Carriage of protruding load - rules and penalties

We are on Twitter:

Login Registration

Automotive news

The Ministry of Health has approved a new procedure for the medical examination of drivers. A diagnostic card for compulsory motor liability insurance is no longer needed. The Central Bank has updated the methodology for establishing damage under compulsory motor liability insurance. Rules for the movement of heavy trucks in the automatic weight control zone have been adopted. The Federal Tax Service has approved a form for reporting the death or destruction of a vehicle. In Russia, it is forbidden to disembark children without a ticket from buses. In the traffic rules a new sign 6.22 has been introduced - “photo and video recording” Tests for alcohol dependence have been postponed for another year The Ministry of Health has updated the requirements for the complete set of car first aid kits The Ministry of Transport has approved the procedure and terms of storage of diagnostic maintenance cards

/ Legal articles on automobile law / Traffic and safety issues / Rules for transporting goods on a passenger trailer

Rules for transporting goods on a passenger trailer

A trailer is a vehicle, not equipped with an autonomous engine, used for the transportation of goods in conjunction with a motor vehicle. A passenger trailer also belongs to a full-fledged vehicle, and therefore, its improper installation or operation can lead to a threat to the safety of road users.

What to carry?

The most convenient way to transport any of the devices mentioned is to place it in the back of a pickup truck or minivan. This way you are practically unlimited in speed, while with a trailer on the highway - up to 90 km/h and on a regular road - up to 70 km/h.

Without a trailer, aerodynamics are better and, accordingly, fuel consumption is lower. And the cross-country ability is higher, which is important in the “last mile” before the target. It is more convenient to secure cargo in the back of a pickup truck, since there are usually mounting eyes there. Some trailers, for example, do not have them. But if you can’t do without a trailer, pay attention to the following two points.

Carriage of protruding load - rules and penalties

Driving a vehicle is a rather difficult process. Many students in driving school theory lessons do not understand why they need to learn all these rules and laws. After all, you can just get behind the wheel and drive, the main thing is to watch the traffic lights and pedestrians. If everything were so simple, there wouldn’t be so many accidents on the road.

Many car owners are faced with situations where they need to transport cargo. As a rule, no unnecessary questions arise if everything fits in the trunk or interior. In other situations, you have to come up with various methods for transporting luggage. Let's consider what rules exist for such cases and what punishment you can get for ignoring them. Rules . In order to answer the question of how to properly transport a protruding load, let us turn to the Rules of the Road. Clause 23.4 of the Traffic Regulations states that when transporting cargo that exceeds the dimensions of the vehicle, the driver is required to install the “Large Load” sign. This rule applies if the load protrudes within the following limits:

• from the front or back per meter;

• from the sides by 0.4 meters.

If a motorist transports cargo in the dark or in poor visibility conditions, there must be a white reflector in the front of the vehicle and a red one in the rear. Today, some drivers believe that if the load is attached to the roof and it does not protrude beyond the vehicle, then it can be transported under any conditions. However, this is not quite true. This action is prohibited in the following cases:

• if the load restricts the driver’s visibility;

• reduces control efficiency and negatively affects vehicle stability on the road surface;
• covers external lighting devices and numbers;
• is a source of extraneous sounds, dust or contamination of the roadway.

Now let's consider whether a car can be considered large if the load attached to it protrudes beyond its limits. A large vehicle is a vehicle whose length and width exceed the permissible values. From this we can conclude that if there is a protruding load on the car, this automatically classifies the vehicle as oversized. Let's make some brief conclusions:

• if the dimensions of the cargo do not exceed 2.55 meters in width, 20 meters in length, 4 meters in height, 2 meters in the back, it can be transported according to standard rules, without fulfilling certain requirements;
• If the dimensions are larger than those indicated above, you will have to obtain permission to transport the cargo.

Today there is a fine for failure to comply with cargo transportation requirements . If the driver violates the transportation rules based on dimensions, he receives a fine of 500 rubles. If a motorist is transporting luggage and there is no corresponding sign on the car, the fine is also 500 rubles. If the driver transports large cargo without a special permit, the amount of the fine will be determined according to certain conditions. The traffic police officer will take into account the excess of the norms:

• up to 10 cm - 1000 rubles;
• 10-20 cm - 3000-4000 rubles;
• 20-50 cm - up to 10,000 rubles or deprivation of a medical device for 6 months.

Bottom line . In the life of every car owner, a situation may arise when it is necessary to transport large cargo that does not fit in the cabin. In this case, it is important to study the rules and act according to the established requirements.

