An ordinary seven-metre rigid lorry used exclusively for goods carries indivisible-length concrete beams. Outside the special-transport regime, what general limit must its total length including the load comply with?

Correct answer

Not exceed 12 metres total length including the load.

It must not exceed 12 metres for this ordinary rigid lorry. Total length is measured between the extremities of the vehicle-and-load envelope; do not add the full beam length to the lorry’s seven metres, since they can overlap. Under Article 15(2)(a), an indivisible-length load on a vehicle longer than five metres may project at most two metres at the front and three at the rear, subject to stowage, protection and marking requirements. Projection and overall dimension limits both apply; exceeding the ordinary regime requires checking special-transport rules and authorisations.