Free tool · Quoting and ordering
Delivery and Lifting Check
Total weight, the heaviest and longest piece, and an indicative lorry for a steel order, with the overhang rules and when to ask for a crane offload.
Quick answer
List the pieces or send them from the Steel Quote Builder. The Koyda check adds up the total weight, finds the heaviest and the longest piece, and suggests the smallest typical vehicle whose planning payload covers the weight with the load overhanging no more than 1 m: a 7.5 t, 18 t or 26 t rigid or a 13.6 m artic. It shows the GOV.UK marking rules for overhanging loads and flags when a lorry-mounted crane (HIAB) is needed. Indicative only: the haulier confirms the vehicle and a competent person plans each lift.
Cite this: Koyda Ltd, “Delivery and Lifting Check”, https://www.koyda.com/steel-delivery-check/, reviewed 10 October 2026.
Delivery check
Indicative only. Vehicle payloads are planning figures: the haulier confirms the actual vehicle. Lifts need a lift plan. Read the limits
Add the pieces
Enter at least one piece to see the vehicle.
| Vehicle | Payload | Length |
|---|
Use the tables and calculator offline
Install the Koyda app: section tables, weight calculator, CSV and PDF downloads, even without signal on site.
How it works
Vehicles and rules used
| Vehicle | Planning payload | Body or deck |
|---|---|---|
| 7.5 t rigid | up to 2,400 kg | 6 m |
| 18 t rigid | up to 9,000 kg | 7.5 m |
| 26 t rigid | up to 15,000 kg | 8 m |
| 13.6 m artic | up to 26,000 kg | 13.6 m |
Planning figures from the Synergix Same Day vehicle guides; actual bodies vary. A crane or a carried forklift on the vehicle reduces the payload, by several tonnes on some vehicles, with no fixed deduction.
Load sticking out of the back (GOV.UK)
- Up to 1 m: no extra requirement
- Over 1 m to 2 m: make the end clearly visible
- Over 2 m to 3.05 m: end marker boards
- Over 3.05 m: marker boards, an attendant and 2 clear working days' notice to the police
Vehicle lengths (GOV.UK): rigid 12 m, articulated 16.5 m, drawbar combination 18.75 m. Maximum weights (GOV.UK): 2-axle rigid 18,000 kg, 3-axle rigid 26,000 kg, 6-axle artic 44,000 kg.
Limits
What it does not check
- The actual vehicle's payload, axle weights and body: the haulier confirms these.
- Site access, turning space, overhead cables, ground bearing for stabilisers, and the route.
- Width and height, load restraint and how pieces are stacked.
- The lift: the crane's chart at your radius, slinging, and the lift plan (LOLER).
Indicative only
Indicative only. Payloads and body lengths are planning figures for typical vehicles: the actual vehicle, its body, any crane or forklift fitted, and its plated weights decide what it can carry, so the haulier confirms. Site access, ground conditions, the route, height and width, load restraint and the lift itself are not checked. Every lift needs a lift plan from a competent person.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What size lorry do I need for steel beams?
It depends on the longest piece and the total weight. As planning figures, a 7.5 t rigid carries up to about 2,400 kg on a 6 m body, an 18 t rigid up to about 9,000 kg on 7.5 m, a 26 t rigid up to about 15,000 kg on 8 m, and a 13.6 m artic up to about 26,000 kg. Actual vehicles vary, so confirm with the haulier.
How far can steel overhang the back of a lorry?
GOV.UK sets the rules for a rear projection: up to 1 m needs nothing extra; over 1 m the end must be clearly visible; over 2 m it needs marker boards; over 3.05 m it also needs an attendant and two clear working days' notice to the police.
Do I need a HIAB?
If there is no forklift, telehandler or crane on site to unload, a lorry with its own crane (HIAB) can lift the steel off. The crane and its stabilisers reduce the payload, by several tonnes on some vehicles, and the crane's lift chart at the distance you need decides what it can lift. Give the haulier the heaviest piece and the distance from the lorry to where it must land.
What is the longest lorry allowed in the UK?
GOV.UK gives 12 m for a rigid vehicle, 16.5 m for an articulated vehicle (the semi-trailer usually 13.6 m), and 18.75 m for a drawbar combination. Longer indivisible loads, up to 27.4 m, move under special rules with notice.
Related tools
Next steps
- Steel Quote Builder: weights, cutting list and quote
- Steel weight calculator
- Lintel and padstone helper
- All guides and tools
Enquiries