Road and Bridge Weight Limits

mykringo · Member

Road and Bridge Weight Limits

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

When not towing, the relative limit is GVM.
Not sure about when towing, but I expect it is GVM plus GTM.
Cheers,
Peter

STRETCH ARMSTRONG · Senior Member

I have a Garmin RV GPS that does weight and size limits. Without having a look, l'm sure it uses my combined gross weight as the total for roads and bridges and takes me around those. GCM.

-- Edited by STRETCH ARMSTRONG on Tuesday 1st of June 2021 06:29:48 PM

montie · Guru

As Pete said.
When not towing GVM rating.
When towing GCM rating.

mykringo · Member

Thanks for the replies

-- Edited by mykringo on Tuesday 1st of June 2021 07:11:30 PM

mykringo · Member

Does the Garmin show the actual locations of the restricted bridges/roads or does it just plot a course to avoid any potential issue? I have just ordered the Hema Australian Truckies Atlas and am hoping that this will show up all restricted locations

bgt · Guru

Aren't some limits "per axle"?

STRETCH ARMSTRONG · Senior Member

The Garmin RV is basically a truck GPS but has RV info preloaded.

When l have a destination point it just takes me there via a route suited to my vehicle cofiguration. Towing or not towing. When l dont have a route in the GPS it just warns me about upcoming obstacles.

I haven't had a low bridge warning yet using that configuration, but l have had narrow road and several vehicle length warnings.

-- Edited by STRETCH ARMSTRONG on Tuesday 1st of June 2021 09:02:36 PM

Mike Harding · Guru

The maximum weight of a car/caravan combination or a motorhome is likely to be less than seven tonnes - mine is about six.

There will be very few bridges in Australia with a weight limit of 7T or less, the only ones I have seen are old wooden bridges on forest roads.

With a six tonne rig if I came across a bridge with a weight limit of 7T I would find another route rather than cross it.

mykringo · Member

Mike Harding wrote:
The maximum weight of a car/caravan combination or a motorhome is likely to be less than seven tonnes - mine is about six.
There will be very few bridges in Australia with a weight limit of 7T or less, the only ones I have seen are old wooden bridges on forest roads.
With a six tonne rig if I came across a bridge with a weight limit of 7T I would find another route rather than cross it.

My GCM is 7.8T hence my concerns about weight limits

mykringo · Member

STRETCH ARMSTRONG wrote:
The Garmin RV is basically a truck GPS but has RV info preloaded.
When l have a destination point it just takes me there via a route suited to my vehicle cofiguration. Towing or not towing. When l dont have a route in the GPS it just warns me about upcoming obstacles.
I haven't had a low bridge warning yet using that configuration, but l have had narrow road and several vehicle length warnings.

Thanks for the info, I have just ordered the Hema Australian Truckies Atlas, hopefully it will have the info I am after. We have an off-road van so whilst I am not necessarily worried about standard road bridges it is the typical country road timber bridges that will be more likely to have an issue. I also have seen some local councils have posted locations of weight restricted bridges

-- Edited by STRETCH ARMSTRONG on Tuesday 1st of June 2021 09:02:36 PM

Rob Driver · Guru

For anyone crossing a weight limited bridge the figure of your RATED GVM if not towing and your RATED GCM if towing a trailer are great guides but it must be understood and considered that if you exceed any of those ratings and due to the overweight condition of your vehicle or combination you then exceed the bridge limit then you are actually breaking the law.
In the transport industry if you are caught exceeding a load limited regulation then you may be booked for overloading back to the posted weight limit.

In simple terms for example if you have a bridge limit or road limit of 12 tonne and you have a truck which when loaded with soil is legal at 22 tonne GVM and you choose to cross or travel the restricted area then the authorities may write you back to 12 tonne and then charge you for exceeding your permitted weight by 12 tonne, which will result in a massive fine even though on an unregulated section of road you may be legal.

This happens a lot when you drive a road train with a tare of 20 tonne and you may encounter a load limit road of for example 22 tonne which will permit you to travel when empty on that section but once loaded you have to find another route that will avoid the limited area.

What I am saying is just don't rely on rated GVM and GCM but know your actual weight accurately if you are close the the bridge weight limit.

Regards

Rob

mykringo · Member

Thanks Rob