Heavy haulage and abnormal loads
Moving plant, machinery or anything too big or heavy for an ordinary lorry? Tell us what it is and where it is going, and we pass your request to firms that move heavy plant and machinery.
- Free to use, no obligation
- One short form, about a minute
- We pass your request to crane hire firms that cover your area
- We are not a crane hire company and do not plan lifts
What is heavy haulage?
Heavy haulage is moving loads that are too heavy, wide or long for a standard lorry: plant, machinery, transformers, steelwork, boats, modular buildings and cranes themselves.
It usually means specialist trailers such as low loaders, and often a crane or a lorry loader at one or both ends. Many heavy haulage jobs are also abnormal loads, which brings legal rules about notice and, for the largest, permission.
What counts as an abnormal load?
National Highways says an abnormal load is a vehicle that has any of the following:
- a weight of more than 44,000kg
- an axle load of more than 10,000kg for a single non-driving axle and 11,500kg for a single driving axle
- a width of more than 2.9 metres
- a rigid length of more than 18.65 metres
It adds that other measurements may apply when transporting a load abroad, and that whoever is responsible for transporting an abnormal load needs to follow regulations for notifying highway, police and bridge authorities.
STGO: the Special Types General Order
Vehicles carrying abnormal indivisible loads (loads that cannot be broken down for transport) can run outside the normal construction and weight rules under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003, known as STGO. The government's special types enforcement guide (last updated September 2018) sets out three categories for abnormal indivisible loads:
| Category | Gross weight | Notice to highway and bridge authorities |
|---|---|---|
| Cat 1 | Up to 46,000kg with a minimum of 5 axles, or up to 50,000kg with a minimum of 6 axles | 2 working days |
| Cat 2 | Not exceeding 80,000kg, minimum of 6 axles, maximum axle weight 12,500kg | 2 working days |
| Cat 3 | Not exceeding 150,000kg, minimum of 6 axles, maximum axle weight 16,500kg | 5 working days |
The guide says that for each category the dimensions may need to be given to the police, and it sets separate speed limits, plating and marking for each. Above the STGO limits, which it gives as 150,000kg or 16,500kg per axle, 6.1 metres wide or 30 metres in rigid length when loaded, a movement needs a special order issued on behalf of the Secretary of State by National Highways, with 5 working days' notice to highway and bridge authorities and 2 working days' notice to police. Width has its own notice and attendant rules, and loads over 5 metres wide need a VR1 permit.
The guide also covers mobile cranes and engineering plant travelling under STGO, which is how many large cranes and machines reach site.
This is a summary of official guidance, not legal advice, and it is not complete. The haulier moving the load is responsible for checking the current rules for the actual vehicle, load and route, and for making the notifications. Check the sources below before relying on any figure.
ESDAL: how notifications are made
National Highways runs ESDAL (Electronic Service Delivery for Abnormal Loads). Hauliers use it to plan a route and check it suits the load, get details of the organisations and authorities they need to notify, and notify the police, highway and bridge authorities of abnormal indivisible load movements. Each user in a business registers online.
Where Hire Crane fits
We are not a haulier and we do not move loads, plan routes or make notifications. If you need something heavy moved, tell us what it is, its weight and size if you know them, where it is now and where it is going. We pass your request to firms that move heavy plant and machinery, and they contact you directly. If it needs lifting at either end, say so: a crane or a lorry loader may be part of the job, and for moves within a building or site see machinery moving.
What to have ready
- What the load is, and whether it can be broken down for transport.
- Its weight and its length, width and height, including anything that sticks out.
- Collection and delivery addresses, and access at each: gateways, height limits, ground and space to unload.
- Whether it needs lifting on or off the trailer, and what with.
- Dates, and how fixed they are. Notice periods and permits take time.
Sources, checked 12 October 2026: National Highways, Abnormal loads and the ESDAL system; GOV.UK, Special types enforcement guide; The Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003.
Other types of crane
- Mobile crane hire
- Mini crane hire
- Spider crane hire
- HIAB hire
- Tower crane hire
- Crawler crane hire
- Contract lift or crane hire
- Heavy haulage and abnormal loads
- Machinery moving
- Lift plans and the appointed person
- Crane sizes
Crane hire by town
Questions people ask
What is classed as an abnormal load?
National Highways says an abnormal load is a vehicle with any of: a weight of more than 44,000kg; an axle load of more than 10,000kg for a single non-driving axle or 11,500kg for a single driving axle; a width of more than 2.9 metres; or a rigid length of more than 18.65 metres. See National Highways for the current definition.
Who has to be told about an abnormal load?
National Highways says whoever is responsible for transporting an abnormal load must follow regulations for notifying highway, police and bridge authorities. Hauliers usually do this through ESDAL, the National Highways online system.
What is STGO?
The Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003. It lets vehicles carrying abnormal indivisible loads, and some mobile cranes and engineering plant, run outside the normal construction and weight rules if they meet its conditions, including notice to the authorities.
Does Hire Crane move loads?
No. We are an introduction service. We pass your request to firms that move heavy plant and machinery, and they contact you directly. We do not plan routes or make notifications.
Need a crane?
Tell us the job once. We pass it to crane hire firms that cover your area and they contact you directly.
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