Vehicle Weights, Driving Hours and Breaks – Transport Exchange Group

All Exchange members need to be aware of their vehicle weights and driving hour rules when moving loads. Every vehicle has different legal requirements and if exceeded can result in fines and possible court summons. Overloading vehicles can lead to issues with excise duty, driving licenses, operator licensing, goods vehicles (plating and testing), fuel consumption and speed limits.

It’s your responsibility as fleet managers and operators not to accept loads that exceed what the vehicle can legally carry. Transport Exchange Group will not be held liable for any member who ignores the government regulations surrounding maximum weights.

IN THIS ARTICLE

Driver requirements
Load poster requirements

Driver requirements

Vehicle weights:

We encourage all Exchange Members to be aware of their weight limits when completing loads, as it’s your responsibility to ensure you are driving within your legal limits. All vehicles must not exceed their respective Design Gross Weight (DGW), also referred to as Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or Laden Weight, by law. Please be aware that additional rules apply if the vehicle is towing a trailer.

Driving hours and breaks:

Legal limits surrounding the number of daily hours a driver can operate a vehicle depend on the following:

Size of the vehicle
Country of operation
What the vehicle is being used for

For more information on vehicle weights and driving hours, please visit the following government links:

Van Weights and Driving Hours:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-a-van

Heavy Goods Vehicle Weights:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hgv-maximum-weights

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-lorry-types-and-weights

Drivers Hours and Tachographs:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/drivers-hours-goods-vehicles

Load poster requirements

All load posters on the Exchange must educate themselves and their staff about the laws surrounding vehicle maximum weights and driving hours. Advertising loads to vehicles that exceed their legal limits puts the driver’s income and wellbeing at risk.

We advise you to never put unreasonable time constraints or deadlines on drivers, as this pressure not only risks our member safety but also those around them.