Changes to Czech dynamic truck weighing system; hauliers rejoice

The amended regulations address situations where, in the case of convoys, part of the weight of the towed vehicle is transferred to the towing vehicle (typically a combination consisting of a tractor and a semi-trailer).

“In general, the amendment can be summarised as follows: drivers of genuinely overloaded vehicles, including foreign drivers, will continue to be penalised. However, cases where the dynamic weighing scale shows results at the limit of the permissible values for sets, where the trailer can temporarily affect the weight of the towing vehicle, will no longer be subject to penalties (as they were before),” notes Česmad Bohemia in an official statement.

According to the association, after the changes, the entire vehicle combination will be assessed as a single unit in accordance with the European directive.

“Previously, there were situations where the weight per axle was not exceeded, and the total permissible weight of the combination was not even close to being reached, yet high-speed weighing showed a slight overload of the total weight of the combination. This was usually a few tens, at most a few hundred kilograms for an 18-tonne tractor. The alleged violations were also due to the fact that, while the axle load tolerance is 15%, a tolerance of only 7% is used when calculating the total weight. These are the tens or hundreds of kilograms that the scales showed as ‘extra’ in the total weight. Drivers and hauliers were understandably defensive about being penalised for such cases,” adds the organisation.

Regarding the removal of measuring axle loads, the main reason given is that this offence cannot be prosecuted in the case of vehicles registered abroad, as the administrative authority does not have access to the vehicle register.

According to the Czech hauliers’ association, the new regulations will also simplify the inspection of vehicles carrying bulk or liquid substances, in which the load shifts during transit, causing the weight distribution between individual axles to change.

Locations of Czech weigh stations

By the end of this year, 13 weigh stations should be operational on Czech Class I roads. Currently, trucks are weighed on the D1, D2, D5, D8, D35, and D48 motorways, and since April this year, also on the D4 near Jíloviště.