What it is
How heavy and how large a road vehicle may be is decided nationally. Directive 96/53/EC harmonises the maximum dimensions for all traffic in the EU and the maximum weights for international traffic only; each member state sets its own weights for national traffic, and many go above the directive.
That is why the load planner on this site asks which country the leg runs in: a plan that is legal in Spain at 44 t is not legal in international traffic at 40 t.
Where it applies
The EU directive applies to international traffic between member states; national traffic follows each country’s rules (Spain: Orden PJC/780/2025). The USA and China have their own federal and national limits. Other countries are not covered by the tools yet.
ESEUUSCN
What to know
- 01International EU traffic: 40 t for a five-axle articulated vehicle, 44 t in intermodal transport of 40-foot containers (Directive 96/53/EC).
- 02Maximum dimensions in the EU: 16.50 m for an articulated vehicle, 18.75 m for a road train, 2.55 m width (2.60 m for conditioned bodies), 4.00 m height.
- 03Spain: 44 t for articulated vehicles with five or more axles in national transport from 23 October 2025 (Orden PJC/780/2025).
- 04United States: 80,000 lb gross on the Interstate system under federal law, with the bridge formula limiting axle groups.
- 05China: 49 t for six-axle combinations under GB 1589-2016.
- 06Axle loads are limited separately from gross weight; in EU international traffic the drive axle may carry 11.5 t.
Who needs to know it
- Traffic planners and forwarders quoting a full truck or a heavy container.
- Transport managers, who answer for overloads and for the vehicle’s documents.
- Transport-manager candidates: weights and dimensions are examined as technical standards.
An informative summary, not legal advice. Always check the current text of the rule before deciding.