Category on driver's license

The vast majority of car owners in our country have a category B driver’s license, which allows them to drive vehicles with a gross weight not exceeding 3.5 tons. The Federal Law “On Road Safety” (Article 25) allows a driver with category B to drive category B vehicles with a trailer in two cases:

• the maximum trailer weight does not exceed 750 kg;
• the maximum mass of the trailer exceeds 750 kg, but does not exceed the unladen mass of the vehicle, provided that the total permissible maximum mass of such combination does not exceed 3500 kg.

Parameters of trailers for passenger cars

When driving with a trailer, the car plays the role of a tractor, and the trailer is attached to it using a rigid connecting element - a towbar, which is equipped with electrical wiring and a plug socket. The trailer is equipped with lighting devices: turn signals, brake lights, side lights.

For any type of vehicle, the maximum permissible weight of a loaded trailer is established. If this value is less than 750 kg, then the driver can drive with category “B” (categories “C” and “D” are also allowed). It is allowed to use a trailer with all vehicles of category “B”; its weight should not exceed the weight of the car.

When choosing a trailer, you need to take into account the intended scope of its use. The following types of operation are most typical for passenger cars:

— It is planned to transport building materials, furniture, and use them for other household needs;

— Transportation of snowmobiles, hydro- and ATVs;

Correctly place

An ATV, snowmobile or other equipment must be placed in the trailer body as close to the front wall as possible, so that the vehicle’s towbar ball bears a load of about 50 kg. This ensures optimal stability of the road train. In terms of width, it is better to place the cargo in the center, symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis of the trailer.

Thule Brink towbar: design description, official website, customer reviews

• there are no restrictions in terms of visibility;
• there are no difficulties in driving the car itself;
• the installed trailer does not cover the main lighting on the rear of the machine;
• the trailer does not pollute the road;
• in poor lighting and at night, the trailer operates its own lighting equipment;
• OSAGO contains a note about the operation of a trailer (read a very useful article on this subject);
• the driver's license contains a mark allowing you to drive a car with a trailer;
• The trailer has been registered with the traffic police and is equipped with its own license plate.

If you comply with all these conditions, you will not have any obstacles to driving with a trailer.

In the attached links you will find a lot of useful and relevant information, including important videos. So I don’t see any point in duplicating everything in a new article.

Fines

I understand that the most pressing issue is the fine that the driver risks receiving if he violates the rules for driving with a trailer.

If you do not follow the rules, violate traffic rules, do not take documents with you or simply do not receive them, or do not register the trailer, then the chances of issuing a fine are simply huge.

There are several legislative acts in this regard. I suggest you familiarize yourself with them:

International shipping

If you need to travel by car outside the country, you must familiarize yourself with the rules of the Customs Union in advance. Here is the exact list of items permitted for export. It is important that all of them must be for personal use and not for profit.

The rules for transporting goods by car depend on the current traffic legislation adopted in a particular country.

Traffic regulations allow the transportation of both oversized and oversized cargo in a passenger car. For your own safety and taking into account the interests of other road users, you must use special signage, adhere to the speed limit, and avoid traveling in difficult weather conditions.

How to avoid penalties

Transportation of oversized cargo in each case requires serious preparation. To avoid administrative liability, transportation delays and loss of money, you must follow all prescribed rules. However, judging by how many violations were committed in 2022, we can conclude that not everyone and not always manages to do this. Sometimes the carrier commits a violation unknowingly, simply without fully understanding the situation.

To avoid unpleasant consequences, you can contact us for free legal assistance, as well as consultation with a logistician with 12 years of experience . Also, if necessary, we will help you organize the transportation of oversized cargo. To get a consultation, call the phone number listed on the website.

MTPL insurance for trailer

Article 4 of the Federal Law “On Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance” says the following:

3. The obligation to insure civil liability does not apply to owners of:

e) trailers for passenger cars belonging to citizens;

That is, for a personal trailer for a passenger car, registration of compulsory motor liability insurance is not required .

However, in all other cases, trailer insurance must be taken out. In 2022, a separate trailer policy will not be issued. Information about the use of a trailer is entered into the car insurance (check the box). However, the cost of insurance if you have a trailer can increase by up to 40 percent, although for some trailers it remains unchanged.

You can calculate the cost of a policy for using a trailer using the following calculator:

OSAGO calculator

An overload has been detected, how to proceed further?

If an overload is detected, the driver cannot continue driving and continue to damage the road surface. The inspectors will require him to eliminate the overload in any of the following ways:

• reload some of the contents into other vehicles;
• redistribute the load inside the car (if the axle load is exceeded);
• present a special permit for the transportation of heavy cargo (if it was requested and received).

