‘Well done to a true protector of our roads’ I refer to the article ‘Maverick’ approach hits overloaders where it hurts (FTW July 30, 2004), regarding the Free State’s Sherman Amos making transporters remove surplus overloads between 2-5% (GVM). I am a local Durban container transporter so never get anywhere near the OFS. For far too long the legitimate transporters have been complaining about the 5% - which was for margin of error - being used by other transporters to increase the payloads/profits as a matter of course i.e. planned for and not used for margin of error. As we all pay the same licence fee for the same types of vehicles to use the road it is unfair that another transporter uses this 5% to increase his profits. Some transporters even fitted on-board weighing equipment (at approximately R80 000 per vehicle) in order to ensure that they ran at the full legal +5%, which was never the intention of this allowance! Huge congratulations to Mr Amos. He has proved that he is not just another tax collector but a true protector of our roads. Furthermore I trust that I have restored Mr Amos’s faith in transporters - some of us do understand that the law is there to protect our equipment, people, public and public infrastructures. Kevin Martin, chief planning & control, Freightliner Transport, Durban.
