According to TV pub landlord Al Murray, if you have a country with too many rules, you call it Germany. Not all of the rules are that draconian though! Have you ever wondered why German manufacturers need to build special models for the UK, while their own have implausibly high design weights? A visit to Mercedes' construction vehicle demo site revealed the truth, with this picture of an Actros 4148 (41 tonne design GVW, 480 hp engine) giving a clue.
The answer is that the penalty for exceeding a trucks's design weight is Draconian, the truck being treated as unlicenced. However, the penalty for exceeding the plated weight but not the design weight is little more than a slapped wrist. Furthermore, only the driver is penalised, while the operator's reputation remains unblemished. If you look carefully in the back of the Actros, despite being loaded to its 32 tonne plated limit, there's a bit of spare room for another 9 tonnes or so. Given the above facts, what would you do?
Fortunately for those interested in level playing fields, the solution might be coming from an environmental direction. There's a growing awareness of the extra damage caused to the already fragile German road network from overloaded axles, as well as the safety and fuel economy implications. Some Germans are looking to the UK, and what they call the Beverley Bell effect, for an example in road transport enforcement methods.
For anyone interested, here are a few more pics from the event, including a lively Axor 1833.
