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Land Transport Act 1998

Offences relating to driving (other than alcohol- and drug-related offences) and penalties - Loading offences

43: Overloading and over-dimension offences

You could also call this:

“Rules about big vehicles being too heavy or too big”

If you drive a big, heavy vehicle or a group of vehicles connected together, you need to be careful about how much weight you put on them. There are rules about how much weight can be on different parts of the vehicle.

You can get in trouble if your vehicle is too heavy on any of its axles, which are the parts that connect the wheels to the vehicle. There are limits for single axles, groups of axles, and for the whole vehicle.

You can also get in trouble if your vehicle or group of vehicles is too big in size. There are rules about how big vehicles can be.

If your vehicle weighs more than it’s supposed to overall, that’s another way you can get in trouble.

If you break any of these rules, it’s called an ‘infringement offence’. This means you’ve done something wrong, and you’ll have to pay a fine. The amount you have to pay is set by the rules.

Remember, you can get in trouble for each part of the vehicle that’s too heavy, not just once for the whole vehicle. So it’s important to make sure every part of your vehicle follows the rules.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM434669.

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42: Failure to secure load, or

"You must secure items in your vehicle to stop them falling out"

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43A: Courts may impose appropriate fines for infringement offences that are not overloading offences, or

"Courts can choose fines for certain traffic offences"

Part 5 Offences relating to driving (other than alcohol- and drug-related offences) and penalties
Loading offences

43Overloading and over-dimension offences

  1. A person operating a heavy motor vehicle or combination of vehicles commits an infringement offence if the vehicle or combination of vehicles breaches any of the following:

  2. the prescribed maximum mass limits for axles:
    1. the prescribed maximum mass limits for axle sets:
      1. the prescribed maximum mass limits for groups of axles:
        1. the prescribed maximum gross mass limits for motor vehicles.

          1. Separate offences are committed in respect of every axle, axle set, group of axles, and the total number of axles of a heavy motor vehicle or combination of vehicles if the mass on that axle or those axles exceeds the relevant prescribed maximum gross mass limit or prescribed maximum mass limit.

          2. A person operating a heavy motor vehicle or combination of vehicles commits an infringement offence if the vehicle or combination of vehicles breaches the prescribed requirements in relation to dimensions.

          3. A person operating a heavy motor vehicle or combination of vehicles commits an infringement offence if the vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeds the gross vehicle mass for that vehicle or vehicles.

          4. If a person commits an infringement offence against this section, the person must pay the penalty prescribed by the regulations.

          Notes
          • Section 43: replaced, on , by section 51 of the Land Transport Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 34).