Official signs with the correct driver response
Distinguish a goods vehicle restriction from a structural limit, read supplementary plates in full and know which vehicle weight information to check.
A driver-focused explanation of common goods vehicle and weak-bridge weight restrictions using official Department for Transport artwork.
No sign has been redrawn or generated. The original DfT files are reproduced with Crown copyright and Open Government Licence attribution.
Know the relevant plated and actual weights, read every supplementary plate and report a route conflict before passing the sign.
Your procedure should say who to call, which sign and vehicle details to report and when the vehicle must remain stopped.
Confirm the vehicle and trailer combination, the weights shown on the relevant plates, the load and its distribution, and the route issued for the journey. If the vehicle has changed, the load has been altered or the route has been diverted, check the route again.
A sign may apply by reference to maximum gross weight, not the weight recorded on a particular journey. Actual gross and axle weights still matter for vehicle loading and other restrictions, so carry the correct information and ask before relying on an estimate.
These are official Department for Transport reproduction files. © Crown copyright, reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The lorry symbol with a weight figure prohibits goods vehicles over the maximum gross weight shown. The Department for Transport explains that the restriction is based on the vehicle's maximum gross weight—the maximum permitted total weight of the vehicle when loaded—rather than its actual weight at that moment.
Do not continue because the vehicle is empty or lightly loaded unless a supplementary plate gives an exemption that clearly applies. If access, loading or another exception is shown, read its exact wording and confirm that the journey meets it.
A red-ring weight roundel without the goods vehicle symbol prohibits vehicles over the maximum gross weight shown. It may protect a weak bridge or another structure. A supplementary plate can qualify the restriction, including where its wording exempts empty vehicles.
Do not infer an exemption from local practice, another vehicle's movements or a sat-nav route. The sign and its plate must be read together.
Never reverse or turn in an unsafe place simply to escape the restriction. Follow the operator's escalation procedure and any lawful directions at the scene.
The ministry plate or manufacturer's plate can show gross vehicle weight, gross train weight and axle limits. A road restriction does not replace those limits, and compliance with a road sign does not prove that the vehicle is correctly loaded. Where the actual weight is material, use reliable loading information or a weighbridge rather than guesswork.
Not merely because it is empty. The goods vehicle sign applies by maximum gross weight. An exception must be stated on a supplementary plate and must apply to the journey.
It prohibits vehicles over the maximum gross weight shown and may protect a weak bridge or another structure.
Only where the supplementary wording clearly covers the journey. If uncertain, stop safely and confirm it with the transport office.
No. The vehicle plate, axle limits, actual weight and load distribution are separate controls.
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