Weight tolerances query

[Al n Val]

hi everyone

when I had my Rapido tag weighed earlier this year the weigh bridge operator knocked me for six when we were told we weighed in at 5380kgs .

We were carrying approx 150kgs of water and i’d say full tank of diesel.

Now i’m being told (by a mate) that having 3axels there is a tolerance of 150kg per axel so my 5000kg weight can actually be up to 5450kg without being overweight and penalised.

Does anyone know if this is true or not as if it is it will save me £3500

Al

 

[poppycamper]

hi everyone

when I had my Rapido tag weighed earlier this year the weigh bridge operator knocked me for six when we were told we weighed in at 5380kgs .

We were carrying approx 150kgs of water and i’d say full tank of diesel.

Now i’m being told (by a mate) that having 3axels there is a tolerance of 150kg per axel so my 5000kg weight can actually be up to 5450kg without being overweight and penalised.

Does anyone know if this is true or not as if it is it will save me £3500

Al

If I am Reading this right, that means a 3500kg two axle van is really 3800kg???
Does not seem right to me...

 

[Speve]

If I am Reading this right, that means a 3500kg two axle van is really 3800kg???
Does not seem right to me...

He has a tag axle if you read the OP so he’s saying he has give of 5000Kg

 

[Carpmart]

It’s a binary offence Al. You are either under weight or overweight based on plate and DVLA records.

The punishment can vary. Sometimes tolerances are allowed, but the offence is binary!

 

[Speve]

Does anyone know if this is true or not as if it is it will save me £3500

I am not able to confirm allowance but I would not be inclined to risk that much over as if stopped in the EU they may not have any tollerance and then you will be in an even worse predicament.

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[Dutch 68]

Would it be wise trying a grumpy DVSA to convince about these facts or maybe a foreign official where they have a 0% tolerance , not worth the risk , it then also invalidates insurance as not road legal

 

[poppycamper]

He has a tag axle if you read the OP so he’s saying he has give of 5000Kg

Yep.... did indeed read OP.. And yep did see tag axle... please what significance off 3 axles and overweight against 2 axles... curious to your reply...

 

[hja]

What is the relevance of the £3500?

 

[MichaelT]

You are way over, there is a bit of tolerance but not 450kg

 

[Stoosal]

As carpmart says the offence of being overweight is, you are, or are not. Bit like a pregnancy test!

The subsequent action by whoever is weighing you is the important bit. Usually they will allow up to 5% overweight without prosecution ie a ticket/court report etc.

That does not mean that you would not have to remove the excess weight prior to being allowed to continue your journey. It is difficult to allow an overweight and therefor unlawful vehicle to continue to drive. What happens if you are then involved in a collision etc?

I’m not sure I’d like to ‘lose’ 380kgs at the side of a road somewhere.

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[bobandjanie]

In my working life I owned and drove trucks, 44t and 6 axles still had fines exceeding weight, one fine in Dorset I couldn't find a solicitor to fight my case 2t under but over on one axle, they said the lady judge took no prisoners.

We went to court and I took all the paperwork proving the load was heavier than they declared, had I know I would have loaded the trailer to accommodate that.

Still got fined but not as much, but more important was it never marked our operators licence.

Don't take it for granted as with any offence you get nice policeman and some not so nice.

Since living in Spain and losing sight in one eye I can only drive 3500kg weighing our van at touring mode including electric bikes fuel water food clothes we are ........... 3480kg .
Maybe a nice policeman would let us drop the . Bob.

 

[gus-lopez]

Does anyone know if this is true or not as if it is it will save me £3500

No it isn't

 

[bigtwin]

it then also invalidates insurance as not road legal

So, if you have a bulb out (or a worn tyre), you have no insurance cover? I think that your argument may be flawed.

Ian

 

[Lenny HB]

5% is often given as a tolerance in the UK but it depends which side of the be the officer got out or. Abroad no tolerance.

Weighbridge have a tolerance of +/- 100kg on a plate dynamic it's +/- 110 per axle so to be safe you need to be 300kg under.

In practice modern strain gauges are very accurate

 

[Spriddler]

What is the relevance of the £3500?

The cost of two weeks at a residential weight loss clinic?

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[Speve]

Yep.... did indeed read OP.. And yep did see tag axle... please what significance off 3 axles and overweight against 2 axles... curious to your reply...

