Vehicle Weights & Dimensions

At what overall travelling height must a vehicle display a height-indicator notice in the cab?

• AOver 2.0 metres (about 6 feet 6 inches)
• BOver 4.5 metres (about 14 feet 9 inches)
• COver 3.0 metres (about 10 feet)✓
• DOnly when over 5.0 metres

Answer: Regulation 10 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 bans driving a vehicle whose overall travelling height exceeds 3 metres unless a notice in the cab, easily read by the driver, shows that height in feet and inches (or in both feet and inches and metres). It helps the driver judge clearances under bridges and other structures.

Before driving under a low bridge, what should an LGV driver be most certain of?

• AThe gross weight of the load being carried on the trailer
• BThe fuel level remaining
• CThe tyre pressures
• DThe travelling height of the vehicle✓

Answer: The driver must know the vehicle's exact travelling height and compare it with the headroom shown on the bridge. Bridge strikes are a serious and avoidable cause of disruption and danger.

What does the term 'maximum authorised mass' (MAM) of a goods vehicle mean?

• AThe maximum weight of the vehicle including its load that may not be exceeded✓
• BThe weight of the empty vehicle only, measured without any fuel, driver or load
• CThe weight of the heaviest single item the vehicle is permitted to carry on a journey
• DThe towing capacity of the vehicle and trailer

Answer: Maximum authorised mass is the heaviest the vehicle is allowed to weigh, including the body, fuel, driver and load. Exceeding it is an offence and seriously affects braking and handling.

From what gross weight must a goods vehicle normally be fitted with spray-suppression equipment?

• AOver 3,500 kg
• BOver 7,500 kg
• COver 26,000 kg
• DOver 12,000 kg✓

Answer: Spray-suppression equipment is required on goods vehicles exceeding 12,000 kg gross weight. It reduces the spray thrown up in wet weather, improving visibility for following and oncoming drivers.

What is the normal maximum overall length of an articulated goods vehicle in Great Britain (not a low loader or longer semi-trailer)?

• A16.5 metres✓
• B18.75 metres
• C15 metres
• D13.5 metres

Answer: DfT guidance on maximum vehicle lengths gives 16.5 metres for a standard articulated HGV. 18.75 metres applies to a lorry drawing a trailer that is not a semi-trailer, and 13.5 and 15 metres are bus limits.

What is the maximum length of a rigid goods vehicle (not a bus) in Great Britain?

• A12 metres✓
• B10 metres
• C13.5 metres
• D15 metres

Answer: A rigid motor vehicle other than a bus may be up to 12 metres long. The 13.5-metre and 15-metre limits apply to buses with two and with more than two axles.

What is the maximum overall length of a rigid lorry drawing a drawbar trailer (a trailer that is not a semi-trailer)?

• A22 metres
• B16.5 metres
• C18.75 metres✓
• D20.5 metres

Answer: DfT guidance sets 18.75 metres for a motor vehicle drawing one trailer that is not a semi-trailer. 16.5 metres is the limit for a standard articulated vehicle.

An articulated lorry uses a longer semi-trailer (LST). What is the maximum length of the combination?

• A25.25 metres
• B18.55 metres✓
• C20.75 metres
• D16.5 metres

Answer: DfT's longer semi-trailer guidance allows an articulated combination with an LST to be up to 18.55 metres long, compared with 16.5 metres for a standard articulated HGV.

What is the maximum permitted gross weight of a six-axle articulated lorry in Great Britain, when it meets the required conditions?

• A38,000 kg
• B50,000 kg
• C40,000 kg
• D44,000 kg✓

Answer: DfT's HGV maximum weights guidance gives 44,000 kg for a six-axle articulated vehicle that meets the conditions (such as road-friendly suspension). Five-axle combinations are limited to lower weights.

What is the normal maximum width of a goods vehicle that is not a refrigerated vehicle?

• A2.75 metres
• B2.40 metres
• C2.60 metres
• D2.55 metres✓

Answer: Construction and Use rules limit most goods vehicles to 2.55 metres wide. A higher limit of 2.60 metres is allowed only for refrigerated vehicles, because of the extra insulation they need.

Where must the travelling-height notice be displayed on a vehicle over 3 metres high?

• AOn the rear doors, where following drivers can read it easily
• BIn the cab, where the driver can read it from the driving seat✓
• CWith the vehicle documents, where it can be shown at a roadside check
• DOn the front bumper, where bridge staff can read it on approach

Answer: The Construction and Use Regulations require the overall travelling height to be shown on a notice in the cab that the driver can easily read from the driving position, so the driver can compare it with bridge signs.

Is there a general legal maximum height for goods vehicles in Great Britain?

• AYes, 3.0 metres, which is why taller vehicles must display a height notice
• BThere is no general limit, so know your height and plan the route✓
• CYes, 4.0 metres, and taller vehicles need a special permit from the police
• DYes, 4.95 metres, which is the height of most motorway bridges and gantries

Answer: There is no general legal height limit for goods vehicles in GB. Because of this, drivers must know their vehicle's travelling height and avoid structures lower than it; the 3-metre figure is the point at which a cab height notice is required.

What does the manufacturer's plate or ministry plate on a goods vehicle show?

• AThe vehicle's unladen weight, to which the load is then added
• BThe maximum speed the vehicle's limiter has been set to by the fitter
• CThe maximum permitted weights for the vehicle and each axle✓
• DThe date of the next annual test and the name of the testing station

Answer: Goods vehicles must carry a manufacturer's or ministry plate showing their maximum permitted weights, including gross, train and individual axle weights. Drivers use these figures to avoid overloading.

What is meant by the 'gross train weight' shown on a lorry's plate?

• AThe maximum permitted total weight of vehicle, trailer and load✓
• BThe maximum weight the drive axle may carry when the vehicle is fully laden
• CThe weight of the empty tractor unit and empty trailer with no load on
• DThe maximum weight of load that may be carried on the trailer on its own

Answer: Gross train weight is the maximum permitted combined weight of a vehicle and any trailer, including the load. Exceeding it is an offence even if each individual axle is within its limit.