Heavy Vehicle National Law: overloaded and overboard

An overloaded vehicle poses safety risks to drivers, road users and transport operations generally. When a heavy vehicle is overloaded it is less stable, it requires a longer stopping distance, its tyres and brakes are prone to strain and it causes wear to roads and public infrastructure.

Most significantly, overloaded vehicles are more likely to be involved in vehicle accidents than load compliant vehicles and such accidents are more likely to have a greater impact and be more severe.

Notwithstanding the well-known risks associated with overloaded heavy vehicles, two cases have brought non-compliance with mass requirements to the fore. The first saw an increased fine imposed on Redpath Haulage Pty Ltd for exceeding its mass limit by 3.5 tonnes. The second case concerned a transport company that was fined $90,000 by Melbourne's Magistrate Court in July for, among other things, overloading its heavy vehicle by 15 tonnes over its mass limit.