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Simple fax failure
baulk, like an opportunity to explain the rea1 Sons behind our recent appearances in court. which could possibly give the impressirm that the company has a cavalier attitude to the lam
As one of the country's major heavy haulage operators, our _fleet is constantly Opera! :g under tlw Special Types Authority, or supporting these movements with CR! vehicles. As a result our mutethg department works on more than 100 individual routes a week. With the average mute requiring notification to more than 70 separate authorities, the task is complinded and time-cmsinning Most notifications are transmitted automatically and unless the authority indicates a problem or an escort is required. no acknowledgement is made of the receipt.
If, as sometimes happens, a fax has not been transmitted correctly and an authority does not receive the necessary 48-hours notice, we lose the protection of the Special Types Order and are returned to the C&I.7 regulations This can, at the extreme, mean a vehicle operating quite legally within STGO Cat 3 at a GTW of 150 tonnes is returned to a GTW of 38 Ionizes, thus creating a 290% overload, for failing to send a fax.
This is in essence what happened in the incident reported last week. But when we were stopped and the vehicle's gross weight was reported at 40 tonnes, we faxed the alternative route through to the weighbridge and the prohibition was lifted within 10 minutes without any alteration to the vehicle or load Unfortunately, the prosecution went ahead successfully I write this not to excuse ourselves, but to reassure our customers and colleagues within the industry that Heanor Haulage and its staff endeavour at all times to carry out their commitments in a safe and legal manner, but sometimes fall victim to technicalities which are beyond our control.
Andrew Cole, group fleet engineer, Hearn». Haulage. Lang lo, Mill, Notts.
LI See legal news, page 18.