Axle and vehicle weights. Regulatory aspects

As mentioned above, axle weight requirements in France are defined by the Highway Code, and more specifically by articles R. 312-5 and R. 312-6. They are currently as follows:

• R. 312-5: "The most heavily loaded axle of a vehicle or vehicle component must not support a load exceeding 13 tons". This value is essential since, as we shall see later, the 13 t (130 kN) twin axle is the reference axle for the French dimensioning method;

• R. 312-6: "On vehicles or parts of vehicles with more than two axles, the load on the most heavily loaded axle belonging to a group of axles must not, depending on the distance separating two consecutive axles in this group, exceed the following values:...