Mone licence cut for overloads
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• Convictions for overloading have forced North Eastern Licensing Authority Frederick Whalley to cut the licence of Mone Bros (Excavations) by six vehicles and one trailer.
The Leeds-based company had held a licence authorising 22 vehicles and one trailer, and had sought renewal in respect of a similar number. Whalley had been considering taking action in the light of seven sets of overloading convictions, for a total of 13 offences.
Director and transport manager Martin Neal said that the company was engaged on earthmoving. The practice was for the contracts manager to calculate the weight per cubic metre, using tables in a text book, to assess the number of vehicle-journeys required. Site foremen were then instructed how much weight to load on each vehicle. The company's drivers were instructed not to overload, and to off-load any excess. Road Haulage Association stickers reminding drivers about their obligations were displayed in the cabs of the vehicles.
Questioned by the LA, Neal said that the drivers had been told to check weigh if in any doubt, but agreed that he did not have any weight certificates to prove this.
For the company, Stephen Kirkbright said that though overloading was a serious matter, the number of offences had to be considered in the context of the nature of the operation. Mone Bros vehicles averaged six to 10 loads a day, and the number of convictions did not reveal a disastrous record when set against that background.
Rejecting that argument, Whalley pointed out that the vehicles were primarily making short journeys in urban areas where they were unlikely to be stopped in weight checks.
Cutting the licence, and only renewing it in respect of 15 vehicles, Whalley said that he was not satisfied with the steps taken to prevent overloading offences. Operators had to realise that if they were convicted of such offences they were ultimately going to lose their licences.