Oversize and overweight movements
What does abnormal load haulage cost?
Once a load crosses the abnormal threshold the price stops being about miles. It becomes about the route: which structures it crosses, who has to be notified and how many working days before, whether an attendant or the police are involved, whether a permit is needed, and whether it can move by day. National Highways states that an abnormal load is a vehicle with a weight of more than 44,000kg, an axle load of more than 10,000kg for a single non-driving axle and 11,500kg for a single driving axle, a width of more than 2.9 metres, or a rigid length of more than 18.65 metres. Tell us the load and specialist hauliers will price the move.
The process
- Tell us the load, the two ends and when it needs to move. Two minutes, no account.
- We pass your details to abnormal load hauliers who cover the route, and to nobody else.
- They quote the move directly, including the notifications and any escorts. Compare, book, or walk away.
Abnormal Load Quotes is an independent free introduction service operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd; we pass your details to abnormal load and heavy haulage operators who quote the movement directly. We are not affiliated with National Highways, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, the police or any other body named on this site. We may receive a fee from providers; you pay nothing and are under no obligation. We are not a haulier, and nothing here is legal or compliance advice: notification duties sit with the operator moving the load.
What sets an abnormal load price, 2026
Last updated
Abnormal load movements are not priced per mile, and there is no rate card anyone could publish that would survive a route survey. The price is assembled from the category the load falls into, the structures on the route, who has to be notified and how far in advance, whether attendants or police are involved, and whether the move can happen in daylight. This table sets out each driver, what it does to the quote, and the specific thing to ask the haulier so quotes are comparable.
This is a cost-driver table rather than a price list. Abnormal load pricing is route-specific and category-specific, so a published average would be misleading. The category, notification and permit rows reflect thresholds and notice periods published by National Highways and in the gov.uk special types enforcement guide, and are summarised here for buyers; verify any figure against those sources and with your haulier before relying on it for a movement. Prices for your own move come from the hauliers, through the form above. Reviewed August 2026.
| Cost driver | Why it moves the price | What to ask the haulier |
|---|---|---|
| Weight, axle loading and category | Weight decides the trailer, the axle count and the STGO category, and the category decides the notice period. gov.uk sets STGO Cat 1 at up to 46,000kg on a minimum of 5 axles or up to 50,000kg on 6, Cat 2 at not exceeding 80,000kg, and Cat 3 at not exceeding 150,000kg | Which category the movement falls into, and the axle configuration being used |
| Width, length and projections | Width and length drive police notification, attendants and marker requirements, and can force a different route entirely. Over 5 metres wide, the gov.uk guide requires a VR1 permit approved by the Secretary of State | Whether the load triggers attendant or permit requirements, and who arranges them |
| Route survey and structures | Every bridge, culvert and retaining structure on the route has an owner who assesses whether the load can cross. A route that avoids a restricted structure can be much longer than the direct one | Whether a route survey is included, and whether the quoted route is the assessed one |
| Notification periods | gov.uk states 2 working days' notice to highway and bridge authorities for Cat 1 and Cat 2, 5 working days for Cat 3, and for special order movements 5 working days to highway and bridge authorities plus 2 working days to police. Short lead time removes options rather than adding cost directly | The notification lead time your move needs, and the earliest realistic movement date |
| Escorts, attendants and police | Attendants are required at stated width and projection thresholds, and self-escorting is not always accepted. Private escort vehicles and any police involvement are additional resources on the day | How many escort vehicles are priced, and whether police involvement is expected on this route |
| Permits and special orders | Movements beyond the STGO limits need a special order issued on behalf of the Secretary of State by National Highways, which must be carried in the vehicle. That is a separate process with its own lead time | Whether a special order is needed, who applies for it, and what it does to the programme |
| Night moves and timing restrictions | Authorities and police can restrict when a movement may take place, pushing it to nights, weekends or outside peak hours. Night working carries premium labour and slower progress | Whether the quote assumes a daytime move, and the cost if the movement window changes |
- National Highways states that an abnormal load is a vehicle with any of the following: a weight of more than 44,000kg, an axle load of more than 10,000kg for a single non-driving axle and 11,500kg for a single driving axle, a width of more than 2.9 metres, or a rigid length of more than 18.65 metres.
