Hauliers right on overloading
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• Two hauliers and three drivers were granted absolute discharges despite admitting to offences involving containers and trailers loaded on the Continent when they appeared before the Huddersfield Magistrates.
Chris Smaller Transport of Stallingborough, South Humberside and driver Paul Baker admitted axle and gross overloads.
Prosecuting for the North Eastern Traffic Area — Michael Broome said that a 38tonne artic loaded with a 12m container of cotton goods and driven by Baker had been stopped in a weight check at Ainley Top dynamic weighbridge while on a journey between Immingham and Haslingden. The weight on the second axle exceeded the permitted weight by 1,950kgs, an overload of some 18.5%, and there was a gross overload on the tractor unit of 2,610kgs, some 13.6%.
Defending, lan Rothera said it had been a sealed container that had been packed abroad outside the control of the defendants. There were no facilities for drivers to weigh axles when containers came through Immingham. In this particular case there was a clear space of 2.4m at the rear of the container when it was eventually opened.
J W Cousins and Sons of Waddingham, near Gainsbo rough and driver John Johnson admitted a second axle overload. Broome said the 32 tonne artic with a refrigerated trailer had been loaded with bacon. The second axle was overloaded by 1,040kgs, some 10.22%. Again, said Rothera the trailer had been loaded on the Continent where different loading arrangements apply and it had come into this country through Immingham.
Lorry driver Leonard Grant admitted an overload of 8.5% on the fourth and fifth compensating axles of the trailer of his articulated outfit in circumstances where it had been loaded on the Continent coming into this country through Immingham.
His employer, Cuttlidge Transport of Stallingborough, was fined £130 for the axle overload and £1,000 for using the vehicle when a higher rate of duty was payable at an earlier court and is to appeal against the fines.