Vehicles and Load Selection
Domain focus
This domain tests whether you can select a vehicle and load it legally and safely. The exam expects knowledge of gross vehicle weight, tare weight, payload, body volume, axle load, load distribution and load securing. You must distinguish weight capacity from space capacity and recognise that both must be satisfied.
Core rules and concepts
- GVW is the maximum permitted total weight of the loaded vehicle. Tare is the empty vehicle weight. Payload equals GVW minus tare.
- Volume capacity is the usable internal body space. A load can be within weight but impossible because of height, width or door opening.
- Axle loads must not exceed limits even if total weight is legal. Heavy items should be spread and secured low and forward, following the body builder’s guidance.
- Choose body type by cargo: open body for machinery, covered body for general goods, reefer for temperature-controlled cargo, tanker for liquids and flatbed for oversized items.
- Use straps, chains, bars or tarpaulins as appropriate; the driver must check the load before departure.
Worked example
A truck has GVW 7.5 tonnes and tare 3.5 tonnes, so payload is 4.0 tonnes. Six pallets each measure 1.0 m × 1.2 m × 1.5 m and weigh 600 kg. Total volume is 6 × 1.8 = 10.8 m³; total weight is 3.6 tonnes. A body of 6.1 m × 2.4 m × 2.4 m gives about 35.1 m³. The load fits weight and volume, provided the pallets are arranged without blocking the door and axle limits are respected. Seven pallets would weigh 4.2 tonnes and exceed payload, so a second vehicle or a lighter load is needed.
Traps that cost marks
Do not treat GVW as payload. Do not check only total weight and ignore axle load. Do not ignore pallet height or door opening. Do not accept a load that is volume-feasible but weight-illegal, or weight-feasible but unsecurable.
Key points
- Payload = GVW − tare weight.
- Check both weight and volume capacity.
- Axle limits apply even when total weight is legal.
- Body type must match cargo and handling needs.
- Load securing is part of vehicle selection, not an afterthought.