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Rules that bind the vehicle

Emission classes and weight limits are not paperwork around the vehicle — they decide what may be built, what it may carry and where it may go.

16 articles

Vehicle categories M, N and O: what makes a truck, a bus or a trailer in lawCategory N is a goods vehicle, M a passenger vehicle and O a trailer. The M1 to O4 limits in EU and UN texts, and how Turkish, Spanish, US and British law define trucks and buses.8 October 2026 · 13 sources
Truck, bus and road freight glossary: the terms and the texts that define themShort definitions of truck, bus, trailer and road freight terms, each in the words of the EU, UN, national or trade text that defines it, most with a link to a page that covers it further.8 October 2026 · 43 sources
France's blind-spot signs for heavy vehicles (angles morts)Since 1 January 2021 vehicles over 3.5 t in France must carry angles morts signs on the sides and rear: the legal texts, which vehicles, where the signs go, exemptions and the fine.6 October 2026 · 11 sources
Gross combination weight, GVW and axle loads: the EU limitsGross combination weight is tractor, trailer and load together, capped at 40 tonnes for most EU combinations. GVW and axle loads are separate limits.19 October 2026 · 18 sources
How much a semi-truck weighs: 80,000 lb, the axle limits and the bridge formulaThe federal limits for a loaded semi-truck on the Interstate System: 80,000 pounds gross, 20,000 on a single axle, 34,000 on a tandem, and how the bridge formula can lower them.19 October 2026 · 6 sources
GVWR, GCWR and GAWR: what the weight ratings mean and what makes a Class 8 truckGVWR is the maximum loaded weight a manufacturer specifies for a single vehicle. GVWR, GCWR and GAWR in US federal rules, the GVWR classes from Class 3 up, and why 10,001 and 26,001 pounds matter.19 October 2026 · 6 sources
Euro VI (Euro 6) and Euro 7 for trucks: steps and datesEuro 6e on a spec sheet means Euro VI step E. Why trucks use Roman numerals, what steps A to E changed and what Euro 7 tightens: NOx, durability, brakes.19 October 2026 · 12 sources
EU CO2 standards for trucks and buses: 2019/1242, 2024/1610 and 2026/1046What Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 asks of truck, bus and trailer makers: the 2024 amendment's two sets of 2030–2040 percentages, the manufacturer mechanism, and what the 2026 credit amendment changed.29 September 2026 · 8 sources
What is VECTO? How truck CO2 is certified in the EUVECTO, the Commission's heavy-duty CO2 and fuel consumption simulation tool: the regulation behind it, its inputs, three output files, where the result is used, and versions on 29 September 2026.29 September 2026 · 20 sources
SCR and AdBlue: what the law makes the system detectEuro VI never tells a truck how much AdBlue to use. It tells the reagent system what to detect, and what to do to the vehicle once it has — under Annex 11 to UN Regulation No 49, ending at 20 km/h.24 September 2026 · 11 sources
Mandatory driver assistance systems: the four dates in Annex IIRegulation (EU) 2019/2144 phases seven advanced systems onto trucks and buses on three separate timetables. Which apply to M2, M3, N2 and N3, from when, and what a registration date proves.8 October 2026 · 10 sources
How Euro NCAP tests trucksEuro NCAP's truck rating as it publishes it: the areas scored, how stars and the CitySafe award are set, and its 14 September 2026 results, each with its rated variant.29 September 2026 · 24 sources
Rescue sheets and emergency-response guides for electric trucks and busesWhat rescue sheets and emergency response guides for electric trucks and buses are, where Volvo, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, Scania and DAF publish them, and what they contain.29 September 2026 · 21 sources
Roadworthiness tests and roadside checks: intervals, grades and the risk scoreHow often a truck, bus or heavy trailer is tested under Directive 2014/45/EU, what happens when one is pulled in under 2014/47/EU, and how deficiencies reach an operator's risk rating.29 September 2026 · 11 sources
London's Direct Vision Standard and HGV Safety PermitWhat Transport for London's Direct Vision Standard measures, which HGVs over 12 tonnes need a safety permit in Greater London, and what changed on 28 October 2024.28 September 2026 · 10 sources
Clean Air Zones and lorries in Great BritainWhich English Clean Air Zones charge HGVs, buses and coaches, what London's LEZ costs a lorry below Euro VI, and how Scotland's four LEZs fine instead of charging.30 September 2026 · 13 sources