Be safe, not sorry – why vehicle overloading can lead to disaster
Commercial vehicles that are not correctly loaded present a potential danger for other road users, cyclists and pedestrians. In addition, overloaded or poorly loaded vehicles can be costly to operators, through to the bottom line and the company’s reputation, should an incident occur.
The most important factor when looking at vehicle loading is safety. Any undue pressure or stress on the wheels, tyres and brakes will affect vehicle stability and performance. Tyres, especially, can suffer from overloading. The extra strain can lead to overheating and greater wear, ultimately leading to tyre failure, which can be dangerous and costly. This leaves the driver at greater risk of an incident and in the event of an accident, insurance cover can be voided if the vehicle is overloaded.
Sometimes, it’s worth going back to basics to ensure a vehicle isn’t overloaded. A good start is ensuring the weight of the vehicle and load are known and by checking the gross vehicle weight of the vehicle before departing on a job. Fortunately, advances in technology ensure that knowing the weight of a vehicle has never been easier. Many companies offer systems that will weigh a load in a matter of minutes – seconds. One of the most recent developments has been wireless weighing, which enables real-time data made available to the driver, fleet manager and anyone else who needs the information. The integration of the wireless weighing technology with a back-office system ensures an integrated solution, which, in turn, increases overall efficiency.
Like most things these days, there’s often an app available, so load information of an entire fleet can be contained within a laptop or smartphone. Physical tickets are replaced with a new, digitalised system where the driver, at the click of a button, can virtually send a PDF receipt to the customer, complete with the weight data. Another benefit of an app-based system is that there is no in-cab display to fit, simplifying and speeding up the installation process.
Find out more about Texaco Delo products for commercial vehicles here.
