Overloading abroad: Luxembourg truckers caught with 60-tonne loads in Germany
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German police stopped two lorries registered in Luxembourg on Tuesday morning in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen). Both were carrying timber and both were well over the permissible weight limit. These incidents triggered not only a swift intervention but also official consequences for the haulage company.
The first driver was stopped at the Losheimer Graben border crossing, where his vehicle weighed 61 tonnes - more than twice the permitted limit. The driver had to unload the load immediately on the spot and pay a bail of 800 euros. In addition, his timber transport licence was confiscated.
The second driver was intercepted in the Nettersheim-Zingsheim area. His truck weighed 60 tonnes, and although he was close to the unloading point, he was also ordered to pay 800 euros bail and had his licence revoked. He was allowed to complete the journey, but the consequences were the same.
An administrative investigation has been launched against the Luxembourg transport company responsible for both flights. The German authorities intend to recover around 3,000 euros, which the company is estimated to have earned illegally through overloading.
The police emphasise that such violations create serious risks - both for other road users and for the infrastructure. Overloaded lorries destroy the road surface faster, and the taxpayer pays for the repairs, as the police reminded.
