LA told of overloading convictions
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0 When G. E. Farrant (Transport) Ltd of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, appeared before Maj-Gen A. F. J. Elmslie, the South Eastern Licensing Authority, under Section 69 at Maidstone last week, a director of the company blamed vehicle construction, customer default, and weighbridge facilities for overloading convictions. Mrs D. A. Norton, a director of Farrant, told the LA that when a 16-ton-gross vehicle was loaded level along its Matform it was between 11 and 18 cwt overweight on the front axle.
On one occasion the vehicle was weighed inside Dover Harbour Board property and was Ilcwt overweight. Before moving on to the highway the driver transferred part of the load to the back end of the vehicle but the company was convicted of an offence which appeared on its record.
On another occasion South Eastern Clearing Houses were alleged to have altered a consignment and loaded 46Ib boxes instead of 44Ib boxes. The result was that the vehicle was almost 9cwt overweight. Following a conviction for this offence. Farrant had ceased working for SECH.
The LA who curtailed the licence from January 15 until February 28 by two vehicles and one trailer, said: "It remains the duty of the operator at all times not to overload."
On the same day the LA refused an application by Redland Purle Ltd to vary its licence by adding 10 vehicles; and he curtailed the existing licence by three vehicles. These vehicles had been authorized but were not yet specified. The inquiry followed two fleet examinations at the company's Strood depot, which was described by Mr M. J. Daniels, a DoE vehicle examiner, as having inadequate facilities for the fleet of 32 vehicles. During the fleet examination he had issued four GV9s.