Traffic rules overload and what is the punishment

The amount of the fine for overloading an axle in 2019

One of the factors influencing the destruction of asphalt pavement on roads is an overloaded car. The increased weight of the car creates a load on the road surface, which is not designed to support such a mass. Accordingly, the service life of roads is significantly reduced.

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According to estimates, about 20% of vehicles enter the highway with overload on the axles, without having documents for additional cargo, which, at least financially, compensate for the damage to the asphalt surface.

The legislation decided to combat overload with the help of administrative punishment in the form of fines, which the traffic police inspector has the right to issue when checking a car. These restrictions apply to both trucks and cars.

What does it mean

Axle load is one of the important indicators of a vehicle; it is the load from the weight of the entire vehicle, which is transferred to the road surface along its axis by each wheel.

The mass of the vehicle that presses on the road surface consists of the sum of the loads of its front and rear axles.

Moreover, the mass of the load from the rear axle most often exceeds the load from the front, since the cargo compartment of the car is located in the rear. The front part of the vehicle consists of a cabin and a power unit.

Overloading a vehicle entails the following consequences:

destruction of road surfaces and bridges;
provoking emergency situations;
falling load or vehicle overturning;
increased braking distance (possible skidding, etc.).

Depending on the purpose of the road section, there may be a limit on the transportable weight of trucks. You can understand whether there is a ban by looking at signs 3.11 and 3.12 (the weight may vary):

If this sign is on the road, and the weight of the car is clearly greater, it is better to go around this area along another route where it is allowed to transport heavier cars, otherwise you will face a fine for overloading. The driver is always responsible for the overweight of the car.

What law states

It is important for the state to have clear laws and rules governing the transportation of goods on the country’s roads, in order to avoid loopholes and disagreements in the event of violations.

In the legislation of the Russian Federation such documents are:

Law No. 257 of 2007. This is the main document regulating the rules for transporting goods across Russia. It specifies the concepts of excess weight of freight transport, axle load and its permissible limits, road users, etc.
Law No. 127 of 1998 establishes the procedure for controlling international transport and the responsibility that the driver will bear if it is violated.
Order No. 73 dated 08.08.1995 defines the list of dangerous goods and establishes the rules for their transportation.
Art. 12.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses indicates the rules for the transportation of large and dangerous goods and prescribes punishment for their violation.
Decree No. 934 of 2009 determines the amount of damage from overload and the rules for compensation for damage.
Section 23 of the Traffic Regulations indicates the general requirements for the carriage of goods:
- clause 23.1 indicates that the weight of the cargo transported by the vehicle and the load on its axles does not exceed the indicators established by the manufacturer. The amount of weight transported is determined from the characteristics of the vehicle and is called its carrying capacity. If we are talking about a passenger car, then the number of passengers is also taken into account, and in a bus - its maximum capacity.
- Clause 23.2 determines the responsibility of the driver before starting and during the movement to monitor the placement, securing and condition of the cargo being transported in order to avoid the possibility of it falling and creating an emergency situation.
- clause 23.3 lists the conditions under which the carriage of goods is permitted. It should not interfere with the driver's driving, impair stability or visibility, pollute the environment or create noise.
- Clause 23.4 specifies the dimensions of large cargo: more than 1 m at the rear of the vehicle or 40 cm on the sides. In this case, it is necessary to mark the cargo with a special sign, and in the evening hang lanterns or reflectors.

How many weighing attempts

Many drivers, when transporting large loads, do not obtain a permit for this, therefore, in order to prevent offenses, they monitor the overload of the vehicle on all its axes.

On the territory of Russia there are both stationary posts for weighing cars and mobile (dynamic) ones.

The latter look like vans and can be moved if necessary, making it possible to control the weight of the truck almost anywhere.

The vehicle is weighed both while moving and in a stationary position. When weighing a stationary truck, the most accurate weight and axle load is obtained.

And while driving there may be an error of 0.5 to 3%, while the vehicle must drive at a speed of 5 km/h and adjust to special sensors.

Therefore, if during dynamic weighing the weight of the car turns out to be overweight, the truck is stopped and sent to a stationary post for re-weighing.

If overload is confirmed on at least one of the axles, the driver will be issued a fine. Both figures are recorded in the offense report.

