Road freight

A key component of Wiltshire's Freight Strategy is the establishment of a network of advisory lorry routes. This network currently comprises a series of strategic and supporting local lorry routes.

Please see Freight Route Network Map in the downloads sections.

This advisory network is currently under review under the overarching review of the Freight Strategy within the 4th Local Transport Plan.

The council receives many complaints about Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) as well as numerous requests for weight limits and other measures to restrict HGV movements.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to undertake detailed surveys or studies and develop solutions for every HGV issue raised. Wiltshire Council had previously put in place a procedure to deal with all freight management requests. However, due to the current review of the Freight Strategy, this procedure and all freight management requests by this process are currently suspended until the strategy is adopted.

Requests for road signs should be submitted to your local Town / Parish council (opens new window) or Area boards to gain their support. The most commonly used are the regulatory weight or height signs (opens new window) that warn of restrictions and are enforced by the police through Traffic Regulation Orders.

These types of signs can only be requested and implemented through the Freight Assessment and Priority Mechanism (FAPM). However, the FAPM is currently in a period of suspension whilst the Freight Strategy is reviewed.

Other signs, such as the directional signing (black signs with white lorry symbol) whilst not enforceable, are used as part of the suite of freight management measures that the Traffic Management Team investigates. If you wish to investigate the potential of directional signing, please seek agreement from your Town/Parish Council (opens new window) who will raise the issue with the relevant Community Area Transport Group (CATG).

Weight limits fall into two categories:

• Structural weight limits
  • A structural weight limit is a mandatory limit and is put in place to protect a structure (typically a bridge) when it is weak
• Environmental weight limits
  • An environmental limit (usually 7.5t or 18t) is also a mandatory limit and is used to prevent HGVs from using a route as a through route.
  • They are usually implemented for environmental reasons such as improving air quality and reducing and managing congestion
  • These limits usually have an 'except for access' clause so that HGVs can still make deliveries to local residents and businesses

Requests for weight limits should be submitted to your local Town / Parish council (opens new window) or Area boards to gain their support

Proposals to introduce a weight limit need very careful consideration. In particular, detailed surveys of HGVs travelling through an area are required and consideration must be given to providing alternative routes for these vehicles as introducing a weight limit on one road will ultimately mean that HGV traffic diverts onto other roads elsewhere in the locality.

In the first instance, all complaints regarding HGVs not complying with an existing weight restriction should be directed towards the local police who are responsible for enforcement.

If a Lorry Watch scheme is in place, Trading Standards may (in some circumstances), be able to impose fines on drivers that are breaching weight limits.

Wiltshire Council is increasingly aware of the number of incidences where Satellite Navigation systems (Sat Navs) are cited as directing HGVs along inappropriate routes, both within the county and elsewhere in the UK.

It should be borne in mind that at present empirical evidence does not exist to support such claims of incidents of infringement. However most HGV and van drivers that are using Sat Nav systems have purchased ones designed specifically for the car market. As a result, these systems take no account of the weight, height or environmental restrictions that HGVs have to adhere to.

Wiltshire Council has little influence in what is essentially a commercial matter and until a mechanism is delivered to ensure that HGV specific units are used, this will remain an issue that occasionally creates incidents of misrouted HGVs.

If you believe that the information supplied by your Sat Nav unit is incorrect, you can log your complaint / amendment at:

• Map Creator (opens new window) - Garmin, Nokia, and web-based applications, such as Yahoo! Maps, Bing Maps, and MapQuest
• TomTom account login (opens new window) - Tom Tom and web based Google Maps

There is little that Wiltshire Council can directly do to influence the use of Sat Nav devices.

However, the Department for Transport invested £3 million to create a national digital road map (OS MasterMap Highways Network), developed by Ordnance Survey, which will enable better integration and sharing of data on roads between local authorities and service providers.

Hauliers wishing to move "abnormal loads" must inform the highway and bridge authorities of the routes they intend to use in advance.

For more information, please see the Abnormal loads page.

Sustainable Transport
Wiltshire Council
County Hall
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JD

Email: transportplanning@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)