Heavy Haulage – Abnormal Load Transport
Heavy Haulage – Abnormal Load Transport
TfL reports that around 37,000 abnormal loads enter London on the Transport for London Road Network (the TLRN or London’s ‘red routes’) each year. Given the ambition for providing new homes, jobs and infrastructure, this is likely to increase. The same need could be said of any major city within the UK (source – FORS managing indivisible loads Toolkit).
This industry is heavily regulated and operates within a framework of legislation which includes:
· The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (C&U Regulations)
· The Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) Regulations 1998 (AW Regulations)
· The Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 (STGO)
Although the requirement for abnormal load movements to be notified to the authorities has not been updated for 20 years, the increased monitoring by authorities has increased due to the volume of abnormal loads now on Britain’s roads.
Anecdotally we are told that the number of objections received to the abnormal load notifications has more than doubled and whilst some statutory bodies will try to work with operators to get the job done, others are less accommodating.
One of our clients described it as a great ‘waking up’ of the authorities to years of slumber on the number of movements which have gone on undetected.
We are experts in the legislation around Heavy Haulage and have both prosecuted and defended specialist cases in this niche area.
If you need advice, please get in touch.
There is professional Guidance available online to include:
FORS Manging Indivisible Loads Toolkit