A truck is overloaded if its permissible total weight is exceeded by more than 2 percent. But there are other details that you must understand about truck overloaded.
Read below and see how a truck is overloaded. Overloading a truck can be dangerous. With a load beyond its ability to handle, a truck will brake and steer incorrectly.
If the load is poorly distributed, it can also overturn the vehicle. Beyond the immediate safety hazards, overloaded trucks also damage roadways by exposing them to loads beyond their design tolerances.
A truck driver is responsible for not overloading the truck and can be heavily fined if excess weight is detected.
Fortunately, it’s easy to tell if a truck is overloaded.
Weighing Truck
1. Check that loading the truck is rated to carry safely. It should be printed on a plate somewhere on the truck body. If not, consult the vehicle manual or contact the manufacturer.
2. Drive the truck to a weigh station and record its curb weight before loading it. These stations are located at intervals on most major highways, or you might visit anywhere trucks are paid directly on the weight of the material they bring in or out. These places include landfills and aggregate quarries.
3. Drive back to a weigh station once the vehicle is fully loaded with the goods, people, and tools it will take on the road. Take into account the weight of the truck loaded in such a way and subtract the weight of the empty truck. If this number exceeds what the truck is rated to carry, some cargo will need to be unloaded.
Check for signs of overload. No Scale
4. Take a good look at the suspension springs at each wheel. If they are fully compressed, the truck is overloaded. Jumping on the truck’s bumper can also be checked on smaller trucks. If the truck bounces, there is still some damage to the suspension system. If it doesn’t, it may be overloaded.
5. Bring the truck to a parking lot or space and brake as normal. If braking takes much longer than normal, it is a sign of overload. Any additional weight will lengthen the stopping time, but overloading will make these times long enough to be dangerous on the road.
6. Look at the truck from the back and check for any tilt in the bed. A poorly centered load can overload one side of the truck, even if the total weight is within tolerances. It can lead to the truck overturning on the road.
Tips and Warnings
Never drive a truck that you think is overloaded. You could be liable for injuries or damages suffered as a result. Err on the safe side and make multiple trips.
What Happens When You Overloads A Truck
Trucks move umpteen tons of cargo on roads every day – whether in transit from one European country to another or for deliveries to cities within Germany.
Trucks transport several billion tons of goods annually over the German road network.
Due to the high loads caused by the heavyweights, the road surface is often damaged. Annoying construction sites are the result.
Therefore, traffic law provides penalties for vehicle drivers and owners who overload their trucks and thus overload the roads.
In addition to a hefty fine, there is also a risk of points in Flensburg!
In addition, overloading a truck or trailer (as with a car) harbors risks due to the changed driving and braking behavior.
But what percentage do trucks and trailers become overloaded, according to the catalog of fines for 2022?
How is the maximum load weight calculated, and what other dangers are there if a vehicle is overloaded?
When Is A Truck Overloaded
When is a truck overloaded?
According to the catalog of fines for trucks, the vehicle is overloaded if its permissible total weight is exceeded by more than 2 percent.
Therefore, the tolerance is small in the case of a possible truck overload.
This strict regulation is due to the great danger of an overloaded truck or trailer. In principle, truck accidents are usually much more serious than car accidents.
Due to their size and weight, heavy trucks can do a lot of damage.
As with passenger cars, the term “overloading” refers to exceeding the permissible total weight of the vehicle.
The permissible total weight is calculated from the vehicle’s empty weight and load.
The maximum load your vehicle can support is calculated by deducting the curb weight derived from the maximum gross vehicle weight.
Without scales, truck drivers can typically only detect overloads when there is roughly 30% too much weight.
Before getting behind the wheel, you should have the vehicle weighed if you have any concerns about the load.
How Much Does Truck Loading Cost?
If the truck is discovered to be overloaded, the owner and the driver may face penalties.
Depending on the percentage by which the truck is overloaded, there are fines of between $10 and $235 for a permissible total weight of up to 7.5 t.
