Weighty fines for overloading truck by four tonnes

Friday 02 November 2018

A delivery truck that was overloaded by 4,200kg has weighed heavily on the business and driver, who were both handed hefty fines in the Magistrate's Court as a result of the violation.

The truck was stopped over the summer whilst delivering five pallets of cement powder and was found to be carrying 11,700kg – more than four tonnes over the maximum weight it could carry.

The court heard that the truck was “drifting from side to side” and leaking oil on the road due to the excessive weight.

Truck driver Christopher Yves Blanchet (22) and Eric John Mahe, a representative of the company Channel Seaways Limited, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court this week to answer seven charges brought against them relating to the overloading and poor maintenance of the vehicle.

Advocate Guilleaume Staal, representing Blanchet, described his client as a “young, inexperienced driver” who has “recognised the error” of relying on his employer to ensure that the vehicle was loaded correctly.

Pictured: The case was heard in the Magistrate's Court by Relief Magistrate Sarah Fitz.

Advocate Giles Emmanuel appeared for the company and told the Court that “steps have been taken” to ensure this doesn’t happen again, including a change in the way loads are inspected before going out for delivery and hiring a new mechanic to maintain the vehicles themselves. 

Having heard both sides of the case, Relief Magistrate Sarah Fitz said that she was “particularly impressed” with the company’s clean record and that they had swiftly taken action to prevent this kind of incident in the future. She then imposed a financial penalty on the company of £1,500. 

With regards to Blanchet, the Relief Magistrate said she had “a lot of sympathy” for him, acknowledging that he was “young and newly-qualified." She subsequently decided on a “lenient” financial penalty of £450.