Van overloading rise puts fleet compliance under pressure

Van fleets should review loading controls after new DVSA data showed overloading accounted for around two-thirds of serious LGV offences reported for prosecution in 2024/25.

Analysis by Tempcover found 300 overloading cases were reported, up 55.4% year on year. Of those taken to court, 98% resulted in conviction.

For fleet managers, the message is immediate: payload limits need to be treated as an operational control; not simply a driver responsibility.

Managers should make sure drivers know each vehicle’s maximum authorised mass, while vehicle allocation should reflect the tools, materials, passengers and equipment regularly carried.

Regular checks are equally important. Tyres, lights, brakes and general vehicle condition should be inspected before use, while fleets should monitor whether vans are being routinely pushed beyond their intended role.

The strongest action is to build weight compliance into daily fleet processes. That means clear loading guidance, suitable vehicles for each job, driver training and access to weighbridge checks where necessary.

With serious breaches leading to prosecution and substantial fines, fleets that rely on vans should review whether current payload assumptions still reflect real-world workloads.

Source: Tempcover analysis of DVSA data.

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