During control weighing, the driver must make sure that all officials have permission and certificates for this, and that the equipment is in good condition.

In the future, it is planned to install automatic systems on the roads that will record the load on the axles even at a speed of 140 km/h, and a notification of overload will be sent by mail.

What is the fine for overloading passengers in a minibus, read here.

Penalties for axle overload

If the rules for transporting goods are violated and the axles of a truck are overloaded, a traffic police officer has the right to issue a fine.

The amounts of fines for individuals, officials and legal entities differ from each other, and are prescribed in Art. 12.21 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

It is worth noting that some regions of the country may have their own rules regarding the transportation of heavy loads in the summer (May-August), so when planning your route it is worth studying everything carefully.

Depending on the amount of weight or size of the cargo that exceeds the established parameters, the amount of the fine will increase. In case of particularly severe violations, the driver's license may be revoked.

For legal entities

Legal entities and officials bear great responsibility when violating the rules for transporting goods, since the driver is mainly a hired person and in this case acts as an individual.

The amount of fines depending on the size of the overload:

Penalty for exceeding the permitted maximum weight

Good afternoon, dear reader.

For each vehicle, the manufacturer has established the so-called permissible maximum weight, i.e. the weight of the vehicle with passengers and cargo at which operation is possible.

The maximum weight is indicated in the vehicle passport (column 14) and in the registration certificate (column “Permitted maximum weight, kq”).

Exceeding the figure specified in the documents can lead to the car quickly breaking down or getting into a traffic accident, because its parts are not designed for operation with overload.

Nevertheless, there are drivers who want to carry the maximum amount of cargo in one go and do not pay attention to the permitted maximum weight. Let's look at the fines that can be imposed for this violation:

Overload ban in traffic regulations

First of all, let's turn to paragraph 23.1 of the traffic rules:

23.1. The weight of the transported cargo and the load distribution along the axles must not exceed the values established by the manufacturer for this vehicle.

That is, this clause prohibits the transportation of cargo if, due to this cargo, the permissible maximum weight of the vehicle is exceeded.

Fine for overloading a car

The fine for violating the rules for transporting goods is provided for in Article 12.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses:

1. Violation of the rules for the carriage of goods, as well as the rules for towing -

entails a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five hundred rubles .

That is, for exceeding the permitted maximum weight, a warning or a fine of 500 rubles . This fine can be imposed both for overloading a passenger car and for overloading a truck.

Please note that the Code of Administrative Offenses also includes other fines related to excessive vehicle weight. For example, if a truck has a mass that exceeds the number on the prohibiting road sign, then the fine will be 5,000 rubles.

What are the fines for overloading a truck? New deprivation law

Fines for overload

Traffic police fines for overloading a truck in 2019 are prohibitively high. But this applies mainly to individual entrepreneurs and legal entities. But for drivers, the maximum penalty is 10,000 rubles, and that is for overweighting the truck by more than 50% of what is allowed on the scales. But everything can change if the Duma passes a new law, according to which trucks will be deprived of their rights and even confiscated for this traffic violation. We will tell you in the article when it will come into force and with what degree of probability, what are the current fines for today along the axes and common for organizations, individuals and entrepreneurs.

What is this new law about deprivation for overload?

According to numerous news, drivers will expect changes from July 1, 2019 - that is, supposedly the new law has already entered into force. That is, if earlier for overloading a truck at the weight control, fatal sanctions often awaited only shippers as legal entities, and large fines were also issued to individual entrepreneurs, but now they have reached the drivers too!

At the same time, the new law provides for as many as 3 new liability measures:

deprivation of rights for a long period of time for overloading a truck,
confiscation of cargo in case of large overweight,
even confiscation of the car itself in exceptional cases.

Is this true and have the changes taken effect?

No. There is no new law. Moreover, there is not even a bill submitted for discussion. And now we will prove it very simply!

Firstly, since liability for overloading is provided for in the Federal Code of Administrative Offenses, changes to the rules must be made by Federal laws. And you will not find a single one of these either submitted to the State Duma or discussed in the department.
Secondly, the current version of the Code is posted on the authoritative resource Consultant Plus, and as of December 6, 2019, the version of Article 12.21.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses with fines is in effect. No deprivation of rights, much less confiscation of cars and goods, has been introduced.

