CAS clear on weight
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• Alfretonbased CAS Transport and Warehousing has been cleared of overloading an artic, after Richmond Magistrates heard there was a six-tonne discrepancy between the results of a checkweighing in Northern Ireland and one on the dynamic axle weigher at Scotch Corner.
Prosecuting for the North Eastern Traffic Area, Alan Vickers said that when the outfit was checked at Scotch Corner it was found to weigh 43,110kg, an overload of 5,110kg (13.44%). The company's transport manager said that the outfit had been weighed at Larne, on a weighbridge used by the Ministry, and the train weight had come out at 35,920kg.
Trading standards officer John Lynn said the dynamic weighbridge had been checked for accuracy at the required six-monthly intervals.
Lynn said if a vehicle did not fit on the concrete apron (which extended 17 metres each side of the weighbeam) there might be variations in weight. He felt those variations would be insignificant, but was unable to say what they would be. There was no way of telling if the machine was malfunctioning, he said.
Company director James Scott said the artic, which had a King low loading trailer, measured 20.5 metres and was used for Special Types work. It had delivered an abnormal load to Dublin, and on its return had collected a jack hammer and two trailers, which were stacked. The tractor unit was weighed and came out at 8,180kg. Manufacturers information was that the low loader weighed 10,880kg-, the two trailers 7,880kg each, and the jack hammer between 820 and 1,800kg. If that was correct, the train weight should have been between 35,640kg and 36,620kg.
Driver Peter Stapleton, said that no alteration had been made to the load between Larne and Scotch Corner.
Vickers suggested that if the rear axle had not been on the Larne weighbridge it could account for the difference, but Stapleton was adamant that the whole of the outfit was on the weighbridge. This was confirmed by co-driver Maxine Ashmore.
Hodgson said a dynamic axle weigher was presumed to be accurate unless proved to the contrary. In this case, the console operator had not been asked to give evidence; the level of the apron was critical, and it appeared it had not been checked since installation.