CoR practical guide — Mass, dimensions and restraint checks
Use the actual vehicle, load, route and applicable documents. This guide supports awareness; it does not design a restraint system or grant an access entitlement.
Do not confuse the numbers
| Term or result | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Gross vehicle mass / gross combination mass | A maximum loaded mass rating; not the current scale reading or an automatic payload allowance. |
| Measured loaded mass | What the vehicle or combination actually weighs under the measurement conditions. |
| Gross legal mass and axle limits | Requirements to check together with ratings, configuration, spacing and access conditions. |
| Total-only weighbridge ticket | A total measurement; it does not establish individual axle or axle-group compliance. |
Check the complete task
- Establish reliable load mass, including packaging, and check the required gross and axle measurements.
- Measure loaded dimensions and check the travel configuration, route clearances and conditions of any notice or permit.
- Use an appropriate restraint plan and serviceable, compatible equipment. Ordinary curtains are not a general restraint system.
- Hold release when a result or arrangement is unsafe or uncertain, correct it and recheck.
- After partial unloading, reassess distribution, gaps, blocking and restraint before further road travel.
Communicate useful information
Give the operator and the receiving team the load information and handling instructions they need. Report movement, damage and restraint problems so unloading can be planned safely and the next consignment can be improved.
References: Heavy Vehicle National Law, Master Code of Practice 2026, Mass, Dimension and Loading National Regulation, Load Restraint Guide 2025. Reading reviewed 17 October 2026. Check the law and conditions for the operating jurisdiction and task.
Return to Loading Manager, Loader, Unloader & Packer (2026) Course