As the holiday season continues to reach a fever pitch, the LTO is reminding truck drivers about truck overloading in the interest of safety for the motoring public.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has intensified its anti-truck overloading operations across the country under the direction of its upper management. A statement was made last Thursday, stating that there were hundreds of trucks being apprehended and caught for overloading.
From the statement the LTO made earlier this week, the National Capital Region-West (NCR-West) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) conducted anti-truck overloading mobile enforcement (ATOME) activities and flagged 142 trucks for suspected overloading, with 54 out of the total charged with the violation.
Overloaded trucks can be dangerous for the operators and for other people on the road. Overloading a truck can take a toll on a truck’s suspension, tires, and engine, netting faster rates of wear for mechanical components, and an increased risk of failure ranging from minor to catastrophic. Tipping over is one accident that can happen should a truck find itself with excess load. Braking distances and acceleration rates are also going to take a hit with more weight and can cause major accidents and pile-ups to form on the road which can include tire blow-outs, collisions, and
“Republic Act 8794 or the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge Law, particularly on anti-truck overloading, is strictly implemented to maintain the roadworthiness of the country’s national and provincial roads,” the LTO reminded in its statement.
The LTO also reported more than 120 out of 180 trucks were overloaded in Central Luzon, 11 out of 37 in LTO Region 5 Bicol, three out of 23 trucks in LTO Region 10 Misamis Oriental, and that LTO Region 8 conducted ATOME operations in Samar.
According to the LTO, “all violators were issued a Temporary Operator’s Permit and the driver’s license of these trucks were confiscated.”
