I was once overloaded accidentally in an Isuzu NPR 5 ton dump truck I used to own. The load was landscape compost (ordered by the cubic yard) at a soil yard. Due to overnight rain the compost was wet, and heavier than the normal weight per cubic yard. It was loaded by a different driver at the yard and when I got behind the wheel I failed to double check the load slip showing the weight. If I remember correctly it was at least two tons over the weight rating. I didn't realize it until I got on Interstate 90. It was scary, handled terribly, and stopping distance was greatly increased. It felt extremely dangerous at highway speed. I slowed way down, put on my flashers, and decided to continue as it was only the next exit for the short delivery, which was closer than driving back to the yard overloaded. When I dumped the load, the front of the truck lifted off the ground over the heads of my crew (so lucky I wasn't working solo that day as I was in the drivers seat!), and stayed up in the air... not dumping the wet sticky load at all. I had my crew carefully start removing soil with long handled rakes, then the truck slowly slammed down on the front axle. Luckily nobody was injured and neither the vehicle nor any property was damaged.
Never again. I always double check the weight slip now. Granted this was a modern truck and not ex military, so was way over limit. Please be careful especially on public roads. We are indeed stewards to the public, and operating a machine beyond capacity can make it deadly.
