Loading a lorry takes three steps: check the vehicle and the documents, distribute the load to keep the centre of gravity low, then secure it. In France, the contract divides these operations by the weight of the consignment: under 3 tonnes, the carrier loads, secures and unloads; from 3 tonnes, the consignor loads and secures, and the consignee unloads. When an outside carrier works at another company’s premises in France, a written safety protocol governs the loading and unloading.
Who loads, who secures and who unloads?
In France, the contrat type (French standard contract) for road haulage for hire applies to domestic transport, unless the parties have agreed otherwise in writing or a specific standard contract exists:
| Operation | Consignment under 3 tonnes | Consignment of 3 tonnes or more |
|---|---|---|
| Loading, chocking, load securing | The carrier | The consignor |
| Unloading | The carrier | The consignee |
| Sheeting and unsheeting | The carrier | The carrier |
Under 3 tonnes, the carrier works alongside the vehicle, or at the threshold of the shop or home; beyond those points, handling falls to the consignor or the consignee. From 3 tonnes, the carrier still checks that the load does not compromise road safety. If it does, the carrier asks for it to be redone or refuses the goods. Whatever the weight, the carrier supplies straps if the party ordering the transport asks. Whoever carries out these operations is liable for any material damage caused during them.
This split applies only to transport within France. In Great Britain, the DVSA guide makes the operator, the driver and the consignor all responsible for load securing.
Rules checked in November 2026.
Before loading: check the vehicle and the documents
Before loading, the driver checks:
- the mandatory safety equipment;
- tyre wear;
- the condition of the body or flatbed;
- the lights and signals;
- the transport documents, for example the consignment note: they show the consignor, the consignee and the type of goods.
During loading: distribute the load
A badly distributed load unbalances the lorry: it can lean or overturn on a bend, and it wears out its tyres and suspension faster.
- Place the heaviest goods first, along the lorry’s centre line.
- Put the lightest goods on top.
- Load last what you unload first. On a multi-drop round, this order saves you moving everything at each destination.
Each partial unload shifts the centre of gravity: at each destination, check that the load is still well distributed, and redistribute it if necessary.
The dimensions and weights you must stay within
| Limit | Great Britain | France | Belgium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 2.55 m | 2.55 m | 2.55 m |
| Width, thick-walled bodies | 2.60 m | 2.60 m | 2.60 m |
| Length, rigid vehicle | 12 m | 12 m | 12 m |
| Length, articulated vehicle | 16.5 m | 16.5 m | 16.5 m |
| Length, road train | 18.75 m | 18.75 m | 18.75 m |
| Height | — | — | 4 m |
These figures are the general rules, with exceptions by vehicle type. The 2.60 m width applies to thick-walled temperature-controlled vehicles: in Great Britain and Belgium, each side wall is at least 45 mm thick, insulation included. In Belgium, an articulated vehicle is limited to 15.50 m if its semi-trailer does not meet the dimensions set by the Belgian regulation. A dash means the regulation cited sets no general height for lorries; road signs can impose one on a route (Great Britain, width and length; France, width and length; Belgium). With a longer semi-trailer, a British articulated vehicle can reach 18.55 m (2023 order).
Directive 96/53/EC sets the same dimensions in the European Union, and a height of 4 m, but a member state can authorise a different height for its national transport. In France, the section of the Code de la route (the French Highway Code) on dimensions sets no height for lorries. In Great Britain, a vehicle over 3 m high displays its height in the cab, with some exceptions.
In France, outside exceptional transport, the load is no wider than 2.55 m. It can overhang by at most 3 m at the rear, and never at the front (Code de la route).
The French Code de la route also sets weights, valid in France only:
- per axle: at most 13 tonnes on the most heavily loaded axle, and 12 tonnes for a combination running at more than 40 tonnes;
- per group of axles spaced 1.35 m to under 1.80 m apart: 10.5 tonnes on the most heavily loaded axle; the driving axle of a group of 2 can carry 11.5 tonnes if the group stays at 19 tonnes or less;
- for the whole combination: 40 tonnes for a combination of more than 4 axles, and 44 tonnes for a journey made entirely in France.
Rules checked in November 2026.
Exceptional transport: an authorisation from the French prefect
In France, transport that breaks these limits because of its dimensions or mass falls under the arrêté (ministerial order) of 4 May 2006. The category it sets for goods vehicles covers indivisible loads. This transport runs with a prior authorisation, issued by the French prefect; some first-category convoys run on a simple prior declaration, on a dedicated network. The first category goes up to 20 m long, 3 m wide and 48,000 kg.
Rules checked in November 2026.
Securing the goods
Load securing holds the load in place on bends, under braking and under acceleration. Directive 2014/47/EU on roadside inspections gives the benchmarks:
| Direction | Force to withstand (EU) |
|---|---|
| Forwards | 0.8 times the weight of the load |
| To the sides | 0.5 times the weight of the load |
| To the rear | 0.5 times the weight of the load |
It names four methods, alone or combined: locking, blocking, direct lashing and top-over lashing. It refers to standard EN 12195-1 for calculating lashing forces. It covers heavy goods vehicles and their trailers, not light commercial vehicles of 3.5 tonnes or less, although a member state may inspect those too. The driver of a van remains subject to the national rules below.
Each country has its own rules:
- In Great Britain, the DVSA guide asks for more in the forward direction, whatever the vehicle: the equivalent of the entire weight of the load, and half to the sides and to the rear.
- In France, the Code de la route requires all appropriate precautions so that the load causes neither damage nor danger. A load that overhangs, or could overhang while moving, is firmly lashed, and tarpaulins stay fastened.
- In Belgium, article 45 of the Belgian Highway Code requires in particular, in normal road conditions, a load that presents no danger, does not drag or fall on the road, and does not compromise the vehicle’s stability. On 1 June 2027, four regulations replace this code. In Flanders, article 45bis adopts the forces in the table for heavy vehicles.
For equipment and techniques, read our guide to securing a lorry load.
Rules checked in November 2026.
Before unloading: prepare and secure
- Put the vehicle in the right position, on stable ground.
- Check there is enough room to unload, especially if the operation needs a forklift.
- Switch off the engine and apply the brake.
- Open the doors with care: a load may have shifted during the journey.
In France: the safety protocol
When an outside carrier loads or unloads at another company’s premises, the French Code du travail (Labour Code) requires a written document, the safety protocol (protocole de sécurité), in place of the prevention plan (INRS).
- The two employers draw it up together, before the operation.
- The host company sets out, among other things, its emergency resources in the event of an accident.
- The carrier sets out, among other things, its vehicle and equipment.
- Each keeps a dated and signed copy.
- For repetitive operations between the same companies, the employers can draw up a single protocol before the first operation.
Rules checked in November 2026.
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