If it is physically impossible to correct the situation, the vehicle will be detained and transported to a specialized parking lot, where it will remain until it is unloaded, that is, the reason for the detention is eliminated. If it is not possible to deliver the car to the parking lot, it will be secured using locking devices.

After the driver follows the recommendations, the car is once again subjected to control weighing and, if the indicators return to normal, can move on. But since the offense has already taken place, which is recorded in the protocol and the weighing act, there is no way out of the fine.

What is a trailer?

The concept of “trailer” is discussed in paragraph 1.2 of the traffic rules:

“Trailer” is a vehicle that is not equipped with an engine and is intended to be driven in conjunction with a power-driven vehicle. The term also applies to semi-trailers and trailers.

Please note that from the point of view of traffic regulations, a trailer is a vehicle .

For example, this means that a collision between a trailer and an object constitutes a traffic accident.

A car together with a trailer is called a road train:

“Road train” is a mechanical vehicle coupled to a trailer(s).

This concept can be applied to both trucks and cars with trailers.

Appealing a fine for oversized cargo

You can appeal a decision on a fine for oversize traffic to the traffic police or the Rostransnadzor department, depending on who issued it. But in practice, government agencies rarely reverse their decisions. Courts do this more often. Therefore, in order to reduce the time and amount of paperwork, you can go directly to the district court at the place where the violation occurred. The location is indicated in the resolution. The period for appeal is 10 days from the date of delivery of the decision.

Here are some reasons and examples of appealing a fine for oversized cargo.

1. Auto-lock camera error. Example: The resolution came to the owner of a tractor with a rigid trailer, the dimensions of which actually correspond to the standard. Copies of documents specifying the dimensions of the vehicle must be attached to the complaint.
2. Displacement of the divided load. Example: Due to an uneven road, the transported cargo has shifted beyond the permissible dimensions of the vehicle. The inspector regarded this as transportation of large cargo and issued a protocol. In this case, the inspector’s actions can be challenged by presenting your arguments in court.
3. The car is rented. Example: The flight in violation was performed by another person under the rental agreement, and not the owner of the vehicle. The responsibility must be borne by the lessee of the vehicle. The complaint is accompanied by a vehicle rental agreement or a compulsory motor liability insurance policy with a record of admission to driving this vehicle (Example of a court decision).
4. Violation of the rules of operation of the weight and dimensional control point. Example: Resolution of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 9-AD20-20.

When appealing a decision, you must indicate the grounds for canceling the punishment and refer to legal acts confirming your legal position. There is no state fee for filing a complaint.

Special design services will help you file a complaint. If the fine is large, you can seek the help of an experienced lawyer who specializes in automobile law.

Get help from a lawyer to appeal a fine

Is it possible to transport several trailers at the same time?

When asked whether it is possible to transport several trailers at the same time, representatives of the traffic police give an affirmative answer. Road trains are also called couplings.

An example would be the transportation of a motor home and a special device with a pallet to accommodate a jet ski. Similar structures are often found on the way to the lake or sea. In this way, owners transport cottages, boats, and boats.

The set of documents for moving couplers remains the same. The only thing that needs to be taken into account during the trip is the danger of reaching the maximum speed. As well as the rules for maintaining a maximum distance from other people's vehicles.

Road train lamp when towing a trailer

8. The following identification marks must be installed on vehicles:

“Road train” - in the form of three orange lights located horizontally on the roof of the cab with gaps between them from 150 to 300 mm - on trucks and wheeled tractors (1.4 t class and above) with trailers, as well as on articulated buses and trolleybuses;

Road train lights are installed only on the following types of vehicles:

• on trucks with trailers (regardless of category);
• on wheeled tractors heavier than 1,400 kg with trailers;
• on articulated buses;
• on articulated trolleybuses.

In this case, we are again talking about the type of vehicle:

For example, a pickup truck or a Category B van that is towing a trailer must have these lights installed.

On the other hand, on a bus that pulls a regular cargo trailer, a road train light is not required.

How is the fine paid?

The procedure for paying an administrative fine and/or compensation for damage to the roadway consists of the following sequential procedures.

1. Setting overload:
   automatic fixation means;
2. traffic police officers.
3. Notification to the vehicle owner.
4. Voluntary payment by the owner of damages for the stated claim within a month after its receipt.
5. If payment is not made within the prescribed period, an application is filed against the culprit in the arbitration court.

IMPORTANT! In practice, courts rarely review fines for overloading, so we can recommend that drivers and responsible persons always check the car for overload before the start of the trip.