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A tractor-trailer with oak logs near Alsfeld was so awkwardly loaded that the truck's drive axle barely had any grip on the road.
Alsfeld – A tractor-trailer loaded with oak logs was unable to leave a wood storage yard near Alsfeld – the incorrect loading simply made the vehicle undriveable. A blessing in disguise for the driver and owner: because they didn't get on the road, they were spared a report. According to the police report, the incident occurred on April 17th.
At around 7 a.m., inspectors from the Bad Hersfeld motorway police became aware of a conspicuous semi-trailer in a wood storage area on the B254 between Alsfeld and the Eudorf district. The large ocean container had clearly visibly dented walls and a tractor was initially not on site.
Incorrectly loaded oak trunks make trucks immobile in Vogelsberg
The driver appeared on site with his truck while the inspection was still taking place. He explained to officers that his vehicle could not be moved safely with this trailer because of the incorrect loading. The on-board axle load meter confirmed his assessment: The container was not only overloaded by a good ton, but was also so unfavorably loaded that the truck's drive axle barely had any grip on the ground.
The load was so far back that the front wheels of the trailer were barely pressing on the road. The vehicle was therefore neither safe to steer nor controllable. In retrospect, the fact that the tractor-trailer couldn't leave the gravel parking lot without spinning its wheels turned out to be a stroke of luck.
Initially, the driver, entrepreneur and freight forwarder hoped to solve the problem by reloading the goods inside the container. But the police made it clear: Even if the weight had been distributed correctly, transport in this form would not have been permitted.
The container lacked a valid technical inspection – it should not have been loaded in the first place. In addition, such a deep-sea container is generally not suitable for transporting oak trunks by road, informs the police. The attachment points inside could not be used for this load, and the container walls could not permanently withstand the pressure of heavy hardwood logs. While lighter types of wood could be transported under certain conditions, this is not possible safely with heavy oak trunks based on the current state of technology.
The police therefore ordered the container to be completely unloaded. Only then could the empty container be transported away. Since the team was never on public roads, the officers decided not to press charges. However, drivers, loaders, transport companies and freight forwarders were thoroughly informed about the applicable regulations.
In this context, the police point out that everyone involved in the transport chain bears responsibility – from the shipper to the driver to the freight forwarder. Before loading, it must be checked whether the chosen means of transport is suitable for the load and technically approved.
It wasn't until the beginning of April that it became clear that inadequate load securing was not an isolated case: At that time, the Bad Hersfeld motorway police stopped a heavy transport with an inadequately secured earthmoving machine on the A5.
