Company with 33% Overload Escapes £40,000 Fine

Millicent Dooher, barrister, represented this company and driver before the Magistrates’ Court following an overloading offence in a van. The van was 33% overloaded. The fine in this instance could have been in excess of £40,000.00. The Court imposed a fine of less than £2,000.00 for the company and under £500 for the driver.

An overloading penalty is usually an exceptionally large fine: the guidance is that a fine is imposed for the first 10% of the overload and then an additional 10% of that fine is added for every additional 1% overload.