Haulage companies have constantly struggled to stay within legal axle load limit. Overloaded trucks are often pulled off the road or have some of their cargo taken off.
This hurts the profitability of such firms and creates squabbles with clients.
According to the roads and highways ministry, overloaded trucks are the major reason for the deterioration of many roads. However, this challenge is being tackled by some truck manufacturing firms who are designing light weight vehicles with high load capacity.
One such company, SINOTRUK has introduced its new A7 U-shaped bucket tipper truck to Ghana. The Managing Director for J.A Plant Pool distribution firm, Lolu Akindele told the media that truck owners are losing a lot as a result of overloading, “whenever you exceed this limit you know you have this vehicle inspection officers all over the place and at times you see trucks parked on the road side.”
“Either they have been arrested for exceeding the limit or the guy knows that he has exceeded the limit and he sees the inspection officer in front and then he decides to park and wait until they leave so that he decides to continue.
“This is not good for business whichever way either you are arrested or you are parking you are still losing money and at the end of the day even if you escape you are spoiling our road.”
He added that manufactures of the new truck used steel alloy which is a lighter material, “… what we try to do is to bring in something like this which the body is lighter, is not weaker that material is stronger. The steel alloy that has been used is of a lighter material and more durable so that reduces the weight of the truck itself that means that you can take more and still stay within the limit.”
By: starrfmonline
