3. Load Management
All fleet vehicles are required to be controlled in an inventory, which shall include all technical specifications for each of the fleet vehicles identifying the following:
- Vehicle registration number
- Chassis Number
- Vehicle type e.g. truck tractor, tri-axle trailer etc.
- Maximum number of passengers (applicable to bus operators)
- Tare vehicle/combination mass
- Gross vehicle/combination mass
- Number of axles
- Maximum permissible payload
- Maximum permissible load dimensions
- License Expiry Dates
- Permit Expiry Dates (e.g. Cross Border Permit, Abnormal Load Permit etc.)
- Year of manufacture
Audit Requirements:
- Fleet List
- All specs indicated/referenced (may be available on multiple records)
- License Expiry List
- Permit Expiry List
- Copies of licenses/registration documents
- If licenses/permits have expired, what corrective actions have been implemented
A detailed assessment method indicating how the operator determines the mass of the goods and/or passenger numbers. In cases where the goods are volume based the organisation shall show the system whereby the payload is calculated in order to show overloading is not possible. This assessment shall record the gross vehicle/combination mass ensuring that the applicable permissible mass limit is not exceeded. The organisation shall take into consideration the requirements of SANS 10231. The method shall consider appropriate load distribution to enable compliance with relevant permissible axle mass limits.
The organisation shall provide evidence of compliance with mass and dimension limits, as applicable for all trips undertaken. Such evidence can be in either electronic or paper format and may include daily load registers, spreadsheet of mass data, electronic trip planner, trip manifest, delivery note, weighbridge ticket, The nature and type of evidence will vary, based on the specific industry sector and operator dynamics. The transport operator shall implement a system, whereby any underloading or overloading (mass, dimensions or passenger numbers) are analysed. Where such trends do not conform to prevailing industry requirements, the organisation shall demonstrate that corrective actions have been planned and/or implemented.
Audit Requirements:
- How is the load assessed for mass? (measured/calculated)
- How is load assessed for dimensions?
- How is the load assessed for passenger numbers?
- Can this method be verified? (Measurement/calculation/inspection)
- What records are kept to demonstrate compliance?
- Is there evidence of monitoring?
- If load mass/dimensions or passenger numbers have been exceeded, has this been detected?
- Where negative trends are detected, what corrective actions have been implemented?