Load securement in Great Britain: what the GOV.UK guidance says about responsibility and types of load
What the GOV.UK guide on securing loads says about who is responsible for a load on a truck or trailer in England, Scotland and Wales, how roadside checks work, and what it says about plant, timber and tree trimming work.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It restates a guide published on GOV.UK, which is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and it does not teach anyone how to strap, chain or load. The guide says it applies to England, Scotland and Wales, and that it replaced two older documents: the code of practice on the safety of loads on vehicles and the load securing guidance for vehicle operators. Northern Ireland is outside what it covers.
How the guide is laid out
The guide has an introduction and six numbered sections. Section 1 is on responsibility for load security. Section 2 covers the basics of choosing a securing system. Section 3 covers what to do when a load becomes unstable on the road. Section 4 covers equipment and methods. Section 5 covers how to load different vehicles, from heavy goods vehicles to small vans and cars. Section 6 covers types of load. See the GOV.UK publication page for the guide.
Who is responsible
Section 1 says all loads carried on vehicles must be secure whatever the vehicle, the size or type of the load or the length of the trip. It says everyone involved in loading a vehicle or managing a transport operation shares responsibility for the load being safely loaded, secure in transport and safely unloaded. It names three parties: operators, drivers, and consignors, meaning the people or companies that put the load on the vehicle.
| Party | What section 1 says |
|---|---|
| Operator | Manages the risk in the business. Vehicles must be suitable, roadworthy and driven by qualified, trained and competent people. Drivers who secure loads are to be given training, equipment and instructions. The Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain can act against an operator licence where systems for safe loads are missing |
| Driver | A driver who loads must use equipment in usable condition, strong enough to hold the load and right for the type of load. The guide lists an unlimited fine, a driving ban and penalty points as possible results of using a vehicle in a dangerous condition |
| Consignor | Duties do not end when the vehicle leaves the site. The load must be fit for transport, stable before loading, and loaded safely. Where the driver is not involved in loading, the consignor tells the driver how it was loaded and secured |
The same section says employers and the self-employed must assess risks to their own staff and to anyone else their work could hurt, and that an employer who has more than 5 people must record significant findings in writing. It lists a load plan as something that can record the weight of the load, where it sits, how it is secured and any unloading precautions. See section 1 on responsibility for load security.
The laws the guide names
Section 1 says load securing is covered by both road traffic and workplace safety law. It lists, among others, section 40A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 on using a vehicle in a dangerous condition, regulation 100 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
Roadside checks
The guide says police officers may stop any vehicle on a public road, and that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) may also stop commercial vehicles. It lists what examiners look at, including whether any part of the load could slide, topple or bounce, whether the load could make the vehicle unstable, whether securing equipment is in poor condition or wrong for the load, and whether anything could fall off in transit or while unloading. It says an insecure load can lead to an immediate prohibition, meaning the trip cannot continue until the vehicle is made safe, and that a vehicle may be immobilised if the defect is not fixed within a reasonable time, usually one hour. It says driving with an insecure load can in some cases be treated as careless or dangerous driving, which applies to drivers, consignors, operators and company directors or partners.
Section 6 on types of load
Section 6 lists load types alphabetically. Three entries matter to a tree crew's truck and trailer.
| Entry | What section 6 says |
|---|---|
| Heavy plant | Defined as a vehicle not necessarily built for road use that cannot safely or legally be carried on a light goods vehicle (3,500 kg gross weight or less) or a light trailer (maximum permitted weight 3,500 kg). The guide says it is secured with a combination of barriers to the front, barriers to the rear and lashings, usually at least 4 direct lashings |
| Light plant | Mini excavators are the example given. |
| Timber | Timber loads must be secured to the vehicle. The guide points to the Timber Transport Forum's good practice guides |
Under special load types, the guide has an entry on hedge or tree trimming and roadside grass cutting. It says the load does not need to be secured while the maintenance activity is carried out, and that the load is to be secured for the drive to the next location and the drive back to the depot. See section 6 on how to carry different types of load.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Securing loads on HGVs and goods vehicles, publication page, read October 9, 2026
- GOV.UK, Securing loads on HGVs and goods vehicles, section 1 responsibility for load security, read October 9, 2026
- GOV.UK, Securing loads on HGVs and goods vehicles, section 6 how to carry different types of load, read October 9, 2026