The Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003

Restrictions relating to weight: Category 2 AILVs and AILV-combinations

30.—(1) The total weight of—

(a) any Category 2 AILV carrying a load; or

(b) such of the vehicles comprised in a Category 2 AILV-combination as are carrying a load;

must not exceed 80,000 kilograms.

(2) Where the weight calculated in accordance with sub-paragraph (3), in relation to any Category 2 AILV or AILV-combination, is less than 80,000 kilograms, the total weight of the vehicle or vehicles described in sub-paragraph (1)(a) or (b) must not exceed that lesser weight.

(3) The weight calculated in accordance with this sub-paragraph is the number (expressed in kilograms) equal to the product of the following equation and then rounded up to the nearest 10 kilograms—

D × 7,500

(4) In sub-paragraph (3), D is the distance (measured in metres) between—

(a) in the case of an AILV, the foremost axle and the rearmost axle of the AILV carrying the load;

(b) in the case of an AILV-combination that is an articulated vehicle, the kingpin and the rearmost axle on the semi-trailer; or

(c) in the case of any other description of AILV-combination, the foremost axle and the rearmost axle of the group comprising all those vehicles in the combination that are carrying a load.

31.—(1) The total weight of—

(a) any Category 2 AILV carrying a load; or

(b) such of the vehicles comprised in a Category 2 AILV-combination as are carrying a load;

must be transmitted to the road through 6 or more axles.

(2) In sub-paragraphs (3) to (5) “load-bearing vehicle” means a vehicle mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(a) or (b).

(3) The distance between any two adjacent axles of a load-bearing vehicle must not be less than 1 metre.

(4) Where the distance between two adjacent axles of a load-bearing vehicle is the distance specified in column 1 of Table 1, the axle weight must not exceed the weight specified in column 2 and the wheel weight must not exceed the weight specified in column 3.

Table 1

Category 2: axles and wheels

Distance between adjacent axles	Axle weight	Wheel weight
(Column 1)	(Column 2)	(Column 3)
Less than 1.35 metres	12,000 kilograms	6,000 kilograms
1.35 metres or more	12,500 kilograms	6,250 kilograms

(5) But where—

(a) a load-bearing vehicle has axles in two or more groups of axles;

(b) the distance between the adjacent axles in each group is less than 2 metres; and

(c) the distance between the adjacent axles in different groups is more than 2 metres;

the sum of the weights transmitted to the road surface by all the wheels in any group must not exceed 50,000 kilograms.