Eurasian Union Adopts New Truck Weight and Axle Load Standards

A presidential decree has been signed, ratifying the Agreement on permissible masses, axle loads, and dimensions of vehicles moving on the roads of Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states along Eurasian transport corridors.

The agreement itself was signed in Moscow on December 13, 2024. Its primary objective is to harmonize vehicle parameter requirements across the territories of EAEU member nations. Implementation will remove existing restrictions stemming from differing national limits on maximum permissible weights, axle loads, and dimensions. This move is designed to establish equal and transparent operating conditions for international road carriers.

The key goals outlined in the Agreement include the efficient use of the EAEU's transit potential, enhancing the effectiveness of international road transport along Eurasian corridors, ensuring the preservation of road infrastructure, improving road safety, and elevating the quality of transport services.

The ratification decree creates a legal framework for further developing transit shipments and strengthening Kazakhstan's position as a key regional transport and logistics hub.

A central practical change involves an increase in permissible masses per axle or group of axles. For instance, while current regulations allow a load of up to 10 tons on a single axle regardless of tire configuration, the new Agreement introduces differentiated limits:

• For axles with single tires: 10.5 tons.
• For axles with dual tires: 11.5 tons.

Permissible values for groups of closely spaced axles will also be adjusted based on the number of axles and their tire configuration.