Easy ways to avoid overloading your truck

There’s nothing positive about overloading a vehicle.
Exceeding a vehicle’s maximum permissible weight carries huge risk not only in terms of fines and penalties, but also in terms of the danger it poses to human life and the damage it causes to vehicles and roads.
Given that there are many ways of avoiding overloading, there’s no excuse for breaking the law and putting lives and assets at risk. From something as simple as knowing your vehicle’s plated weight limits to installing truck scales, there’s a myriad different ways of ensuring compliance and creating a safer driving environment for all involved.
Vehicle overloading is also false economy and anyone who is tempted to save money by exceeding payloads to save on fuel or reduce transport costs is deluding themselves. They will pay a high price eventually.
Moreover, any investment made in vehicle weighing technology is marginal compared to the potential risks and costs of overloading and the equipment soon pays for itself in terms of all the benefits it offers.
For example, truck scales are reasonably priced, easy-to-install and very easy to use and whilst they obviously eliminate the possibility of overloading through accurate and reliable weight measurements, they also enable reductions in fuel consumption, less wear and tear on vehicles, lower maintenance costs, improved safety, increased revenues and increased operational savings.
In addition to installing truck scales, here are some more easy ways to avoid overloading your truck.

1. Know your truck’s maximum permissible axle weight and gross vehicle weight, which are recorded on the vehicle’s identification plate.
2. Don’t trust someone else’s information. Be cautious when it comes to a weight declaration on an invoice, picking note or delivery note as it may not be accurate.
3.  Remember, gross vehicle weight (GVW) is the weight of the vehicle as well as the whole load that it’s carrying, including the weight of the driver, passengers, fuel, packing materials and so on, so it’s important to factor these in when calculating the weight of your truck.
4.  Weight distribution is also an important factor. Uneven loads make a vehicle less stable and harder to handle and also put additional undue pressure on tyres, brakes and other vital parts which can compromise the safety of the vehicle.
5. As previously mentioned, the easiest – and the safest and most reliable – way of avoiding overloading is to use vehicle weighing equipment. From weighbridges and weigh-in-motion axle weighers to onboard truck scales, these precision instruments provide highly accurate weight data, even in rugged, harsh outdoor environments.

Ensuring your truck is within legal weight limits isn’t just a question of compliance – it also makes sound business sense. Truck scales and weighbridges can help businesses reduce their operating costs and improve their profit margins and it should be impossible to turn your back on these benefits.
If you’re looking to maximise your business efficiencies and think that you could benefit from onboard truck scales or weighbridge technology, then you should talk to Ultrahawke about a solution that’s best for you.
They are Australia’s largest weighbridge supplier and you can find them on 03 9357 7470 or via their website, to www.ultrahawke.com.au where you’ll find a comprehensive selection of analogue and digital weighbridges and truck scales for sale.