Overloaded Trucks

The necessary care should be taken while deciding the load on the truck. Overloading a truck may make it unstable. It raises its center of gravity thus increasing the chances of a rollover. Increase in weight also increases the stopping distance drastically. The stopping distance increases many fold by every extra pound added to the load. Overloading (loading more weight that the load carrying capacity), raises the possibility of brake failure.

Overloading can have serious consequences in terms of passenger safety. Too much weight for your vehicle's suspension system can cause spring, shock absorber or brake failure, handling or steering problems, irregular tire wear, tire failure or other damage. An overloaded vehicle is hard to drive and hard to stop. In cases of serious overloading, brakes can fail completely, particularly on steep hills.

Overloading a truck, with under inflated tires, can be catastrophic. In such case abnormal tire flexing occurs, which can generate an excessive amount of heat within the tire. Excessive heat may exceed the tire's capabilities, which may lead to tire failure.