Some statistics and how to avoid becoming one of them

A couple of interesting statistics hit the transport press this week.

Firstly, the number of PG9’s issued in 2014 was quite eye opening. The figures for London alone for instance show that 41% stopped during the year were issued with an immediate prohibition. Another area, Yorkshire and Humberside, had more than half the vehicles issued with a PG9 were immediate prohibitions.

Secondly, DVSA is rolling out a ‘next generation enforcement’ regime which will increase the targeting of operators as opposed to carrying out random checks. A no brainer really given that for 2013/14 the prohibition rate for random checks was 10.2% and for targeted operators, 37.1%

How many of those were inadvertent overloads it doesn’t say.

Targeting the rogue operators clearly has to take priority and the inconvenience and cost of a prohibition they suffer is the least they deserve.

Unfortunately, being prohibited with an inadvertent overload has the same expensive, time consuming and inconvenient effect on those operators trying to run legally.

Sometime ago we were approached by a client who found that being caught overloaded really did have serious consequences. He had been approached to supply his product for a makeover TV program with all the kudos and exposure that would generate.

Unfortunately, the vehicle he sent to the job was overloaded and, prohibited at a weight check en route, he missed his delivery, missed his free exposure on TV and no doubt gave the program makers a headache to boot.

Avoid overloading with the Axtec OnBoard Load Indicator

Then of course there was the inconvenience and cost of sending another vehicle and driver to take part of the load followed by the inevitable fine. And having offended once, he changed from being an inadvertent offender to a targeted operator which means more time consuming contact with the authorities.

This customer had been completely unaware of the legislation and indeed the weight of his products. He wasn’t a ‘cowboy’ to be targeted but had through ignorance inadvertently overloaded the vehicle.

The way to avoid this happening to him again was to fit one of our OnBoard Load Indicators.

Fitted to the vehicle, the driver gets his front, rear and gross weights presented to him in colour on a clear, graphical display with any overloads highlighted in flashing red. Flashing red is a danger signal in just about every country in the world and we have been told by operators with a high proportion of foreign drivers that even they understand it means there is something wrong.

Someone in fact pointed out to us the other day that in the natural world, red is seen as a colour of danger understood by even the dumbest of animals and something to be avoided or prevented.

We’ll be at the CV Show at the NEC next week (Stand 5A111), together with all things transport related, so if you want to come and have a chat about how to avoid inadvertent overloading and not becoming one of DVSA’s statistics we’ll be pleased to see you.