The annual report is compiled by, among others, the KZN Road Traffic Inspectorate, under the auspices of John Schnell, and the CSIR’s Built Environment division, led by Paul Nordengen. Speaking to both of them and analysing the overload report for 2007 certainly reveals a marked shift in compliance, from the common practice of gross overloading a decade ago, to the current state of affairs, where operators are by and large doing their level best to remain within the 2% tolerance. 

Fuel tankers, mining and construction tippers as well as longhaul flatdecks are frequently booked for axle mass and bridge formula contraventions, states the KZN Overload Report (photo source: Paul Nordengen).

Inside report 

There are 14 active weighbridge sites in KZN and using the CSIR Vehicle Overloading Management System,  statistics are gathered on a monthly and annual basis, a process that has been in operation since 1988. 

The weighbridges, primarily on the N3 and N2 corridors, weighed 191 616 vehicles, the report states, of which 35 487 (18.5%) were overloaded and 9 461 (4.9%) were charged for violating the 2% tolerance on total vehicle/vehicle combination mass or the 5% tolerance on axle and axle unit mass restrictions. 

“The 2007 report shows that generally, the war on overloading has been won in KZN. However, the N3 now has so many more trucks making use of this route that we are continually having to step up the number of trucks screened and weighed to keep a hold on overloading as well as the roadworthy condition of the trucks on this route,” says Schnell. “The legal penalties will never be enough to deter the chronic  overloader, or the chancer who just wants to squeeze in the one last super profitable trip. The penalty lies in the time spent parked off and the cost of reloading excess cargo onto a relief vehicle and the hire cost of a crane, forklift or flame proof pump, or such like.” 

According to the 2007 report, 3.2% more vehicles were weighed compared to 2006, representing a 5.5% increase in overloaded vehicles and an increase of 5.4% in vehicles charged, a total of 9 461 summonses issued. 

The total vehicle, vehicle combination and axle/axle unit mass regulations have had a profound impact on how trucks are loaded, says Nordengen. “In 1988, the annual average axle/axle unit overload was 2 420 kg. In 2007, this annual average was significantly lower at 747 kg. Overloading on total combination mass has also dropped significantly, from an annual average of 2 919 kg in 1996, to 828 kg in 2007.” 

Says Schnell, “the 2% tolerance is working well and it is interesting to see how quickly the industry has adjusted loads to comply!” 

Gross evidence 

While loading practices improve, the report names those companies who topped the list as far as load regulation violations are concerned. “The highest overload recorded in 2007 was 8 800 kg… a container carrier,” states the report. “There is a long-term reduction in the degree of overloading…the annual average for the 1000 maximum overloads has decreased by 24% since 2005.” 

The most common combinations weighed range from 7-axle interlinks all the way down to 5-axle articulated vehicles with a single drive axle and a tridem axle on the semi-trailer, which “are frequently found to be overloaded due to the requirement that the total combination mass may not be more than five times the mass on the drive axle,” according to the report. 

“We never saw load distribution as a serious problem,” adds Schnell. “It was just a matter of sloppy loading. It's not clear if industry is informing drivers any better as most mechanical horses seem to dock to a preloaded semi or interlink.” 

The report goes on to highlight what commodities top the list of overloaded vehicles. While there is a need for more specific cargo classification, beyond the rather generic “goods”, “containers” and “cargo”, the report also raises concern that Dangerous Goods, chemicals and fuel appear in the top ten of overloaded vehicles: “This is cause for concern because these Dangerous Goods are generally perceived to be well regulated in terms of the SANS codes of practice.” 

We never saw load distribution as   serious problem. It was just a matter of sloppy loading. It's not clear if industry is informing drivers any better as most mechanical horses seem to dock to a preloaded semi or interlink. John Schnell,  KZN Traffic Insprectorate

Control and challenges 

Conclusions drawn from the gathered statistics include the reduction of both the extent and degree of overloading in the  rovince and that with weighing activities being “the highest since 1988” there is a continual improvement in the overall overload control situation in the province. 

New efforts to formalize self regulation in the form of the Road Transport Management System (RTMS) are showing positive results in both KZN and Mpumalanga, specifically in the timber and sugarcane industries. With consignors and consignees part of the overloading ‘culpability loop’ within the requirements of the RTMS, further improvement in overload compliance is envisioned. 

“We are about to commission a brand new weighbridge on the R102 at Gingindlovu, to protect provincial routes. This is the old north coast road and its link to Eshowe. This route carries cut timber and sugarcane as well as general cargo. We (the KZN DoT) have also re-commissioned the N11 weighbridge at the Dundee turn off. This site serves Dundee, Dannhauser, the road to Newcastle and Ladysmith. The main cargo here is coal and general cargo,” says Schnell. “Clearly, the economic boom of the past five years has been reflected in the increase in truck traffic and is, in my view, compounded by the continued movement of cargo from rail to road. One only has to take a look at the container depot in Durban to see what I mean. I had predicted that the coal lobby would try for special load dispensations in order to deliver the backlog to Eskom, but to my knowledge it has not been forthcoming, and the same might be said for the cement transporters. Who knows? We may have seen a reformation in the trucking industry!”