Most trucks too heavy
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• A Dutch truck carrying 16 cattle over its limit was one of 32 commercial vehicles Essex County Council found overloaded in a weighing check of 105 units at the port of Harwich.
Out of the 32 trucks found overloaded in the two-day check, 15 were issued with prohibition notices for being more than 5% overweight. Trading standards officers stopped every truck entering Parkeston Quay from the Continent and say most were more than 10% overloaded.
Of the 65 British drivers stopped, within the port on 2829 April, 21 had overloaded trucks and nine were issued with prohibition notices.
The Southern Irish drivers performed no better—all three whose loads were weighed were issued with prohibition notices.
The 37 Dutch vehicles had a slightly better record; eight were found to have overloaded trucks and three were issued with prohibition notices.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was also present: it found that a Dutch driver was carrying falsified documentation for the export of two horses. This case will be considered for prosecution.