Heavy goods vehicle routes and weight limits
Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) transport goods to homes and businesses. This page explains recommended routes, weight limits, advisory signs and how we manage concerns about HGV movements.
Recommended routes for heavy goods vehicles
An HGV is a goods vehicle with a maximum gross weight of more than 3 tonnes.
Drivers should use Swindon’s recommended freight routes for most journeys around the town. However, some delivery and collection points are on minor or residential roads.
You can download maps showing the recommended routes:
- Recommended lorry routes in Swindon: overview map (PDF)
- Recommended lorry routes in Swindon: detailed map (PDF)
Environmental weight limits
We may introduce an environmental weight limit to reduce the effect of large goods vehicles using a particular road or area.
These restrictions can apply to HGVs with a maximum gross weight:
- over 7.5 tonnes
- over 18 tonnes
Maximum gross weight means the highest permitted weight of the vehicle when it is fully loaded. The restriction still applies if the vehicle is empty or carrying a part load.
We will only consider an environmental weight limit where:
- the number of HGV movements is higher than on comparable roads
- the route is not part of the strategic road network
Vehicles that are exempt
Environmental weight limits allow access for:
- vehicles making deliveries or collections at premises in the restricted area
- vehicles carrying out work on or near the affected roads
- emergency service and military vehicles
- buses, coaches and other public service vehicles
- heavy vehicles that are not goods vehicles
Wiltshire Police is responsible for enforcing environmental weight limits.
Vehicles of this size and larger would be excluded by a 7.5 tonne weight limit, but not excluded from an 18 tonne weight limit
Introducing a weight limit
We must introduce a Traffic Regulation Order before a weight limit can take effect. This involves a statutory legal process.
Find out more about Traffic Regulation Orders.
Roads that may be unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles
A weight limit may not always be appropriate. We may instead consider advisory signs saying “Unsuitable for HGVs”.
We will only consider these signs for roads that:
- are narrow or have tight bends
- have evidence of damage to nearby property caused by HGVs
These signs are advisory and do not prevent an HGV from using the road.
If you think a road meets these conditions, contact your ward councillor.
We cannot always introduce a weight limit or advisory signs. For example, there may not be a suitable alternative route for HGVs.
Satellite navigation for heavy goods vehicles
Satellite navigation systems can direct vehicles along unsuitable roads. This can cause problems for drivers, residents and other road users.
Haulage associations encourage drivers to use systems designed for HGVs. These systems can consider the vehicle’s size and restrictions on the road network.
Drivers are not legally required to use an HGV-specific system.
Problems may still happen if:
- the system has incomplete or inaccurate information
- its maps have not been updated after changes to the road network
We do not control the information used by satellite navigation providers. This limits what we can do directly about the routes their systems recommend.
Working with the freight industry
We are an active member of the Wiltshire and Swindon Freight Quality Partnership.
The partnership discusses local HGV issues and possible solutions with freight operators and representatives from the transport industry.
Structural weight limits
Structural weight limits protect weak bridges or roads. They apply to all vehicle types, including buses.
These restrictions can cover a wider range of maximum gross vehicle weights than environmental weight limits.