his fault that YOUR weigher has broken
You need to stop taking life so bloody seriously - you might actually start to enjoy it
Not blaming him, but sending people back for a couple of barrowfulls is a PITA. I never top up when light, I came all the way back from Wick quarry 1.5t light a few years ago. TM did have a bit of a whinge but I’d waited for nearly an hour to get just over 14t, no way was I waiting another hour just to take it to 15.8t…
A nice layby or two were waiting for me on the way back. (One reason why I’m waiting to get back on the road)
As an O/D used to lead out of a quarry owned by a well known road surfacing outfit in the 80’s. Weighbridge lads were ■■■■ hot on company policy and never allowed to leave the quarry overweight. Rightly so I suppose.
Muckaway:
Is it their job to know every vehicles’ mgw?
A 7.5t Iveco tipper came in yesterday, wanting 5t of building sand. I told the ‘bridge he can’t carry that and was told "it’s not our job to know peoples’ gross weights." I loaded it (just but it was practically falling off the sides) as I’m not responsible for the vehicle but quite regularly we allow transits (and not just our caravan living tarmac cowboys) to go out of the gate grossing 4t or more.
Would you know immediately what the MGW of this vehicle is? The clues are there 6 stud wheels! 
Wheel Nut, I’d guess 7.5t but loaded witb upvc gear? Could be a
12tonner?
Wheel Nut:
Muckaway:
Is it their job to know every vehicles’ mgw?
A 7.5t Iveco tipper came in yesterday, wanting 5t of building sand. I told the ‘bridge he can’t carry that and was told "it’s not our job to know peoples’ gross weights." I loaded it (just but it was practically falling off the sides) as I’m not responsible for the vehicle but quite regularly we allow transits (and not just our caravan living tarmac cowboys) to go out of the gate grossing 4t or more.Would you know immediately what the MGW of this vehicle is? The clues are there 6 stud wheels!
6 stud wheels are usually only found on 7.5 tonners, most 10/12 tonners have 8 studs, bit the only way to be certain is to check the plate
As our pit is a public weighbridge we get police/vosa bringing wagons in. They pick on builders and scaffolders mostly, scaffs often have 8 stud wheels but they’re often downrated motors to 7.5t mgw. Very easy pickings for plod.
Do weighbridges still write on tickets “Overweight, driver advised”? Our former weighbridge man used to as he had to do this at Oldacres years before.