The Kwa-Zulu
Natal Department of Transport in conjuction
with the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) and the CSIR
Transportek prepare an annual report on overloaded trucks using
the province’s roads. The provincial report lists two ‘top
offenders’ categories: one for gross overloaders and another for
axle unit overloaders. FleetWatch contacted
some of transport companies listed in the report and surprisingly,
not one of them was aware that they appeared in the report. Here
three of them give their responses to our invitation to state
their case.
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THE
TABLE opposite
clearly shows a dramatic shift in overloading patterns over
the last sixteen years. Slowly but surely, transporters have
stopped loading above the 5% tolerance. In KZN in 2004, 75%
of overloaded trucks weighed at static weighbridges fell
within the 5% grace limit. This means that only 25% of
overloaded vehicles weighed were prosecuted. The push for
payload continues but transporters now tread a fine line
between ‘legal’ and illegal. |
During 2004, Coal Trans operated, on average, a fleet of 432 truck tractors and 441 trailers, of which 350 are tippers and 91 are flat-decks. The following statistics with regard to the conveyance undertaken by Coal Trans during 2004 are material:
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300 618 loads were conveyed, 141 290 of which, in and through Kwa-Zulu Natal.
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7 391 million tons were carried, 3 474 million of which, in and through Kwa-Zulu Natal.
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The total distance travelled by Coal Trans vehicles in the course of conveyance was 44 590 million kilometres.
From these activities, 125 prosecutions were instituted in Kwa-Zulu Natal, all of which were related to load distribution and none of which were related to exceeding gross vehicle mass. This number of prosecutions represents 0.088% of the loads conveyed in and through Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Only five of the 681 vehicles weighed in Kwa-Zulu Natal exceeded the permissible maximum combination mass. This represents 0.73% of the vehicles weighed. In none of these instances did prosecution ensue. Consequently, more than 99% of the listed offences resulted from incorrect loading of vehicles by consignors under circumstances where the drivers of Coal Trans had no control over the loading process.
The drivers of Coal Trans are never afforded the opportunity to assist or participate in any way in the loading process. Furthermore, the drivers of Coal Trans have no way of establishing the massloads being loaded on axles and axle units, as the mass measuring equipment operated by the consignors measures only gross vehicle mass.
In the rare cases where drivers establish or observe that vehicles are, in fact, overloaded, they are prevented from taking any steps to rectify such loads as, due to very strict safety regulations, drivers are compelled to remain inside the cabins of their vehicles during the loading process and for as long as the vehicles operate on mine property and within factory boundaries.
At the loading points of mines and factory plants alike, production pressure is so high that, once loaded, no allowance is made for rectification and not one consignor provides equipment or facilities for the correction of loads.
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TENSE
MOMENTS - A
Coal Trans tipper waits at a weighbridge, the driver has
had no hand in the loading process but if the vehicle
exceeds allowed GVM or axle unit mass limits it’s his
time that will be taken up in court. |
In the course of the operations of Coal Trans, a vehicle is overloaded when the consignor places the load on the vehicle. Coal Trans does not load its own vehicles. Furthermore, Coal Trans operates exclusively as a bulk carrier, which makes the estimation of weights of loads by visual observation virtually impossible. This applies similarly to the distribution of the weight of loads over the axles and axle units of vehicle combinations. Accurate measuring of the distribution of loads is possible only when mass measuring equipment at the point of load has the capability of weighing separate axles and axle units. Not one of the loading points utilized by Coal Trans is so equipped.
Unfortunately, the loading point is the one stage in the conveyance process where the operator, in this instance Coal Trans, has no control over proceedings. For this reason, promulgation of the proposed new legislation, in terms whereof consignors will become legally obliged to ensure the proper loading of vehicles and will assume accountability for illegal loads, cannot be further delayed. The key to the prevention of overloading lies with consignors. The transport industry has now reached a stage where culpability for the overloading of vehicles must devolve upon consignors or, at the very least, be shared by consignors.
Coal Trans' commitment to adhere to a strict policy against overloading of vehicles is demonstrated at each of the following levels:
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Comprehensive driver instruction on the manner in which vehicles are to be loaded.
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The furnishing of visual and electronic equipment to provide drivers with constant and easy reference aids at loading points.
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Detailed conditions of employment containing clear directives to drivers to not overload vehicles. Regulations with regard to overloading are strictly enforced internally and disciplinary sanctions are consistently applied in respect of each and every offence recorded against each driver.
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The supply of graphic illustrations to consignor personnel to illustrate how vehicles should be loaded.
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Terms of conveyance contractually negotiated by Coal Trans with its consignor clients include, without exception, conditions that vehicles should not be overloaded by the consignor.
