Guides / HGV weight and size limits · Updated 30 September 2026

Lorry weight and dimension limits in Great Britain for hauliers

Loads planned under EU rules must also meet Great Britain's weight, height and abnormal load rules once they reach a British road. This guide sets out the figures GOV.UK publishes and what hauliers should check before the ferry.

This guide is also available in Polish.

Why GB limits matter even when the load is heading for the EU

A trailer loaded in Poland, Germany or the Netherlands for a delivery in England is planned against the rules of the country where it was loaded. The moment it rolls off the ferry, it has to meet the rules of Great Britain instead. A load that is legal on a continental motorway can be overweight or need special notice on a British road, and the reverse is also true for loads collected in the UK and taken back into the EU.

Weight and size are not customs matters. Your customs paperwork, such as the goods movement reference used at GVMS ports, proves the goods can cross the border. It says nothing about whether the vehicle carrying them is legal on the road. Both need to be right before the truck leaves the depot, because a vehicle stopped for being overweight is delayed just as surely as one stopped for missing paperwork.

Two sets of weight rules: C&U and AWR

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Department for Transport publish the GB maximum weights in one table, and it shows two columns for most vehicle types. One column comes from the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (usually called C&U). The other comes from the Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) Regulations (AWR). In several cases the AWR figure is higher, but only where the vehicle meets set conditions on axles, suspension or engine. Hauliers should check which column their vehicle qualifies for rather than assuming the highest number applies.

Rigid lorries

Articulated vehicles

Drawbar combinations

For a lorry pulling a separate trailer, the table lists 32,520 kg for four and five axles as the base figure, rising with road friendly suspension, and 44,000 kg for six axles. The AWR figures for drawbars carry a condition on the minimum distance between the rear axle of the motor vehicle and the front axle of the trailer, so the exact geometry of your combination matters.

Height: plan the route, not just the vehicle

The GOV.UK weights table and the DVSA special types enforcement guide do not set a single maximum height that makes a lorry illegal or abnormal. That does not mean height is unimportant. It means the responsibility sits with the operator and the driver to know the vehicle's height and to plan a route that avoids low bridges and structures. Trailers built for continental routes can be taller than the headroom on some British roads, so measure the loaded height before departure and plan the GB leg with it in mind.

Abnormal loads: when you must give notice

Vehicles and loads too big or too heavy for the normal rules can still use GB roads under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003, known as STGO. The DVSA special types enforcement guide explains the categories. Abnormal indivisible loads are grouped as follows:

• Category 1: up to 46,000 kg with at least 5 axles, or up to 50,000 kg with at least 6 axles.
• Category 2: not exceeding 80,000 kg.
• Category 3: not exceeding 150,000 kg.

Above 150,000 kg, or above 16,500 kg on any single axle, a special order is needed. On dimensions, the guide treats a vehicle over 18.75 metres long including projections as over length for special types purposes, and it sets width steps: over 3.5 metres needs notice to the police, 5 metres needs a VR1 permit, and 6.1 metres needs a special order.

Notice periods under the guide are, in most cases, 2 working days to the police and to highway and bridge authorities. For Category 3 loads the guide requires 5 working days' notice to highway and bridge authorities. The heaviest moves under special order involve a much longer consultation with structure owners.

A pre-trip checklist for UK–EU loads

• Identify the vehicle type and number of axles, then read the matching line in the GOV.UK weights table.
• Check whether the vehicle meets the AWR conditions before planning to the higher figure.
• Weigh or calculate the gross weight and axle loads for the GB leg, not only the continental leg.
• Record the loaded height and plan the GB route around it.
• If the load is indivisible and over the normal limits, work out its STGO category and give the correct notice in time.
• Separately, make sure the customs side is ready: declarations, the GMR and any T1 transit documents.

Where to read more

The GOV.UK pages below are the authority on these limits and should be your first stop before any unusual move. For a wider overview written for drivers and dispatchers, including DVSA weight checks, see the GB weight and size limits explained for hauliers. If you are still deciding how to handle the customs side of a UK–EU run, our guide on whether you need a customs broker covers the options.

Related guides

• T1 transit from the UK to the EU: what the broker does

• Groupage and consolidated loads: UK–EU customs explained

• T1 transit from the UK through France: the short-straits route

Sources

• Heavy goods vehicles: maximum weights (GOV.UK)
• Special types enforcement guide (GOV.UK)
• Transporting goods between Great Britain and the EU by RoRo freight: guidance for hauliers (GOV.UK)

General information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements on gov.uk or with a registered agent before you ship.