Is your customer worth the risk of exceeding road weight limit?

It is crucial that we listen to our customer and provide the best service possible and it is also crucial to follow rules. Following weight restrictions for containers is such a rule. Trucking, container transport on the road is subject to road weight limits, which is not very easy to explain. When and where do we as service provider draw the line to offer service to a stubborn customer who is risking fines and potential lawsuits to save money on shipping?

The Purpose Of Road Weight Limits

Weight limits are imposed and enforced for safety reasons. They serve to control weight or length of vehicles, mostly trucks, on bridges and roads. They are in place for structural and environmental reasons and prevent large and heavy trucks from using inappropriate roads.

Enforce safety for other vehicles and traffic
Prevent damage to roads, bridges, and buildings
Protect the environment
Manage or reduce traffic congestion

The construction, management or even the dimensions of roads and bridges can differ between countries (and even states within the US), so what is appropriate for one structure will not be permitted for another and that is why rules are put in place.

Overweight is

A container or shipment can be considered overweight in one or all of the following three ways:

Gross weight: A truck and its cargo cannot exceed a total gross weight, including tractor weight, chassis, container and cargo. Road weight limits for interstates or highways and off-roads might vary.
Axle Weight: This is the allowed gross weight on a single axle of the truck, or a set of axles. In The United States, this is regulated by individual states and limits can vary. A truck or shipment passing through several states must comply with all individual regulations. Over 50{5a770a6816939510d987a3741aeb934d33a87e43a31a8867bb06bd9118285378} of all US overweight violations are axle issues and are typically caused by uneven load and weight distribution inside the container.
Bridge formula: This calculates the maximum allowed weight according to the distance between sets of axles. Divided into Inner Bridge (between axle 2 and 5) and Outer Bridge (axle 1 and axle 5) measurement, bridge formula compliance factors in vehicle length, number of axles and total weight to arrive at an allowance per axle. It is largely dependent on the individual truck. Same as with axle weight, problems will arise with uneven load.

Universal Road Weight Limits

There is no universal maximum cargo weight. Limits and restrictions include the tractor, chassis, and container in addition to the cargo, and all of these elements can vary. A container can meet the restrictions for the allowance of total vehicle weight, while the truck can still be overweight on an individual axle. The most common cause for this is uneven cargo distribution within the container, including load, blocks and braces and other equipment. Non-standard load configurations with a reduced number of pallets per shipping container will further shift weight distribution. The equipment and trucks vary depending on country, region, provider and length of haul (short or long). Over-sized containers, refrigeration and generators can further affect vehicle weight.

Act wisely, customers come and go but risking breaking rules that are put in place to protect your community will have a long lasting impact.