You only have to look on some of the news outlets on the Internet to see that a number of van drivers are pulled over by the police because they are found to have overloaded their vans. So, what are some of the implications of carrying too much weight in your van?

Well, if you overload your van you are likely to end up using more fuel. With petrol and diesel prices currently very high due in part to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia this alone should surely act as a deterrent to someone carrying too much weight in their van.

You are more likely to be involved in a road traffic accident as your overloaded van could be unstable when, for instance, driving around corners and roundabouts. The implications of this are severe i.e. you could cause the death and/or injury of one or more people leading to you being prosecuted.

You could put increased pressure on your tyres leading to their rapid deterioration resulting in them having to be changed more frequently.

You may find that your van insurance provider refuses to pay out should you claim on your policy due to your van being overloaded.

You could be fined for having an overloaded van, get points on your driving license and see your van insurance premiums increase. You could also be sent to prison.

Your van could be off the road for some time with this having a negative impact on your business income thus leading to a reduction in your personal income that could mean you are unable to meet some of your household expenditure such as mortgage, rent, utility bills etc.

So, don’t take the risk. Make sure that your van is not overloaded at all times. Don’t forget to take into account the tools and equipment you are carrying on a daily basis as well as any other items of stock and parcels.