Overloaded Polish truck halted after carrying nearly double its legal weight
A Polish-registered light truck was pulled over on the A4 motorway near Bad Hersfeld after police suspected extreme overloading. Upon inspection, the vehicle was found to be nearly double its legal weight limit, with serious safety risks.
The truck's cargo documents listed a load of 3,400 kilograms, but a weigh-in confirmed it actually carried almost 7,000 kilogramsā99.14% over the 3,500-kilogram legal maximum. The vehicle's registered payload limit was just 380 kilograms, making the excess even more severe.
The overloaded truck tilted dangerously to one side, and the cargo had not been properly secured. The Ukrainian driver also failed to provide records of driving, working, or rest periods, raising further concerns.
Authorities immediately banned the truck from continuing its journey until the cargo was transferred and the driver took the required rest. The transport company now faces a fine likely running into at least three figures.
In recent years, extreme overloading has become a recurring issue in Germany. Between 2024 and 2025, police recorded around 1,200 cases of trucks exceeding weight limits by over 20%. The most affected regions were North Rhine-Westphalia (about 350 cases), Bavaria (280 cases), and Baden-WĆ¼rttemberg (220 cases), according to reports from the Federal Police Headquarters and the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt).
The incident highlights ongoing enforcement challenges with overloaded trucks on German roads. The driver and company must now comply with safety regulations before the vehicle can resume operation. Fines and stricter checks remain key measures to prevent similar violations.
