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r Johnny Johnson Worth its weight ,THOUGH the Department the

25th July 1975, Page 36
25th July 1975
Page 36
Page 37
Page 36, 25th July 1975 — r Johnny Johnson Worth its weight ,THOUGH the Department the
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Environment's proposals increase roadside checks of aide weights, about which yarned the industry toward > end of last year, might ye been delayed they have -tainly not been abandoned. Speaking to DoE officials ly recently, I was assured it after some small snags ye been ironed out, elecmic equipment weighing hides on the move will soon ike its appearance at the idside used by both DoE aminers and trading stanrds enforcement staff. It had ?,ri hoped to have begun using s equipment earlier in the ar, but it is likely to be well ,o the autumn before drivers 11 be asked to put their hides over the plate at 3mph.

It is apparent, however, that ident operators are already ticipating the introduction of equipment and taking ps to ensure that, even if overloading prosecution is )ught against them, they ye some evidence to support ?..ir claims to have taken all asonable precautions to pre vent their vehicles being overloaded above the permitted gross or axle weights.

One of these is H. P. Bulmer Ltd, of Hereford, the wellknown cider manufacturer.

Buimers is a long-established company with a reputation for integrity to protect. Apart from the obvious repercussions against the company's 0 licence if overloading prosecutions are successful, it is anxious not to attract the attention which could accrue from the environmental lobby in similar circumstances.

Despite already having a perfectly good twin platform static weighbridge on its premises at Hereford, Bulmer has installed one of the Weighwrite electronic weighing machines which is likely to be similar to the type to be used by the DoE when it begins electronic weighing.

I asked distribution manager, Ken Morton why the company had considered it prudent to install a further check on the weight of its vehicles, and he told me that while the static weighbridge was perfectly accurate for the gross weight, it was really not possible to obtain precise axle weights. This was because it was not feasible to weigh individual axles in all cases especially when the vehicle concerned was, for instance, an articulated unit drawing a twin-axle trailer. Weighing the unit axles together and then the twintrailer axles was quite unsatisfactory. Indeed, since installing the electronic equipment the company had experienced some unexpected and unpleasant shocks about the weight of individual axles, I was told.

Bulmer operates a mixed fleet of over 200 vehicles throughout the country of which some 70 are based at Hereford. The operation comprises radial and medium-distance deliveries of cider and associated products and, especially during a spell of hot weather such as has recently been experienced, it can be hectic. Some of Bulmer's vehicles are operated on the three-shift system and are on the road between 20 and 22 hours a day. Thus, in the course of an intensive haulage operation such as this, there is plenty of opportunity for a vehicle to slip through even the most vigilant precautions with more weight on an axle than is intended.

To safeguard against this happening, therefore, loaded vehicles are first put over the static weighbridge from which a ticket is issued and then they are put over the axleweigher as an extra check on the weights on individual axles.

Safe feeling

It is considered that not only is the company happy to have some confirmation of the efficiency of its loading system but it is also more satisfactory to a driver to know that he is safe from prosecution for overloading, at least.

Load distribution is often something over which the driver has no control yet he is at risk from a maximum penalty of £400 for contravention of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regu lations 1973—the penalty was increased in the Road Traffic Act 1974.

Being able to provide the driver with details of the loading of his vehicle produced with equipment similar to that which will be used at roadside checks, the company hopes not only to give its men peace of mind but also to keep the importance of preventing overloading constantly in their minds.

To illustrate the more precise detail that can be obtained -about axle weights from using the equipment, Bulmer's transport manager, Len Stevens, arranged for a demonstration using one of the company's training vehicles.

From the weigh ticket and the electronic print-out reproduced, it is possible to assess the margin of error that can occur when two axles are weighed together to produce an apparently quite legitimate loading.

Taking the front axle pairing as an example, from the static weighbridge recording 12.25 tonnes might be regarded as a wholly acceptable weight on two axles but, individually, the more precise 8A0 tonnes on the drive axle and only 4.33 tonnes on the first axle would certainly cause comment if not prosecution.

Further to illustrate the point, Mr Stevens repeated the demonstration using a vehicle with a hydraulic fifth-wheel such as might be used to obvi

The ticket issued by the static weighbridge can present only axles weighed in pairs, but the true picture is depicted by the electronic print-out.

ate the constant raising an lowering of the trailer landin legs.

With the fifth-wheel in it most forward position and a its lowest, the weight on th first axle was shown as 3.1 tonnes and that on the driv axle as 11.28 tonnes. Whe. the fifth-wheel was raised an inclined toward the rear of th vehicle, the respective axl weights became 2.96 tonne and 11.78 tonnes—a considei able difference.

Load configuration

Apart from the increase ii knowledge about the gross an axle weights of vehicles beini sent out, Bulmer has becomi more aware of the rela...ion:shi between the weights of it various products and thei position on the vehicle. It ha: been realised that load con


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