- The gov.uk special types enforcement guide states 2 working days' notice to highway and bridge authorities for STGO Cat 1 and Cat 2 movements, 5 working days for Cat 3, and for special order movements 5 working days to highway and bridge authorities plus 2 working days to police.
- ESDAL, the Electronic Service Delivery for Abnormal Loads system run by National Highways, lets hauliers plan routes, get full details of all the organisations and authorities they need to notify before travelling, and submit those notifications online.
Cite this page
“What sets an abnormal load price, 2026”, Abnormal Load Quotes, https://abnormalloadquotes.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). This is a cost-driver table rather than a price list. Abnormal load pricing is route-specific and category-specific, so a published average would be misleading. The category, notification and permit rows reflect thresholds and notice periods published by National Highways and in the gov.uk special types enforcement guide, and are summarised here for buyers; verify any figure against those sources and with your haulier before relying on it for a movement. Prices for your own move come from the hauliers, through the form above. Reviewed August 2026.
The detail
Each one cites where its numbers come from.
What counts as an abnormal load? Weights, widths and lengths
A vehicle over 44,000kg, wider than 2.9m or with a rigid length over 18.65m is an abnormal load. The thresholds, the STGO categories and what each one triggers.
Abnormal load notification: who to tell, when, and what ESDAL does
Hauliers must notify highway, police and bridge authorities of abnormal load movements. The notice periods gov.uk publishes, and how the ESDAL system handles it.
Abnormal load escorts and attendants: when they are required
Attendants and escort vehicles are triggered by width, length and projection thresholds published by gov.uk. What is required when, and what it adds to a movement.
Abnormal load haulage cost: what actually sets the price
Abnormal load haulage is priced by route and category, not by mile. The drivers that set your quote, and the questions that make two hauliers comparable.
Common questions
What counts as an abnormal load?
National Highways states that an abnormal load is a vehicle with any of the following: a weight of more than 44,000kg, an axle load of more than 10,000kg for a single non-driving axle and 11,500kg for a single driving axle, a width of more than 2.9 metres, or a rigid length of more than 18.65 metres. Any single one of those is enough, so a light but wide machine is an abnormal load.
Who has to be notified before an abnormal load moves?
The police, the highway authorities and the owners of bridges and structures on the route. National Highways states that anyone responsible for transporting an abnormal load must follow the regulations for notifying highway, police and bridge authorities, and its free ESDAL system exists so hauliers can identify every organisation they need to notify and submit the notifications online.
How long does abnormal load notification take?
The gov.uk special types enforcement guide states 2 working days' notice to highway and bridge authorities for STGO Cat 1 and Cat 2 movements, 5 working days for Cat 3, and for special order movements 5 working days to highway and bridge authorities plus 2 working days to police. Over-length and over-width movements carry separate police notice requirements. Weekends and bank holidays extend all of these, since the periods are counted in working days.
What is an STGO category?
STGO is the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003, and its categories group abnormal indivisible load vehicles by weight and axles. The gov.uk guide sets Cat 1 at up to 46,000kg on a minimum of 5 axles or up to 50,000kg on 6, Cat 2 at not exceeding 80,000kg with a minimum of 6 axles and a maximum axle weight of 12,500kg, and Cat 3 at not exceeding 150,000kg with a maximum axle weight of 16,500kg. Beyond those limits a special order is needed.
Does an abnormal load always need an escort?
No. Attendant requirements are triggered by dimensions. The gov.uk guide states an attendant is required where load width exceeds 3.5 metres including projections, where a single rigid unit exceeds 18.75 metres or a combination exceeds 25.9 metres, and where a projection exceeds 2 metres to the front or 3.05 metres to the rear. Loads over 5 metres wide additionally need a VR1 permit approved by the Secretary of State.
Is this quote service really free?
Yes, free to you, with no obligation to book anyone. We pass your details only to abnormal load and heavy haulage operators covering your route, who quote you directly; we may receive a fee from those operators, which is how the service is funded.