Overweight describes a commercial vehicle that registers above the legal weight limits set by transportation authorities for a specific road class or bridge. Vehicles can be overweight on gross vehicle weight or on specific axle groupings. Operating an overweight rig requires special permits and designated routing to prevent infrastructure damage.
Dispatch sent us an overweight permit for the transformer move, so we've to stick strictly to the approved state highway route.
A truck can be under its gross weight limit but still be cited as overweight if the load is poorly distributed and exceeds a single axle limit.
Related terms
Overload
Freight that exceeds the legal or structural weight capacity of a vehicle.
Carrying capacity
The maximum weight or volume of cargo and passengers a vehicle is rated to transport safely.
HGV
Heavy goods vehicle, the standard European and British classification for commercial trucks over 3.5 tonnes.