Abnormal loads

There are rules governing the size of vehicles which can freely travel on the public highway. If anyone wants to move a load that exceeds the criteria, they must tell us.

Any load that falls into this category is called an 'abnormal indivisible load'.

The critical requirement for an abnormal load to be allowed on the road is that it must be indivisible. If it can be broken down into loads that are within the permitted maximum size, then that must happen.

Who needs to be notified?

• For heavy vehicles, you need to notify the Police and the highway authorities (for Kent, this will be Kent County Council, Medway Council and the Highways Agency).
• For wide and long vehicles, you need to notify the Police.

How much notice do you need to give?

• For 40 to 80 tonnes, you must give 2 working days' notice.
• For 80 to 150 tonnes, you must give 5 working days' notice.
• For loads over 150 tonnes, a 'special order movement' is needed. These are generally related to the power industry, and they require permission from the Secretary of State. This is administered through the Department for Transport and the Highways Agency.

We will accept a shortened notice period for emergency moves, such as for cranes recovering an accident. These are requests to move, rather than a notification of a move. These must not go ahead until a positive response has been received.

There is no legal requirement to notify us about high loads, but any load greater than 16ft 3in (4.95m) should not be moved without first checking the route with the highway authority.

How do you notify us?

You need to send the required details by fax, email or letter. You must also include a standard form of indemnity for any damage that might be caused to infrastructure as a result of the move.

For Kent County Council, you need to contact Abnormal Loads Services by emailing kcc@abloads.com, calling 01622 695841 or sending a fax to 01622 695810.

How are notifications dealt with?

Proposed routes are assessed on the basis of:

• the known strength of bridges
• safe clearances under bridges
• any other restrictions.

The process also looks at lorry ban areas, restricted access and traffic management measures around road repairs and street works. As they are notifications of intent to move, no response is made unless there is a problem with the planned route.