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Artic Lengths...Width...Turning Circle...Height...Axle Weights...Artic Maximum Weights...Plated Weights |
An artic over 15.5 metres long must be able to turn on either lock so that, with or without all its wheels on the ground (except for a vehicle made before 1 June 1998), no part of it (except front of a car transporter) projects outside the area contained between two concentric circles of 5.3 metres and 12.5 metres radii.
This does not apply to a semi trailer made before 1 April 1990, as long as its length has not been increased since that date, a car transporter, a low loader, a step frame low loader, or a trailer made for moving indivisible loads of exceptional length.
There is no height limit but if the overall travelling height of combination of motor vehicle and trailer exceeds 3m a height warning must be displayed in the motor vehicle cab where it can be easily read by the driver. The vehicle height must be given in feet and inches (the metric equivalent can be given in addition). The requirement does not apply:
1. If the driver, on the journey, is unlikely to encounter a bridge or overhead structure which does not exceed the vehicle's overall travelling height by at least 1 m;
2. If, on a particular journey, documents are in the vehicle stating the route the driver must take without risk of colliding with any bridge or overhead structure and the vehicle is (apart from any unforseen diversion) on that route;
3. If, on a particular journey, documents are in the vehicle giving information about the height of bridges and other overhead structure under which the vehicle could not pass and it would enable the driver to complete the journey without the risk of the vehicle or its load colliding with a bridge or overhead structure.
4. To a vehicle with an overall travelling height not over 4m and is (a) registered or put into circulation in an EEA state or (b) it is a motor vehicle registered or out into circulation in an EEA State and the trailer is being used in international traffic.
If a trailer made on or after 1 April 1993 is fitted with high level equipment with a maximum height of more than 3m, a warning device must be fitted in the drawing vehicle. Until 1 October 1998 this requirement does not apply to a trailer made before 1 April 1998. High level equipment is equipment which can be raised by a power-operated device and raising or lowering it can alter the overall travelling height of the vehicle. A warning device is not required in circumstances 1 and 4 above or a car transporter.
| 1. Two wheels in line if each wheel has a wide tyre or twin tyres with centres not less than 300mm apart. | 10,170kg |
| 2. Two wheels in line not within 1 | 10,000kg |
| 3. More than two wheels in line | |
| a. a vehicle made before 1 May 1983 if the wheels are on one axle of a group of closely spaced axles | 10,170kg |
| b. a vehicle made on or after 1 May 1983 | 10,170kg |
| c. in any other case | 11,180kg |
| 1. Axle spread less than 1.3m | 16,000kg |
| 2. Axle spread at least 1.3m but less than 1.5m (unless within 3) | 18,000kg |
| 3. A trailer with axles driven by the drawing vehicle, fitted with twin tyres and road friendly suspension or neither axle more than 9,500kg | 19,000kg |
| 4. Axle spread at least 1.5m | 19,320kg |
| 5. Axle spread at least 1.8m | 20,000kg |
| 1. Smallest distance between any two axles less than 1.3m | 21,000kg |
| 2. Smallest distance between any two axles at least 1.3m | 24,000kg |
| All vehicles | 24,000kg |
These weights are the higher of those contained in the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 and the Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) Regulations 1998.
The maximum authorised weight in kilograms for an articulated vehicle in this table is the distance between the king pin and the centre of the rearmost axle of the semi trailer (in metres) multiplied by the factor in the third column and rounded up to the nearest 10kg, but the weight must not exceed the figure in the fourth column.
| No of axles of articulated vehicle | Factor to determine authorised weight of articulated vehicle | Maximum authorised weight fo articulated vehicle in kg | |
| Vehicle (no conditions) | 3 | 5,500 | 26,000 |
| Vehicle complying with condition 1 | 4 | 5,500 | 38,000 |
| Vehicle (no conditions) | 4 | 5,500 | 36,000 |
| Vehicle (no conditions) | 5 or more | 5,500 | 40,000 |
| Vehicle complying with condition 2 | 6 or more | 5,500 | 41,000 |
Condition 1. The articulated vehicle consists of a two axled tractor and a two axled semi trailer; the weight of the tractor unit does not exceed 18,000kg; the semi trailer axle weights do not total more than 20,000kg; and the tractor driving axle is fitted with twin tyres and road friendly suspension.
Condition 2. The axle weight of each driving axle does not exceed 10,500kg; each trailer axle has road friendly suspension; tractor and trailer have at least three axles each; and either (a) each driving axle is fitted with twin tyres and road friendly suspension, or, (b) each driving axle, which is not a steering axle, has twin tyres and the axle weight for each axle does not exceed 8,500kg.
| Minimum axle spacing (m), motor vehicle with three or more axles | Maximum weight (kg) | |
| 6.7 | 39,000 | |
| 7.1 | 40,000 | |
| 7.4 | 41,000 | |
| 7.6 | 42,000 | |
| 7.8 | 43,000 | |
| 8.0 | 44,000 |
The weight limits in these tables are the maximum weights permitted for a vehicle, axle or bogie in relation to its axle spacing, etc. They cannot be exceeded unless the vehicle is used under the Special Types Order. Many motor vehicles and trailers do not qualify for these weights due to their construction and equipment and their weights are limited to those given on the Department of Transport plate or maker's plate fitted to the vehicle.