We were talking tag axle and you were obviously talking about a max gross van of 3500KG which would be a totally different thing as you would be moving up your gross weight to a PHGV of which he already is.
He never mentioned 3500 kg the significance is that a tag axle combined gvw would be greater than a single axle £3500 was mentioned and I assumed that was to fit air assist suspension to allow him to uprate his already PHGV to a higher allowed GVW.

 

[poppycamper]

He never mentioned 3500 kg the significance is that a tag axle combined gvw would be greater than a single axle £3500 was mentioned and I assumed that was to fit air assist suspension.

Think we are at cross purposes here..

 

[Speve]

Think we are at cross purposes here..

Yes we’re discussing a tag axle being over weight and whether there is a tolerance allowed if stopped and could it be got away with?
I realise you were highlighting the issue of a smaller van however it’s as I say for those under the 3500 gvw it’s a change of revenue as well as overloaded axles and not worth risking it on advice from unofficial sources this applies to PHGV as well don’t you think

 

[poppycamper]

Yes we’re discussing a tag axle being over weight and whether there is a tolerance allowed if stopped and could it be got away with?
I realise you were highlighting the issue of a smaller van however it’s as I say for those under the 3500 gvw it’s a change of revenue as well as overloaded axles and not worth risking it on advice from unofficial sources this applies to PHGV as well don’t you think

Oki doki... change my 3500kg two axle van to 3501kg 2 axle van... as I said why just concern for tag axle??

 

[Al n Val]

What is the relevance of the £3500?

The cost to have semi air fitted

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[Al n Val]

why just concern for tag axle??

Because that’s what I own

 

[Ridgeway]

I am not able to confirm allowance but I would not be inclined to risk that much over as if stopped in the EU they may not have any tollerance and then you will be in an even worse predicament.

5% in most of Europe and 3% here in Swiss. We breath in as we exiting the country…..

 

[L' Hobo]

It's strange, but in all my years in the transport business, I have never seen an official law passed that said, "give or take a few kilogrammes" .
Have I missed something?

 

[Ditcha]

Does anyone know if this is true or not as if it is it will save me £3500

Al

Bloody hell Al you've gone from blowing £225k to trying to safe £3.5k did you not get that pay cheque in the end

 

[RandallC]

Don't quite understand how you got to that weight. Having said that don't know what Rapido and advised payload.

We had a Swift Kon-Tiki tandem axle with a MAM of 5000kG and failed to get near that even fully loaded with water etc for an EU tour, thats with a Honda PCX scooter in the garage. (used works weighbridge that was tested and cert'd)

Do you need a second weighbridge check elsewhere?

Would also agree with comments that its a binary situation, you're overloaded or you're not.

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[Ditcha]

Don't quite understand how you got to that weight. Having said that don't know what Rapido and advised payload.

We had a Swift Kon-Tiki tandem axle with a MAM of 5000kG and failed to get near that even fully loaded with water etc for an EU tour, thats with a Honda PCX scooter in the garage. (used works weighbridge that was tested and cert'd)

Do you need a second weighbridge check elsewhere?

We had a Dethleffs Globetrotter tag axle at 5300kg went to weigh bridge and I was at 5600kg already had fitted rear air assist and was uprated to 5750kg.

 

[RandallC]

We had a Dethleffs Globetrotter tag axle at 5300kg went to weigh bridge and I was at 5600kg already had fitted rear air assist and was uprated to 5750kg.

Gosh!

 

[Ditcha]

Gosh!

That's exactly what I thought truly was a shock

 

[Dutch 68]

So, if you have a bulb out (or a worn tyre), you have no insurance cover? I think that your argument may be flawed.

Ian

I think they might differentiate between technical issues don’t you think, but saying that insurance companies are absolutely ruthless so yes if they could proof that your worn out tyre did contribute to an accident you are involved in and your tyre is not within the legal limit then you can bet your bottom dollar that they would wriggle out and the same applies to being involved in an accident and the vehicle being overweight and thus illegal

 

[Pausim]

Now i’m being told (by a mate) that having 3axels there is a tolerance of 150kg per axel so my 5000kg weight can actually be up to 5450kg without being overweight and penalised.

The DVSA has published their Enforcement Sanctions Policy (April 2024) which advises their examiners how they should deal with various offences. As I read it up to 5% overweight is a verbal warning. Overall weight and each individual axle weight are separate offences so NO you can’t add the individual 5%s together to add 450kg to the total. It is all to be found here starting at page 312.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/661544ae2138732c33031b75/dvsa-enforcement-sanctions-policy.pdf.pdf

Another thing to remember is that this is just the DVSA, not the Police, or the Law Courts.

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