German police caught two Luxembourg lorry drivers hauling loads more than twice the legal weight during roadside inspections on Tuesday, with both losing their license to transport timber.
Two lorry drivers from a Luxembourg transport company were caught carrying more than twice their legal load during inspections by police in North Rhine-Westphalia on Tuesday morning.
One driver was stopped at the Belgian-German border crossing at Losheimer Graben, where his lorry weighed in at 61 tonnes. He was forced to unload the cargo on the spot and had to pay an €800 deposit. His permit for transporting tree logs was also confiscated.
The second driver was intercepted in Nettersheim-Zingsheim with a 60-tonne load. As he was close to his destination, he was allowed to complete the journey but also had to pay an €800 deposit and lost his transport permit.
Authorities have launched proceedings against the Luxembourg-based company responsible for the transports. Officials intend to recover the estimated €3,000 in profits the company gained from the overloads.
According to police, overloaded trucks pose risks not only to vehicles but also to public infrastructure, as damage to roads must ultimately be repaired using taxpayer funds.