Start with the actual vehicle and load
Confirm the overall height, width and length of the loaded combination, gross weight and relevant axle weights. Identify trailer type, overhangs and equipment that changes the vehicle’s envelope. Use verified vehicle information and a competent measurement process rather than a remembered value.
Recheck after a trailer swap or changes to load, suspension or coupling arrangements. Keep the cab height marker correct. A restriction can apply to the actual laden weight, an axle or a vehicle category; read the sign and its conditions rather than treating every weight limit as the same rule.
Check bridges, restrictions and current road conditions
Review low bridges, signed height, width and weight limits, prohibited turns, HGV access restrictions and any time-dependent controls. Check roadworks, closures, diversions and local access information with the relevant highway or traffic authority. Confirm arrangements for abnormal loads separately where applicable.
Use an HGV-suitable navigation tool with the correct vehicle profile as an aid. It does not override road signs, temporary restrictions or the driver’s judgement. If the route conflicts with a sign or clearance is uncertain, stop safely and obtain a suitable alternative; do not improvise a turn or test whether the vehicle will fit.
Confirm the final approach and site arrangements
Ask for the correct HGV entrance, approach road, gate restrictions, booking reference, contact and collection or delivery window. Confirm turning space, reversing arrangements, loading position and any required equipment. A postcode can lead to an office entrance that is unsuitable for freight vehicles.
Clarify where to wait if early or delayed and whether the vehicle can remain on site. Obtain instructions before entering a narrow access road or joining a queue that blocks other road users. If the location cannot accept the booked combination, agree a workable arrangement before departure.
- Confirm dimensions
- Verify the approach
- Allow for stops
Plan breaks, parking and operational time
Include the approach to collection, loading, unloading, expected waiting, fuel or charging and suitable HGV parking. Check the availability and access conditions of planned stopping places, with an alternative if the first choice is unavailable. Do not plan a break where stopping would be unsafe or prohibited.
Assess driving limits, working time, breaks and rest separately using the rules that apply to the operation. Waiting is not automatically a break or POA. Allow for the next commitment and a realistic response to delays rather than assuming an uninterrupted journey.
Worked example: the shorter approach has a low bridge
A delivery postcode offers two approaches. The shorter one includes a signed bridge restriction that has not been checked against the loaded combination. The site provides a different HGV entrance and an approach avoiding that bridge.
Confirm the alternative against all other restrictions, update the navigation profile and brief the driver with the entrance and contact. Recalculate the timing, planned stop and next commitment. The useful result is a checked approach, not a claim that the longer route is automatically safe or profitable.
Before departure and when the plan changes
Share the confirmed vehicle profile, agreed route, HGV entrances, contacts, booking windows and planned stops. Complete the vehicle check and make unresolved defects visible before deciding whether to depart. If a closure, trailer change or delay affects the plan, review the affected restrictions and timing again.
HOULVEK can help keep agreed job details and messages together. It does not certify bridge clearance, road access or legal compliance. Use the empty-mile guide to assess the economics of a return opportunity and the operating-cost guide for costs; those decisions remain separate from whether the route fits.