Teorio
Bogie load limit
The prohibition applies to vehicles with an actual bogie load higher than indicated.
When you see the sign
Check whether the vehicle or trailer has a bogie and whether the actual bogie load exceeds the number on the sign. If the bogie load is higher than indicated, you must not continue past the sign; choose another route or reduce the load legally.
Rules
- The prohibition applies to vehicles with an actual bogie load higher than the limit indicated in tonnes on the sign.
- It is the actual load on the bogie during the journey in question that determines this, not merely the vehicle's permitted gross weight.
- The limit applies to the bogie load, meaning the load carried by the relevant axle group, and must not be confused with a limit for a single axle load or the vehicle's total gross weight.
- If one bogie has a higher actual load than permitted by the sign, the vehicle may not pass, even if its total weight is otherwise legal.
Tips
- Check the vehicle registration certificate, load details and weighing results before driving on a road subject to a bogie-load limit.
- Take particular care near bridges and on roads with limited load-bearing capacity, where this sign is often used.
- Do not assume that the load is legal just because the vehicle is not fully loaded; how the load is positioned affects the load on the bogie.
- Plan an alternative route if you are unsure whether the actual bogie load is within the limit.
Common misconceptions
- Thinking that the number indicates the vehicle's maximum permitted gross weight.
- Confusing the sign with a general prohibition on lorries or other motor vehicles.
- Using the permitted bogie load stated in the vehicle registration certificate instead of assessing the actual bogie load.
Test yourself
Easy
What does the sign mean?
- AIt is forbidden to continue driving when the vehicle's total weight is higher than indicated.
- BIt is forbidden to continue driving when the load on a single axle is higher than indicated.
- CIt is forbidden to continue driving when the actual tandem-axle load is higher than indicated.
- DIt is forbidden to continue driving with a lorry or tractor unit regardless of weight.
Medium
The sign shows 10 tonnes. The vehicle’s actual bogie load is 10.4 tonnes, while the gross weight is legal and the vehicle registration certificate permits a bogie load of 12 tonnes. What should you do?
- AYou should proceed because the vehicle registration certificate permits a bogie load of 12 tonnes.
- BYou should proceed because the vehicle’s actual gross weight is within the permitted limit.
- CYou should choose another route because the actual bogie load is too high.
- DYou should proceed because the prohibition applies only to lorries and tractor units.
Hard
The sign shows 10 tonnes. The vehicle has an actual bogie load of exactly 10 tonnes, a gross weight of 18 tonnes and a permitted bogie load of 12 tonnes in the vehicle registration certificate. All other requirements are met. Can you proceed?
- AYou can proceed because the actual bogie load is not higher than 10 tonnes.
- BYou cannot proceed because the limit also prohibits exactly 10 tonnes.
- CYou cannot proceed because the gross weight of 18 tonnes is higher than 10 tonnes.
- DYou cannot proceed because the permitted bogie load in the vehicle registration certificate is 12 tonnes.
Theory test tip
In the theory test, the typical trap is to interpret the number as the total weight. Look for the symbol showing a bogie: it is the actual load on the axle group that is compared with the number.
Did you know
The sign is used particularly to protect bridges and road sections that cannot withstand a high concentrated load from an axle group, even if the vehicle's total weight may be within other weight limits.
Frequently asked questions
What is meant by the actual bogie load?
It is the actual load transferred to the road by the bogie's axles during the journey in question. The amount and positioning of the load affect this load.
Does the limit apply to the vehicle's total weight?
No. The sign regulates the load on the bogie, not the vehicle's total gross weight.
Can I pass if the bogie load is exactly equal to the number on the sign?
Yes. The prohibition applies when the actual bogie load is higher than the indicated limit, provided that no other weight or traffic restrictions are violated.
Can the sign be relevant to a passenger car with a trailer?
Yes, if the vehicle or trailer has a bogie. Ordinary passenger cars without a bogie are not covered by a bogie-load limit.
Practise for the theory test
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