Abnormal Loads Overview: What HGV Drivers Should Know

Scope

A driver overview of abnormal / special loads. This is not STGO training and not a substitute for the brief your operator must give for that movement.

What “abnormal” usually means for you

• Dimensions or weight outside normal construction & use limits
• Possible need for notices, escorts, timing windows, and fixed routes
• Different speed and positioning expectations than trunking

Before you accept the job

• Confirm you are authorised and briefed for that move
• Know who the escort / attendee is and how you communicate
• Know the route restrictions (bridges, width limits, forbidden turns)

On the road

Follow the movement plan. Do not take a “shortcut” a sat-nav suggests if the notice and escort plan say otherwise. If something on the route has changed (temporary lights, roadworks), stop safely and call control.

If you are not briefed

Refuse to leave. An oversized load without a plan is a bridge strike and a court case waiting to happen.

Driver habit

Treat every abnormal job as a project, not a normal shift. Questions before coupling beat excuses after a strike.