POPULAR WORDS

Mannway Logistics has been fined more than $300,000 for mass and load restraint breaches, but it will pay more per year under a court imposed order.

Grasten Pty Ltd, which trades as Mannway, was found guilty of 47 width and loading offences which happened between March 2007 and October 2008.

The judge fined the company $304,646 and ordered it to overhaul its management practices and train and supervise staff to reduce the risk of future breaches.

During the hearing, the company claimed the judge’s decision to impose a Supervisory Intervention Order meant Mannway would need to invest about $400,000 each year to comply.

Part of the order requires the company to accurately weigh all heavy vehicles before starting a journey.

The penalty could have been a lot worse, with the RTA spokesperson saying the court suspended $112,000 in fines.

The NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) says the decision shows load or width breaches will not be tolerated.

"Overloaded trucks are a threat to road safety and the proper maintenance of the community’s roads," a spokesperson for the RTA says.

The spokesperson says all parties in the supply chain must comply with load restraint and mass requirements or risk being fined or convicted under chain of responsibility laws.

"All parties in the chain – including, the consignor, packer, loader, receiver, driver and operator – must take positive steps to prevent breaches of road transport mass, dimension and load restraint laws," the spokesperson says.

The RTA says the court's decision to suspend some of the fines gives Mannway the incentive to "pick up its future performance" and for other companies to ensure they have procedures in place to make sure they transport their freight legally and safely.

“The RTA expects this substantial judgement will be a wakeup call to managers in the transport and logistics industry," the spokesperson says.

"Senior managers in the transport and logistics industry need to ensure that every part of their business in every part of the country is performing properly."