A survey by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has found that 48% of UK van drivers admit that they overloaded their vans.
This is despite the fact that 89% of drivers claim to know the legal weight restriction for their light commercial vehicle (LCV).
Overloading your vehicle by as much as 30% of its gross vehicle weight could lead to a fine of up to £300, meaning the nation’s van drivers are risking a combined £703 million in penalties.
Anything above 30% overloaded and offenders may even be issued with a court summons and a custodial sentence in the most serious cases.
The survey also found that 66% of younger drivers (aged 18-24) had overloaded their van in 2022, followed by 63% of driver aged 65 or over.
Additionally, the research revealed that carpenters are the tradespeople most likely to overload their vans (63%), closely followed by builders (60%), electricians (55%) and painter decorators (55%).
Overloading penalties
In the UK, the maximum gross vehicle weight for an LCV is 3.5 tonnes (3,500kg), rising to 4.25 tonnes (4,250kg) for an alternatively-fuelled vehicle, such as an all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz.
| Percentage overweight (of gross vehicle weight) |
Penalty charge |
| 5 – 9.99% | £100 fine |
| 10 – 14.99% | £200 fine |
| 15 – 29.99% | £300 fine |
| Over 30% | Court summons |
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ Working With You promise supports customers throughout the entire vehicle purchasing process, including the selection of the correct van for business requirements. This is available across the entire Van Centre network of 60 sites and 30 Authorised Repairers in the UK.