If the truck has a permissible total weight of more than 7.5 t, between 30 and 425 euros may be due. Points can also be added here.
What percentage can I overload a truck without having to pay a fine?
With a motor vehicle with a permissible total weight of up to 7.5 tons, you generally only expect penalties from the catalog of truck fines if it is overloaded by more than 5 percent.
If the permissible total weight of the truck is over 7.5 t, this is already the case if the truck is overloaded by 2 percent.
Truck overloaded: What penalty is due?
The maximum overall weight of the truck that can be loaded usually determines the precise amount of the fine.
Since the accident risk is automatically higher with a heavier truck, the sanctions are more severe in this case :
The penalty for overloading a truck up to 7.5 tons is usually a warning of 10 dollars if it is more than five percent too heavy.
In the case of a truck with a GVW of more than 7.5 tons, the driver will have to pay 80 dollars and the owner 140 dollars if the truck is more than five percent overloaded.
If a truck over 7.5 tons is overloaded by more than 20 percent, the penalty for the truck driver is 190 dollars and one point; the holder, in turn, has to pay 380 dollars and also receives a point.
In contrast, there is “only” one point and a fine of 95 dollars if a truck is so overloaded that it has a permissible total weight of up to 7.5 tons.
If the truck is discovered to be overloaded, the owner and driver may face legal action
If the truck is overloaded, the law provides the same sanctions for the driver and owner, provided the truck can weigh up to 7.5 tons.
The driver’s fine is smaller than the owner’s for heavier models. However, both are listed in the driving aptitude record (FAER) with the same number of points
This table reveals the exact penalties for overloading a truck (up to 7.5 tons); If a truck with a GVW of more than 7.5 tons is too heavy, you will find the impending consequences in this table.
Keep in mind that the responsible police officers will decide whether you can continue traveling if the police and the truck stop you are found to be overloaded.
If the truck endangers traffic safety, the officials can demand that the truck be unloaded before you can continue driving. In this case, you must obey this order.
HOW TO AVOID TRUCK OVERLOADED
How to Avoid overloading the truck will be discussed below
Before loading your trailer, always pay attention to the permissible trailer load stated in the vehicle documents. You can find these in the following documents:
You will find the braked trailer load under number 28 in the vehicle registration document
The unbraked trailer load is listed under number 29 in the vehicle registration document
In the registration certificate part 1, you will find the braked trailer load under O.1
In Part I of the registration certificate, the unbraked trailer load is listed under O.2
In addition, the vertical load must be observed, which can usually be found on the vertical load signs in the tailgate of the towing vehicle and on the rear panel of the trailer.
The drawbar load should always be exhausted but not exceeded; otherwise, the stability of the entire train (towing vehicle + trailer) is endangered when driving.
Avoid truck overloading
The load factors mentioned above are also decisive for calculating the permissible payload for trucks and truck trailers.
However, some special features must be observed when calculating the axle load.
The load distribution in the towing vehicle and trailer must be considered in line with a load distribution plan because vehicles often have more than two axles.
Forwarders use computer programs for this purpose and use them to create a loading plan that calculates the load distribution in the truck.
According to § 34 of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO), the legislator has stipulated values that describe the maximum axle load and apply to all vehicles and trailers with pneumatic or rubber tires.
Maximum permissible axle load:
Axle type / in tons
Single-axle vehicle / 10
Powered Single Axle Vehicle / 11.5
Twin axle trailer, distance < 1 meter / 11
Twin axle “, spacing from 1m to 1.29m / 16
Twin-axle”, spacing from 1.3m to 1.79m / 18
Double-axle “, a distance of 1.8 m or more / 20
Three-axle, distance < 1.3 m / 21
Three-axle vehicle, distance over 1.3 m to the max. 1.4 m / 24
What 3 things are harder for your truck to do when it is overloaded
- braking
- Steering
- tire burst
From what you have read above, you can now understand what overloading is and why you should avoid it.