Man caught in dangerously overloaded lorry gets 21-day ban
Date: 19 December 2007
A logistics worker who was stopped driving a vehicle with a dangerously high load has been given a short ban.
Website roadtransport.com reported that haulier Dean Boswell, who works for freight haulage firm Boswell Transport, was stopped driving a 7.5-tonne truck after it nearly toppled over on the M5 motorway due to its overloaded nature.
Dominic Green, prosecuting for the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), is reported to have said during the case: "The vehicle was veering to one side and there could have been a major accident.
"The lorry was overloaded by 4,330kg - 77 per cent - which was causing the tyres to overheat. Steering and braking could have been affected too."
However, the freight haulage driver told the court that his wife was currently ill and that if he lost his licence he would be unable to take his children to school. He added that he was not using his logistics vehicle in a professional capability when he was stopped.
Instead, he was using the haulage vehicle to transport soil and stones that he had removed from his garden to create a play area.
The judge fined Mr Boswell £220 with costs of £100. He is reported to have added: "We have decided to disqualify you from driving for 21 days, but the disqualification period will coincide with the school holidays so you won't have to drive your children to school."
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