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Standing instructions to drivers to load less than the permissible maximum payload (on average 1,4 tons per vehicle over the period in question) to avoid overloading. The resulting sacrifice of income made by Coal Trans literally runs into millions of Rand per month.
Apart from its contribution to the national economy through its normal trading activities, purchase and sale transactions and the payment of licensing fees (approximating R6,0 million) and taxes, Coal Trans provides employment to close to 800 individuals and, during 2004, contributed R6,869-million to the upkeep of the national roads infrastructure by way of toll fees alone. Coal Trans is not an adversary of the various Law Enforcement and Government bodies concerned. This much should be evident by now.
An environment in which overloading is curbed by reliable and consistent law enforcement impacting on consignors and operators alike will hugely contribute to the stability and profitability of the Road Transport Industry. Coal Trans is committed to seeking equitable solutions to achieve these ends and seeks to be invited to become involved in the process of problem solving.
P B BUYS
Managing Director
Coal Trans
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RE: 2004 Report - Frequent Overloader
With reference to the above, we would like to thank you for the opportunity you are giving us to state our case.
Unfortunately we do not have any data on any fines for 2004 but data is available from December 2004 until June 2005. We did an average of 1 550 loads per month for 2004.
We have more than 250 registered vehicles on the road every day of the year.
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Loads Done - December 2004 = 1 464
a. Fines Received - 37 = 2.53%
b. Overloads - 14
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Loads Done - January 2005 = 1 411
a. Fines Received - 26 = 1.84%
b. Overloads - 6
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Loads Done - February 2005 = 1 442
a. Fines Received - 24 = 1.66%
b. Overloads - 4
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Loads Done - March 2005 = 1 501
a. Fines Received - 21 = 1.40%
b. Overloads - 6
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Loads Done - April 2005 = 1 590
a. Fines Received - 27 = 1.70%
b. Overloads - 7
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Loads Done - May 2005 = 1 564
a. Fines Received - 37 = 2.37%
b. Overloads - 11
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Loads Done - June = 1 598
a. Fines Received - 25 = 1.56%
b. Overloads - 7
All these fines for overloads were for weight distribution problems. These fines include fines from all other provinces and are not just for Kwa-Zulu Natal. We do a minimum of 30 loads in and out of the Kwa-Zulu Natal province every day.
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Not
so fine - a
wheel of summonses
from De La Rey’s
Tranport countrywide haulage over
the past six
months. Not all of
them are for overloading, but they total around R50
000! |
We would just like to emphasise that De La Rey's Transport does not overload vehicles to get higher payloads on our vehicles. Vehicles are loaded to their optimum payload and this means that the load needs to be loaded exactly on the right place on the trailer. We transport general cargo and this means that the loads are not always the same. This makes it very difficult for drivers to achieve the correct weight distribution on the trailer, although all trailers are marked with load centers.
Customers do not have the same weigh bridge equipment as the ones that are used at the provincial weigh bridge sites. Some of them do not even have weighbridges. This also makes it very difficult to get the exact weight distribution.
All drivers are trained on how to load a vehicle in the correct manner but unfortunately, some of these vehicles and drivers are still caught for overloading. On-site driver training is done on a daily basis by our full time driver trainer.
All new trailers are installed with load sensors. This ensures that trailers are loaded with the correct weight distribution. Unfortunately, load sensors cannot be installed in the older type mechanical suspension trailers.
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HENNING
LUTHER,
Marketing Manager, De La Rey Transport, promoting
transparency and compliance |
We also educate our customers as to the correct manner to load a vehicle. When new work is acquired, we make sure that a test load is done to achieve the optimum weight and weight distribution.
De La Rey's Transport sees overloading and all other traffic offences in a very serious light. Every incident is recorded, investigated and the driver is trained and trained again to make sure that it does occur in the future.
Henning Luther
Marketing Manager
De La Rey's Transport
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In response to your letter in which our company has been cited as a frequent overloader, we respond as follows.
Yes, we have had a number of issues with regards to overloads but more so on the axle overloads. This has cost the company a considerable amount of money in loss of revenue due to the downtime. We have investigated and are in the process of having those tankers calibrated. In many of these cases, the GVM has been well under the prescribed 56 000 kg. This could be due to design error or occurred when the tankers were refurbished and not checked.
There have also been GVM overloads and in two cases we have weighed out at IVS within the limits and again at Heidelberg where we were cited as being overloaded.
Crossmoor Transport is an ISO listed company and it is definitely not our intention to overload in any way.
C.S. Govender
General Manager
Crossmoor Bulk Transport
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FleetWatch
thanks
these three companies for their responses. We are still
receiving letters from a host of other transport
operations listed in the report, which we will include in
the August issue of the magazine. |
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