Modular combination overweight and route restrictions
A haulier plans a 25.25 m, 60-tonne modular combination from Oslo to Trondheim on the E6. The tractor has three axles: front axle 7.8 t, rear bogie 18.6 t. The trailer has four axles in a quad-axle group: 9.4 t, 9.6 t, 9.3 t and 8.9 t. Total weight is 63.6 t. The company has a valid permit for 60 t on the route, but the customer wants to add two pallets of 1.2 t each at a stop in Hamar. The driver has a 15-minute break due in 40 minutes. The route includes a tunnel with a 4.2 m height limit and a bridge with a 50 t weight restriction. The combination is 4.1 m high. Snow is forecast, and the driver's tachograph shows 3 h 50 min driving since the last break.
1. Can the two pallets be loaded at Hamar? Calculate and explain which limits you must check.
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No. The combination is already at 63.6 t, which is 3.6 t above the 60 t permit limit. Adding 2.4 t would make it 66.0 t. The problem is not only the permit: the axle and axle-group loads must also be checked against the vehicle registration and the road regulations. The front axle at 7.8 t may be acceptable, and the rear bogie at 18.6 t is close to a typical bogie limit, but the four trailer axles total 37.2 t, which is far above the permitted load for that axle group. The 50 t bridge restriction is also decisive: even the permitted 60 t combination cannot cross a bridge signed at 50 t. The tunnel height of 4.2 m is not a problem for a 4.1 m combination, but the route approval must still be checked. The correct decision is to refuse the extra pallets, redistribute or reduce the load, and replan the route to avoid the 50 t bridge.
2. What documents and route checks must be completed before departure, and how do you handle the 50 t bridge restriction?
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Before departure, verify that the permit is valid for this specific 25.25 m combination, for the actual gross weight and for the roads used. Check the driver's Code 95 qualification, the vehicle registration and plating, the tachograph calibration, winter tyre tread depth and the load-securing plan. The route must be checked for height, width, weight and any tunnel or bridge restrictions. A 50 t bridge restriction means the vehicle cannot cross it at 60 t or 63.6 t, regardless of the permit. The driver must not rely on the permit alone or on a sign that only applies to a different class. Contact the dispatcher, find an approved alternative route, or split the load onto another vehicle. If no legal route exists, the transport must be reorganised before departure.
3. The driver is stopped in a roadside check. What will the inspector likely find, and what are the consequences?
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The inspector will weigh the combination and compare the gross weight, axle loads and axle-group loads with the permit and vehicle limits. With 63.6 t against a 60 t permit, there is already an overload before the extra pallets. If the vehicle has crossed the 50 t bridge, that is a separate serious route violation. The inspector may also check the tachograph and discover that the driver is close to the 4 h 30 min driving limit, so break planning may be examined. The likely consequences are a prohibition on continuing until the load is reduced or redistributed, a fine for overload and possibly for permit or route violations, and notification to the transport company. The permit can be reviewed or revoked. The driver should not try to negotiate the weight; the safe and legal action is to stop, correct the load and record the matter honestly.