Guide · When something goes wrong
Truck overweight fines in Spain: what to do.
In Spain, exceeding a truck’s maximum total weight or axle load is penalised under the LOTT (Spanish Land Transport Act): as a minor, serious or very serious infringement, depending on the percentage. For serious and very serious excesses detected on the road, the vehicle is immobilised until the excess is removed (art. 143.4.a).
In short
- Excess weight is a minor, serious or very serious infringement depending on its percentage over the maximum total weight or axle load.
- For serious and very serious excesses detected on the road, the vehicle is immobilised until the excess is removed (LOTT, art. 143.4.a).
- If the total weight is exceeded, the haulier, shipper, consignor and intermediary may be liable; if an axle is exceeded, the party who stowed the load.
What to do now
- Read the penalty report: which weight was exceeded (the total or an axle), by what percentage and which article applies (140.23, 141.2 or 142.2 of the LOTT).
- If the vehicle is immobilised: the excess must be removed, by unloading or transshipping part of the load, before you can continue (LOTT, art. 143.4.a). The costs of those operations are borne by the haulier.
- Gather the documents: the consignment note, the weights declared by the shipper, the weighbridge tickets and the loading and stowage instructions. They help show who the excess is attributable to.
- Tell the other parties: shipper, consignor or intermediary, because liability may be shared.
- Discuss your case with an adviser before the deadlines for submitting objections run out.
Why it happens
The weight limits are set by Annex IX of the Spanish General Vehicle Regulations (RGV): the maximum authorised weight of each vehicle or combination and the maximum axle load. An excess happens when the real weight is higher than the declared one, when the load is badly distributed and overloads an axle even though the total is within the limit, or when a maximum authorised weight is taken for granted that the vehicle’s technical mass does not allow.
The LOTT classifies the excess on a vehicle with a maximum authorised weight above 12 t as follows (percentages over that weight):
| Infringement | Excess | Fine (art. 143.1) |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (art. 142.2) | More than 2.5% and less than 10% of the total weight; more than 15% and less than 25% on an axle | €301–400 |
| Serious (art. 141.2) | From 10% to less than 20% of the total weight; from 25% to less than 40% on an axle | €801–1,000 |
| Very serious (art. 140.23) | 20% or more of the total weight; 40% or more on an axle | €2,001–4,000 |
For vehicles up to 12 t, the thresholds are higher: minor, more than 5% of the total weight or 20% on an axle; serious, from 15% or 30%; very serious, from 25% or 50%.
Amounts from article 143.1 of the LOTT according to its consolidated text in the BOE (Spain’s Official State Gazette), consulted on 28 October 2026. General information; discuss your case with an adviser.
How to avoid it next time
- Weigh the load, or check the weights you are given, before loading; do not rely only on the invoice weight.
- Spread the load along the deck so that no axle is overloaded, and check the distribution after each partial unload.
- Check the technical mass of the tractor unit and the semi-trailer, not just the legal maximum authorised weight.
- And validate the load before loading the truck: check that the total weight and each axle load are within limits with your real load. You can validate the total weight and the axle loads before setting off.
The limits of each vehicle and a load distribution example are in the truck axle weights and limits in Spain guide.
Sources
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