A wine company has been fined after an overloaded vehicle was stopped carrying an extra 1,000kg more of goods than it should have been.
Maidenhead Wine Company, of Cordwallis Street, Maidenhead, pleaded guilty to the offence under the Road Traffic Act, and was given the £1,700 fine at Slough Magistrates Court on Thursday (July 17), reports Localberkshire.co.uk.
The company’s van was stopped by Royal Borough trading standards and Thames Valley Police in November last year in Bath Road, Maidenhead, weighing 1,120kg over the gross weight permitted of 3.5 tonnes.
Goods, primarily cases of wine, were ordered to be removed before the van could continue its journey, and an extra two vans were needed to carry the excess goods.
The company was also ordered to pay costs of £893 and a victim surcharge of £120.
Edward Handley - 15/08/2014 15:21
Overloading of What they never seem to realise is that overload, particularly to this extent, means the vehicle is being driven in a dangerous condition and if it was involved on a crash there is every chance that the insurers would refuse to pay. If you do not believe this, look at the small print on your insurance certificate! Part of the problem is there is nothing to tell a driver what the actual carrying capacity of a van is. The vehicle plate gives the gross weight but finding the unladen or kerb weight involves a search through the vehicle handbook, assuming it is still in the vehicle, and that can be difficult because a handbook often covers a multitude of different models, each with a significantly different kerb weight. Back in the distant past there was a law that said that the tare weight (unladen weight) had to be painted on the nearside of all commercial vehicles. It is a pity that this was abolished because it did mean the driver could work out the carrying capacity of the vehicle. What is needed is a sign inside the cab of every van, by law, that says "The carrying capacity of this vehicle is XXXX kg including the weight of the driver and passengers" . It would not be a bad idea to have one in every car as well....