£4K IN FINES, PER DAY… WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH?
Updated: Apr 8, 2022
It sounds obvious but understanding the ergonomics of your van and the payload could save you a pretty penny in fines and lost revenue.
It’s now not a case of if, but when your van is inspected and possibly found to be overweight, both you, the driver and/or the business will be held accountable, and both will receive a fine.
According to the latest DVSA figures, eight out of 10 vans stopped by the police are found to be overloaded and 54% of those vehicles pulled over are found with serious mechanical defects.
The overloaded or even overweight van isn’t just a practical issue – it’s a legal one.
Both the police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) have the power to stop and carry out checks, if your vehicle is found above the maximum weight permitted – otherwise known as the model’s Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) – you will be fined, and in the vast majority of cases, they will prevent you from driving any further, resulting in potential loss of work.
To find out how much weight you can legally carry in your van, you need to find the weight of two units:
The van’s Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
The van’s Kerb Weight
Once you know your GVW and kerb weight, simply subtract the kerb weight from the GVW, and you will have the maximum weight you are legally allowed to carry in your van.
HOW MUCH COULD YOU BE FINED?
If a police officer or VOSA officer finds you to be lugging around more than your legal maximum weight, they will impose a fixed penalty fine, the amount of which depends on how much you have gone over the legal limit.
It is crucial to know legalities if you’re planning on running a business where you’ll be responsible for multiple HGVs.
SO, WHATS THE SOLUTION? ... AND
WHY ARE WE TELLING YOU THIS?
At SM UK we are professional van conversion specialist and we currently help a variety of businesses work through not just what their van can carry but whether they have the right van for the job.
Throughout the process our aim is to design a safe and productive mobile workshop with storage.
At the discovery meeting we learn about your vehicles, how you use them and what you want to achieve.
We then transform your requirements into an optimised 3D CAD design. So, you can explore the proposed workshop layout from every single angle.
Once you are delighted with the details, we finalise the design, the price and agree a conversion date.
SAFETY CERTIFIED
At SM UK we are experts in payload distribution. We only use lightweight crash-tested racking and storage solutions in our designs.
Mobile workshop safety is integral to all our recommendations and conversions. Nothing is left to chance. All conversions are weighed, and certified as safe, before leaving the workshop.
We provide an engineering solution
FULLY TRAINED EDSTRÖM AND
SORTIMO INSTALLERS
We predominately provide and fit System Edström and Sortimo which are both professional racking and storage solutions that are well made, safe, and adaptable.
Interior Lights / Work Lights
LED Strip Lights
High power 12v LED strip lights give excellent light to the vehicles load area either linked to the manufacturers door opening and timer system or separately switched on the unit, nearby area, or dashboard.
Work Lights
Powerful directional lighting to assist working at dusk and night for use inside and outside of the vehicle. Come with either LED or halogen bulbs at a varying degree of power.
Beacons / Light Bars
High visibility lighting is essential when working around our roads and come in a few forms of designs and degrees of power. Strobe Lights
Fitted into the front grille and rear pillars, these provide a directional vision for traffic in front or behind.
Beacons
Provide a warning to other motorist and pedestrians of the presence of the vehicle and its movements.
Light Bars
A bright and complete 360 degree visual to warn others and alert to the vehicles position.
Inverters & Sockets
Pure Sine wave power inverters provide as close to standard mains power as possible and with varying power outputs can provide power for a number of different items from battery chargers to laboratory equipment.
Circuit breakers (RCD/MCBS) add an excellent line of defence to prevent causing damage to the inverters and battery systems and can be linked directly to 240v power sockets.
Batteries
Add additional batteries to the vehicle to provide additional hours of use and separate any electrical items fitted to the vehicle from the main starter battery. These additional batteries are charged via a split charging system fitted to the starter battery and charges whilst the vehicle's engine is running.
Locks
High security locks provide some of the best protection
Dead locks
An additional dead lock can be added to each door to prevent the door being opened even if the factory lock has been 'picked' or even opened with a key.
Slam locks
These locks will automatically be engaged when the door is shut to provide immediate protection even if you do not have the key to hand.
Both lock types come complete with 3 laser cut master keys.
Essentials
It is important to us that the vehicles we convert are the safest place to work and are as hygienic as possible. SM UK can supply everything required to achieve this, such as:
· First aid kits
· Fire Extinguishers
· Hot water sink units
· Eye wash stations
· High visibility chevrons
· LED light bars and beacons
· Access steps
· Dash cameras
DRIVE SAFE
SM UK Packages
If you’re looking to achieve an industry standard, increase visibility for your drivers, reduce accidents amongst your fleet and avoid the unnecessary costs involved with false insurance claims, then SM UK’s safety packages are a perfect choice.
Whether you need safety systems retrofitted to your existing fleet, or installed under our Type Approval for new trucks, SM UK will always provide you with
the best products on the market, installed to the highest standard.
In Vehicle Cameras for security and peace of mind
Capture every journey with a 4G monitor
Impact detection sensors can be installed to any vehicle
Side and rear cameras can also be fitted.
Get in touch today and email Andy Voce on andy.voce@smfleet.co.uk or check out our website for more information www.smuk.co.uk