Thus, a new congestion law has not been introduced and is not officially planned.

What's the truth?

The fact that the initiative to introduce innovations regarding deprivation of rights and confiscation for overload was still received. It was introduced by the Russian Ministry of Transport at one of the State Council meetings.

However, the new law on overweight trucks is still far from officially coming into force. It has not been introduced since July 1, 2019, and it is far from certain that it will appear at all.

How are fines for overloading issued?

In 2019, there are 3 types of weight control points:

stationary (most often located at the entrances/exits of cities),
mobile/mobile (installed anywhere and in different places),
automatic (overload violations are recorded automatically, and fines are sent to the owner of the truck).

For overload on axles and for overall load separately?

No. Measurement on the scales takes place along the axles, then the results of the axle measurements are summed up and the total weight of the truck with trailer is obtained.

A fine is issued in any of two cases: either there is overload on at least one axle of the car, or there is no overload on the axles, but the total weight is higher than the permissible limit.

Is there any measurement error?

Yes, there are many such errors, and they depend on the measurement technique, the type of weight control and scales.

Today, there is an established Order of the Ministry of Transport with general measurement rules, as well as instructions on the accuracy of measurements and permissible errors of scales, depending on their type and other parameters. We warn you right away, it’s a lot to read and it’s not very clear.

To make it easier for you to understand, in general cases the error is:

11% – on automatic scales under control when measuring along the axes of the truck,
5% – error in total weight at the automatic weighing point,
2% – any error (both overall and along axes) at stationary and mobile points (where the final fine is issued by traffic police officers).

Are there separate penalties for overweight trailer and tractor?

No. In 2019, overload is considered to be part of the vehicle. That is, regardless of whether the tractor is on the scales or its trailer, the total weight of the entire hitch as a whole is measured, as well as the weight of all the axles of the truck separately, regardless of the front or rear.

All penalties for overweight in 2019

They depend on the availability of a permit for the truck, as well as on the amount of excess weight:

2-10% of the permissible weight without a permit or the same size higher than specified in the permit,
overload by 10-20% of the permitted axle weight or total weight,
from 20 to 50%,
from 10 to 20% more than in a special permit,
from 20 to 50% more than resolution,
more than 50%.

Please note that in the 2019 legislation, penalties do not depend on overload for each ton, but rather on the percentage of excess weight.

Who pays?

Also, the amount of the fine depends on the status of the person being punished:

individual (driver),
the official responsible for transporting cargo by truck,
Individual entrepreneur and legal entity,
the shipper, and in certain cases the consignee, depends on who is the owner of the cargo,
loader,
owner of the truck (in case of auto fixation).

So, let's now look at all the fines for overloading trucks at weight control points, depending on the status of the person held accountable. We will separately list in tables who pays what fines, and everything will become clear to you right away!

Individual (hired driver)

The category of individuals includes truck drivers employed by a legal entity or entrepreneur. It is they who bear the mildest responsibility for overload on the scales, and it is for them that deprivation of rights should be introduced (but has not yet been introduced).

Fine for overloading a truck 2019

What is the fine for overloading a truck in 2019? Penalty table. How to challenge a fine for overloading? The answer is in this article from the specialists of the website “Traffic Police Fines”

The traffic police fine for overloading a truck in 2019 is

Article 12.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation

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Overload of commercial vehicles is one of the main reasons for the destruction of public roads. On the other hand, overloading is often extremely beneficial for commercial structures, because every extra kilogram transported above the norm in this case does not require additional costs for equipment, driver salaries, and other things.

Overload is a characteristic phenomenon in developing countries. In Russia, it has become such a widespread phenomenon that even automotive sellers in their advertising began to use the possibility of overload as a competitive advantage.

A disclaimer needs to be made. The most dangerous thing for the road surface is overloading of freight transport. An extra 100-200 kg in a passenger car does not affect cracks in the asphalt, but it reduces the maneuverability of passenger vehicles and leads to problems with braking and rollover.

In recent years, laws regarding overloading of commercial vehicles have changed several times, and liability and fines increase from year to year.

