Overloaded Trucks Are a National Problem

Recently I have written about collapsing bridges, dangerous spaghetti wires, and electric poles being left in the middle of newly widened roads. All of these stories have a connecting thread and it is neglect. Neglect of the law and of public safety. In particular collapsing bridges are directly related to overloaded trucks.

In Davao road deterioration has been directly linked to overloaded trucks. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1946392/davao/local-news/road-deterioration-due-to-heavy-trucks---dpwh-davao

AN official of the Department of Public Works and Highways Davao Region (DPWH-Davao) said one of the contributing factors to why roads in the Davao Region are deteriorating is due to overloaded trucks.

DPWH Spokesperson Dean Ortiz said during the 18th Regular Session on November 15, 2022 that the roads in the region are built to accommodate vehicles that weigh as much as 10 tons. However, 20-ton trucks are now plying the roads of the region. The roads in the region are not intended to accommodate trucks of this size.

“We can monitor the trucks coming in Davao City, but... we can only do so much,” Ortiz said.

He said they can only monitor the weight of the big trucks traveling along J.P. Laurel in Panabo, Davao del Norte, and in Digos, Davao del Sur. The agency has built weighbridge stations, located around 10 kilometers away from populated areas, to monitor the weight of the trucks.

To closely monitor the trucks, Davao City Councilor Bernie Al-ag proposed the monitoring and regulation of the weights of big trucks traveling in and out of the city.

“I think what we need to do about this, number one, in regulating the weights of the truck, if we have an existing policy about this we need to review this, Let’s take a look into this if it is still appropriate,” Al-ag said.

Also, he said DPWH should also check with their planning department, especially the quality of the asphalt that is being used for the road construction so that the budget will not be wasted.

“It would be a wase that after asphalting the roads, it will deteriorate and be the cause of accidents. Instead of improving the livability in the city, it has caused a problem,” Al-ag said.

However, Ortiz said if the road deteriorates, the cost of the repair will be charged to the contractor of the project due to a structural warranty of five years.

“If there are portions that needed to be repaired, those are totally at no cost to the government, it is under the contractor,” Ortiz said.

While the repair will not cost the government, Al-ag still requested their office to follow the standards of the construction, especially the contractor. He said Dabawenyos deserve quality infrastructure.

“It is not right that after a year or two it will be reconstructed again. This is not efficient, we demand efficiency,” Al-ag said.

He said there should be a permanent solution or long-term solution to deteriorating roads.

The permanent or long-term solution is to not have heavy trucks driving through the city and to make sure all trucks are not overloaded. We can see from the picture that apparently heavy trucks are being routed through the city. That is no good. Roads by passing the city should be constructed. It is not my place to say how but surely they can learn how by studying city-planning in the USA and Europe.

Worst case scenario build roads that can withstand 20 ton trucks since no one wants to check the weight. 

The same problem is happening in Nueva Ecija.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1189290

The provincial government here is strengthening its efforts against overloading trucks to ensure the safety of motorists.

Vice Governor Anthony Umali said on Wednesday the provincial board council is set to pass an ordinance that will formulate the weight limits, stricter sanctions and possible alternative roads for overloaded trucks.

Umali said this is in support of the Nueva Ecija Task Force Overloading formed by Governor Aurelio Umali.

The vice governor said the provincial board members have agreed to refer the matter to the Committee on Housing Land Utilization and Environmental Protection and Committee on Laws to fast-track the creation of the anti-overloading measure.

“The move will ensure that the trucks carrying overloaded items will be policed by their own ranks to save roads from damage and deterioration,” he said in a local television interview.

Homer Garcia, chief of the maintenance section of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Nueva Ecija First District Engineering Office, said based on their monitoring from Oct. 21-Nov. 14, out of the 3,584 dump trucks that passed by the Sta. Rosa-Tarlac Road, 1,443 were overloaded.

It has been observed that overloaded trucks cause damage to road networks.

Garcia said funds will be allotted next year for the procurement of a weighing apparatus to be put up in the province’s entry points for continuous checkpoints against overloaded trucks.

The DPWH has been coordinating with the Land Transportation Office, Highway Patrol Group and local government units to strengthen the monitoring of immoderate vehicles through the strict enforcement of the anti-overloading policy.

Incredible!  This town has such a problem with overloaded trucks that they have formed a task force. Not to mention 40% of all dump trucks are overloaded. That is outrageous. Are they allowed to continue plying the roads? Interesting to note is that the DPWH has been contacting LGUS, the LTO, and the HPG to monitor overloaded trucks. That highlights the fact that overloaded trucks are a national problem. 

Back in June, 2022 the DWPH said they would intensify the enforcement of the overloading law. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1931623/pampanga/local-news/intensified-implementation-of-anti-overloading-law-set

THE stretch of MacArthur Highway in Pampanga is usually subject of ire and complaints of motorists due to the deteriorated state of some of its portions.

The travel from the City of San Fernando up to Apalit town via MacArthur Highway is a source of headache to motorists as they have to endure large potholes and craters, and uneven road pavement along the way.

What irks road users more is the fast deterioration of the several specific road sections as it usually goes back to its sad state just a few months after its rehabilitation.

This prompted Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Roger G. Mercado to renew the call for intensified implementation of Anti-Overloading law.

Being a national road, DPWH is responsible for the maintenance, upgrading and widening of the whole stretch of MacArthur Highway.

According to Mercado, overloaded vehicles result to premature deterioration of roads and bridges, causing vehicular accidents, and endangering commuters and pedestrians.

Citing a report from the DPWH Bureau of Quality and Safety, Mercado disclosed that around 34 percent of the trucks plying the country’s national roads in 2021 alone were classified as overloaded.

This means that the Nationwide Cases of Truck Overloading jumped by 6.96 percent in 2021, comparing from the data recorded in 2020.

“Of the 401,785 trucks that were weighed by our 38 truck weighing stations in 2021, a total of 137,029 or 34.11 percent were apprehended for overloading. This is alarming, considering that the cases have worsened from 2020 which is only at 27.15 percent,” he said.

To prevent further damage, Mercado ordered all DPWH Regional and District Engineering Offices to intensify the implementation of the RA 8794 otherwise known as the Anti-overloading law immediately.

He said DPWH personnel from different engineering offices across the country, in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP), and Land Transportation Office (LTO), will jointly apprehend violators of overloading nationwide by setting up permanent and mobile weighing stations along national roads.

“Aside from danger and inconvenience that deteriorated roads cause, it also redounds to more government spending on road maintenance,” he said.

The DPWH secretary asked for the cooperation of truckers and haulers, and advised them to comply with the law to prevent inconveniences during their travel.

It should not take complaints from motorists for the DWPH to enforce laws. Given the state of the government where everyone takes a kickback I don't expect this problem to go away anytime soon if ever. Bridges will continue to collapse and roads will continue to deteriorate because in the Philippines the ends justifies the means. If you can overload your truck and get it delivered it on time saving money, well that is all that matters. 

RA 8794 has been on the books since 2020!

https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2000/ra_8794_2000.html

Section 6. Penalty for Overloading- An amount equivalent to twenty five percent (25%) of the MVUC shall be imposed on trucks and trailers for loading beyond their prescribed gross vehicle weight: provided, That no axle load shall exceed thirteen thousand five hundred kilograms(13,5000kgs).

What!?  This is ONLY a monetary fine!!  In fact that is what this law is all about, charging motorists various fines. You know what that means?  It means there is no SPECIFIC law regarding overloaded trucks. Overloaded trucks destroy roads and lead to the collapse of bridges but who cares? Why bother to write a specific addressing that issue!?