Overloaded truck: know the risks and damages

The overloaded truck can cause accidents on the roads or damage to the goods being transported.

Highways are the places with the greatest number of transport operations in the country. Therefore, the activities must be carried out with the maximum possible rules and technical norms. However, this is not the reality for a portion of the professionals who work in this area.

The biggest problem lies in the mistaken belief that carrying too much cargo results in time savings and increased productivity. Thus, through negligence or lack of knowledge, safety is disregarded.

In this sense, training the team that operates your fleet is fundamental. In addition, it is necessary to invest in safety equipment that follows the manufacturing standards, such as Robustec’s lashing straps, for example.

Therefore, to help you in this activity, we will show you how Robustec strapping can guarantee more safety to your transport operations.

5 risks of operating the truck with excess load

1. Fleet damage

The excess load on the truck increases the wear and tear on the vehicle, especially on its brake system. Besides this, when passing over bumps or irregularities in the road, the impact on the vehicle is greater, damaging its suspension.

2. Increased fuel expenditure

One of the biggest costs of freight is fuel, especially at a time when fuel prices are excessively high.

So when the load is very heavy, more force is needed to move the truck. In addition to wearing out the engine faster, fuel consumption is much higher, generating more expenses for the truck driver.

Another relevant factor is the increase of pollutant gases in the atmosphere, due to the higher fuel burn.

3. Product damage

The overloaded truck can also cause damage to the products being transported, since they are not accommodated correctly in the container.

4. Risk of overload accidents

This is, without a doubt, the greatest risk of operating an overloaded truck. After all, it’s not only the truck driver’s life that is at risk, but also other people’s who are driving on the road.

When traveling, it is very common for accidents to occur due to trucks tipping over. This can happen because of overweight and poorly accommodated cargo.

5. Traffic violations

According to the Brazilian Traffic Code, the overloaded truck receives a progressive fine, according to the amount of excess. In addition, the excess load is removed from the vehicle and retained, generating more expenses for the truck driver.

Lashing straps for cargo trucks

Robustec offers several models of lashing straps to ensure the safety of your transportation operation. They are used to wrap cargo and prevent it from moving while the truck is in transit. In other words, it is essential to prevent tipping that may cause accidents or damage the products.

Learn about the characteristics of Robustec lashing straps:

• They support varied capacities and loads
• They are resistant to temperatures between -40º and 100º.
• They receive chemical treatment
• Compliant with manufacturing standards
• Made of 100% polyester material

It is worth remembering that even if you equip your vehicle with the lashing straps, you must not exceed the truck’s load volume and you need to respect the other regulations of the practice.

Now that you know what the risks of driving an overloaded truck are, pass the knowledge on by sharing this article with your trucker friends.

You can understand all about transportation and cargo handling by accessing the articles available in our blog.