There is a big risk associated with surpassing the maximum permissible weight not just in terms of penalties and fines but also in terms of the risk that it poses to human beings. Overloading can lead to fatal accidents due to tips and turnovers at unpredicted bends. Although there are several ways in which you can avert overloading your truck, yet very few are aware of them and rarely do they follow the instructions.
There is no excuse to breaking the law and compromising your lives. Taking steps like knowing the maximum plated weight limits or installing the best truck scales, there is a wide array of ways in which you can make sure you create a safe and secured environment for driving. Here are few steps that you can take.
- Choose an altogether different vehicle
You may not require a bigger vehicle to be able to carry the payload but all you need is choosing a different kind of vehicle. If you choose a cargo van, this might not be the best choice for your requirements but choosing a pick-up truck with a shelving system or a topper combination which can take on more weight. Hence, choosing a different vehicle can solve the problem of overloading.
- Avoid carrying any item that seems to be unnecessary
One of the best ways in which you can avoid vehicle overloading is by doing away with all the unnecessary machines and equipments. You can rather modify and change the storage bin unit which is perfect for your needs. Keep away all your unwanted items and try to carry only those items which you direly need. If the drivers are given an opportunity to carry everything, they will do so until they can fit everything in their vehicle. But this is not something that you should do.
- Know the gross vehicle weight
You have to remember that GVW or gross vehicle weight is the weight of the truck along with the entire load that is being carried by the vehicle. This includes the weight of the passengers, of the driver, of the packing materials, of the fuel and of the products that are being taken by the truck. Hence, it is vital for the truck driver to take into account all these factors when they determine the truck’s weight.
- Use a weighing machine
These days there are onboard truck scales which are devices that let you avoid overloading your truck by giving you the exact weight of your truck after it has been loaded. There are weigh-in-motion axle weighers and weighbridges apart from truck scales which are all precision machines that are able to tell you the right weight of the truck. This will avoid accidents and fines and penalties.
Therefore, whenever you’re wondering about the different ways in which you can avert the illegal task of overloading your truck, you should follow the steps mentioned above. Don’t ever compromise your life for the sake of carrying everything in your vehicle.