Over hanging loads

Today I was taking some tubing to a construction site. The tubing was over hanging the rear of my truck by about two foot.

I was more than happy with the load as I was driving a flat bed - straps all in good order & secure. On leaving my depot I placed a red & white triangle warning sign on it show it was over hanging a bit. Rear lights, number plate all showing etc.

When I got the site some wannabe site/traffic manager starting giving me a lecture that I shouldn’t be doing this as it’s sticking out to far. Am I might in saying that you can have up to 1 meter possibly 1.5m if it’s well signed & made visible?

Love your input if you know better or if I was indeed wrong to transport such a load?

Cheers -Andy

Nighthawk.:
Today I was taking some tubing to a construction site. The tubing was over hanging the rear of my truck by about two foot.

I was more than happy with the load as I was driving a flat bed - straps all in good order & secure. On leaving my depot I placed a red & white triangle warning sign on it show it was over hanging a bit. Rear lights, number plate all showing etc.

When I got the site some wannabe site/traffic manager starting giving me a lecture that I shouldn’t be doing this as it’s sticking out to far. Am I might in saying that you can have up to 1 meter possibly 1.5m if it’s well signed & made visible?

Love your input if you know better or if I was indeed wrong to transport such a load?

Cheers -Andy

As far as I remember, you’re right. Up to 1 metre overhang at the back, which doesn’t even need marking. Anything over a metre needs marking, but I can’t remember the max’ overhang.

It will be in Construction and Use Regulations, look up oversize loads. The regs will also tell you exactly what is required to mark an oversize load.
I used to carry wide steel and sometimes long as well. The marker boards required were enormous, but nobody bothered that much about the size as long as they were easily visible.
I was doing this work up to about '98, the regs have changed since then. Not the size of overhang, but the markings required.
When I was doing it, orange winker pots were not recognised as a legal marking, you had to have marker boards and static marker lights at night (orange or red to rear/white to front).
You could put an orange winker pot on if you liked, it just wasn’t legally recognised as a marker of any sort.

Cheers for the reply Simon.

I seem to think it’s 2 meters max or anything over 1.5m should be marked.
Think that’s pretty much spot on from what I remember being taught.

I guess I should stop being lazy & look it up on the DfT site for the lastest updates.

Thanks again

Its 2m maximum, over 1m it must be marked.

3m at the front.

Up to 2.9m width, not marked.
2.9m to 3.5m, must be marked.

Over 3.5m must be escorted.

I hope I am right with these.

Can someone clarify, I have been told if using an extendable trailer you can go up to 18m with no markings? Over 18m must be rear steer too?

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

This may be of some help Overhanging loads on vehicles - GOV.UK

El Deano:
Its 2m maximum, over 1m it must be marked.

3m at the front.

Up to 2.9m width, not marked.
2.9m to 3.5m, must be marked.

Over 3.5m must be escorted.

I hope I am right with these.

Can someone clarify, I have been told if using an extendable trailer you can go up to 18m with no markings? Over 18m must be rear steer too?

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

No rules on rear steer length, my extender doesnt steer and is regularly opened up to 70ft

By law, EU Directive 345/8721 sub section 8 paragraph 3.1 you must tie a scruffy hi-viz jacket onto an overhanging load.

Thems are the rules I’m afraid.