More Haulage Licences Suspended
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Mr. Hanlon Punishes Two Hauliers Who Used " Overweight " Vehicles
'POUR months' suspension of a licence was imposed on Mr. T. L. I• Herdman, Hexham, by Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, Northern Licensing Authority, at Hexham. on Monday_ Mr. Herdman was warned that if further breaches of the 1933 Act occurred his licence would be revoked.
A licence held by Mr. J. G. Purves, Belford, was suspended for seven days. Both cases concerned the use of vehicles at weights greater than those authorized.
Both hauliers were represented by Mr. T. H. Campbell Wardlaw. He said Mr. Herdman had applied in July of last year through the Road Haulage Association to have a special-A vehicle transferred to an A licence. A similar application was made in November, 1958, for a second vehicle. The cases were delayed pending certain appeals to the Transport Tribunal..
Converted to Tippers
The first vehicle was purchased from K. and B. Motors (Newcastle), Ltd., in April, 1957. The unladen weight was• said to be 2 tons 12 cwt., but it was in fact 3 tons 18 cwt. The second vehicle, also supplied by K. and B. Motors was bought in July, 1957, at a declared weight of 3 tons 4 cwt. but was actually 3 tons 9 cwt. Both were platform lorries when acquired, but had since been converted into tippers.
Giving evidence, Mr. Thomas L. Herdman said that both vehicles were used extensively for carrying bagged cement to the Rocket Research Establishment at Spadeadam, but in July last year his customers asked for their cement to be carried in bulk, which necessitated the use of tippers.
He altered the first lorry by fitting Edbro heavy tipping gear, which increased the weight by 25 cwt. The other vehicle was changed into a tipper by fitting light Pilot tipping gear, which added 5 cwt. to its weight. A fortnight after converting the first vehicle he took advice from the R.H.A. and submitted an application for an A licence for a vehicle "to be acquired" at a. weight of 3 tons 18 cwt. Asked by Mr. Hanlon why he did not say on the form that the vehicle was already in possession, Mr. Herdman said that it was 'just as the R.H.A. filled it in."
Storage .Limited Mr. Herdman was questioned at length by Mr. Hanlon about certain weight tickets. One, which showed the vehicle was weighed on May 31, 1958--two months before the alleged alterations to the first vehicle—gave a tare weight of 4 tons 7 cwt.
Asked how that could be so, the applicant said it could be easily explained. Storage facilities at Spadeadam were limited and often vehicles were left with cement in the bottom. Mr. Herdman gave a similar answer when questioned about a second weight ticket. Concerning a third ticket giting a similar tare weight.
al 2 taken when the vehicle had been conveying limestone, Mr. Hanlon said: "Are you telling me you had a ton of limestone left over? " Mr. Herdman said he could not account for the weight of the vehicle on that occasion, unless there was some solid cement on the floorboards.
Questioned about a conviction for using another vehicle, not the subject of inquiry, without a licence in County Durham in June. 1958. Mr. Herdman explained that he had agreed to buy it from K. and B. Motors in January of that year and had been assured that the licence was being transferred to him.
After mentioning a conviction against Mr. Herdman in June, 1959, for inefficient brakes, Mr. Hanlon questioned the applicant about a GV.9 form, issued against him in April, 1959, which contained a substantial number of defects. Mr. Herdman said the vehicle had been involved in an accident which had caused all the defects.
Mr. Hanlon: "1 don't accept that a tyre was worn through three layers of canvas as a result of an accident."
Giving his decision, Mr. Hanlon said he rejected entirely Mr. Herdman's explanations as to the weight tickets and he could not accept his explanations concerning the form GV.9. He also found that the applicant had deliberately operated a vehicle for six months without a licence.
He proposed to take no action in the case of the vehicle which was 5 cwt. over
weight, but in respect of the other lorry he would suspend the licence for four months.
Mr. Purves had applied for a variation of an A licence by the addition of a vehicle of 4 tons 8 cwt., subject to the deletion of a vehicle of 31 tons.
Mr. Thomas Purves said he purchased a Seddon from K. and B. Motors in October, 1957. Over the Christmas holiday period in 1957, he altered the vehicle by reinforcing the chassis, and it was reweighecl and retaxed on January 14, 1958. A wooden body was fitted in place of the original aluminium body.
Through an oversight he did not immediately apply for the variation of his licence, and it was not until the police weighed the vehicle that he realized he had overlooked its redeclaration.
He considered that the vehicle was heavier than the weight described in the original licence, as the alterations he had made involved approximately only 15 cwt. extra weight. He had acted in good faith throughout.
Mr. Hanlon said he could not pass the matter over without taking some action. However, he thought that the case could be distinguished from "certain other cases." He proposed to suspend the licence, for seven days only.