Cargo, Passengers and Weight/Height Limits
Load limits
Three numbers govern: 最大積載量, 車両総重量 and axle load. Overloading is not merely a fine - it lengthens braking distance, overheats tyres, destabilises the rear axle and can void insurance cover. Loads must be spread low and central; a rear-biased load lightens the steering axle.
Securing and overhang
Loads are roped or strapped to the bed with restraints rated for the load. Anything protruding must be marked and kept within the road limits of 4.0 m height, 2.5 m width and 12 m length under 車両制限令. Expressway entrances weigh axles, so a legal-looking load can still be turned away.
Passengers
Medium vehicles carry 11 to 29 people depending on the 車検証. The certificate figure, not the number of seats, is the legal capacity. Passengers in a cargo bed are prohibited without police permission, and every occupant must use a seat belt.
Worked example
A truck plated at gross 10.9 t with payload 6.0 t is loaded with 6.3 t. The load exceeds the plated payload by 300 kg, and the actual gross weight now passes both the plated figure and the 11 t line. The vehicle is still registered as 中型, but it is illegally overloaded: offload before moving.
Traps
Thinking "under 11 t" means legal; forgetting axle limits; assuming seat count equals capacity; not re-checking the load after a partial delivery.