Administrative nightmares plague abnormal load operators

The issues around abnormal loads are more administrative that anything else, says Gavin Kelly, technical and operations manager of the Road Freight Association. Permits, fees as well as finding ways to deal with the constraints on the movement of these loads all add to administrative nightmares for operators, while currently abnormal loads are moved with little negative impact on standard traffic flows. “The reality is that only certain roads are capable of carrying the weight or width of the loads and these have to be used. There have been very few incidents where road users are unhappy with heavy load operators,” says Kelly. “Obviously moving one of these through peak hour traffic would not be a wise choice.” But, says Kelly, legislation continues to make it very difficult to move abnormal loads quickly. “The regulations around the movement of abnormal loads remain a huge issue in terms of the amount of work that is to be done and the amount of time open to operators to move goods from manufacturers and ports to the customers.” As the speed issue is obviously linked to the size of the load and its related safety requirements with regard to stability, as well as the amount of traffic on any particular route, it can be accepted that abnormal loads cause some slowdown in traffic – often from a curiosity viewpoint as well. “There are many dead times when traffic flows are down to a minimum but traffic escorts are not available. In other cases abnormal loads are not moved because it’s dark, where proper lighting would sort it out,” says Kelly. He says the issuing of permits for moving loads remains an extremely contentious topic. “Also, the fees attached to these and the unrealistic contention that only original permits will be accepted and must always be carried on the vehicle lead to administrative nightmares. Another issue is what we believe is the unfair prosecution of loads.” But, say authorities, legislation is here to stay. While there has been some discussion with the Department of Transport, no immediate changes are expected. “Government needs to accept the role that private industries play in the movement of loads and not operate unilaterally,” says Kelly.