Overloaded Truck Stopped at Belfast Docks

A Country Tyrone operator has been fined

£2,800 at Belfast Magistrates Court after DVA Enforcement Officers carried out checks on goods vehicles in Belfast Docks.

Two Volvo articulated vehicles were directed for compliance checks at a DVA weighbridge when it was noted that the gross vehicle weight of one vehicle was 44,000kgs, therefore requiring tachograph recording equipment to be installed, calibrated and used.

When observed on the public road both vehicles were being driven with the mid lift axle in the raised position therefore the vehicles axle spread became 2+3 configuration, instead of 3+3 configuration, meaning that the gross weight became 40000kgs and was treated as such during the course of weight determination.

Tachograph data was subsequently obtained from the Operator. A significant number of offences were identified from the analysis. Further analysis of driver’s hours from the vehicle tachograph unit revealed a further 23 occasions where the driver cards had been used fraudulently to hide the actual driving time of the driver.