Rules for the carriage of goods

The rules for transporting goods along Russian highways are written down in Federal Law 257. Among other things, it says that if the vehicle’s weight is 2.5% higher than the permitted limit, the violator must pay a fine for overloading.

If the overload is forced and unavoidable, the truck route must be agreed in advance with the authorities. In this case, you will also have to pay for damage caused to public roads.

When talking about overloading of freight vehicles, the weight per axle of the vehicle is most often taken into account. It is this parameter that is indicated on road signs and fines are provided for neglecting this characteristic of the vehicle.

At the same time, weight limits for trucks with different numbers of axles are legally defined.

For two-axle trucks the limit is 18 tons;
3-axle – 25 tons;
4-axle – 32 tons;
5-axle – 35 tons;

How to calculate the weight of a truck along its axles?

This parameter is almost impossible to accurately measure. Open trucks fill with water from rain and lose moisture through evaporation. In most cases, it is enough to add the weight of the empty truck from the vehicle documents, add it with the weight of the cargo according to the invoices and divide by the number of axles. The final figure will need to be compared with the instructions on road signs.

Penalty for overload on axles

The fine for overloading on axles is issued by traffic police officers on the basis of part 21 of article 12 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. The size of the fine depends on the scale of overload and applies to the driver, official and legal entities. A fine will be issued if overload is detected on at least one truck axle using special scales.

Overload value 2-10%

from the driver – 1500 rub.
from an official - 15,000 rubles.
from legal to 150,000 rub.

Overload value 10-20%

from the driver – 4000 rub.
from an official - 30,000 rubles.
from legal to 300,000 rub.

Overload value 20-50%

from the driver – 10,000 rub. (or imprisonment for 4 months)
from an official - 40,000 rubles.
from legal to 400,000 rub.

10-20% of the value specified in the permit

from the driver – 3500 rub.
from an official - 25,000 rubles.
from legal to 250,000 rub.

20-50% of the value specified in the permit

from the driver – 10 00 rub.
from an official - 50,000 rubles.
from legal to 500,000 rub.

In addition to the fines described above, a fine for failure to comply with the axle load sign may be added. The penalty in this case will be 5,000 rubles.

How to challenge a fine for overloading?

You can challenge a fine for overloading in the same way as any other traffic fine.

If you have a resolution on an administrative violation, based on it, a maximum detailed complaint is drawn up with attached documents confirming your case.

The complaint can be sent either to the court at the place where the violation was determined, or to the traffic police, or to higher authorities.

The period for challenging fines for overloading is 10 days, but it can be extended by a separate special request to the court.

Permitted load on a truck axle, amount of fine for overload

An overly loaded vehicle poses a significant threat not only to the driver, but also to other road users. Moreover, it does not matter whether it is a truck or a passenger car. Even the road surface suffers from the excess weight of the vehicle. Every car owner should know how overload is calculated and understand the degree of responsibility for violating the rules.

What vehicle mass is permissible?

Since 2015, regulatory documents relating to the transportation of cargo have undergone some changes. Taking into account new information, the permitted maximum vehicle weight has been adjusted.

The maximum permissible weight of a cargo vehicle (road train) is 44 tons. The axle load of any truck is determined based on the category of roads that are designed to carry cargo of different weights. Overloading a truck will require the driver to obtain the appropriate exit permit. Regarding passenger vehicles, there are also some restrictions. The driver has no right to carry more passengers in his car than is regulated by law.

Acceptable load

The impact on the vehicle axle, in other words, the axle load, is the load from the total mass of the vehicle that is transmitted to the road surface by the wheels of each axle. Under increased load, the road surface is destroyed. In addition, the braking distance of an overloaded vehicle is longer, which can create an emergency situation on the roads.

It is also worth considering the fact that the load distribution is uneven: the rear axle bears significantly more than the front axle. This is due to the peculiarity of the location of the cargo platform: in the rear of the car. When driving along a section of the road that is equipped with sign 3.12, the driver must pay attention to the maximum permissible axle load. If the load in his vehicle does not correspond to this, then it is necessary to change the route. Otherwise, violation will result in a fine for overloading. According to the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (Part 11 of Article 12.21.1), the amount of the administrative penalty is 5,000 rubles.

Transportation regulations determine the acceptable weight of a vehicle. You can find the information below: