Limitations on axle load for cement trucks pose a threat to the development of cement road delivery amid growing problems with transportation by rail, said Denis Nazarov, Director of Logistics and Procurement at CEMROS.
“Due to structural problems with railway transportation and lack of railway infrastructure for the majority of customers, the delivery by road is the only possible alternative to ensure transportation of cement to construction sites. However, its development faces a problem due to the flawed system of weight and gauge control,” Nazarov said.
According to him, even conscientious carriers, who follow the rules and legal requirements for axle load, face fines of 250-400 thousand rubles. This happens for several reasons. The first is the physical properties of cement and its mobility in the semi-trailer during transportation, due to which the load on the axles of the road train may be uneven. The second one is incorrect setting and operation of some automated weight and dimensional control complexes (AWDCC), from which fines are issued and received even for underloaded vehicles with cargo weight less than the permitted by 2-3 tons. Unfortunately, the practice of appeal is not in favor of diligent transport companies - the courts do not appoint an expert examination and make a decision not in favor of the carrier, the presumption of innocence does not work in such cases. Large fines and the inability to obtain justice will lead to the risk of disruption of deliveries to construction sites during the high season or increased costs of construction materials, when suppliers will be forced to include these risks in the price of their products.
“Now the country is actively developing delivery by road and the network of AWDCC is equally actively developing, more than 350 control points have been deployed in Russia. Tougher control measures and the development of AWDCC create advantages for dishonest carriers, who, by avoiding the complexes or resorting to other tricks, destroy roads, do not pay taxes and cause damage to the budget. It is necessary to create conditions for honest cement carriers who observe these restrictions,” emphasized the representative of CEMROS.
Nazarov also added that it is possible to avoid such problems if the legislation is amended. Now the State Duma is considering a bill releasing garbage trucks from fines for overloading. At the end of November, deputies adopted in the first reading amendments to the law “On Highways and Road Activities in the Russian Federation”, which remove garbage trucks from the restrictions on axle load. The moratorium until January 1, 2028 for vehicles transporting cement will allow carriers not to stop the development of road delivery until the AWDCC is fine-tuned and finalized.
