Operating licences, permits, insurance and regulatory compliance for South African and SADC freight operators.
August 14, 2026
When the dangerous goods rules apply to your load, what they require, and what a traffic officer may lawfully do — from Chapter VIII, SANS 10228, SANS 10231 and the Department of…
August 14, 2026
Truck insurance is not compulsory in South Africa. Third-party motor insurance stopped being a legal requirement in 1997, and the Automobile Association estimates that 60% to 70% of vehicles on South African…
August 14, 2026
A heavy goods vehicle in South Africa must pass a roadworthy test every year, before you renew its licence. A bus must be tested every six months. And any vehicle must be…
August 14, 2026
A cross-border permit lets your truck cross the border. It does not let it work on the other side. A South African-registered truck may carry a load from Johannesburg to Lusaka, and…
August 14, 2026
You do not need an operating licence to carry goods for reward in South Africa. The operating licence is a passenger transport instrument. What a goods operator needs is registration as an…
August 14, 2026
A truck on a South African public road may not exceed 2.6 m wide or 4.3 m high, and its length limit depends on what it is: 12.5 m for a rigid…
August 14, 2026
A load is abnormal when it exceeds the legal limits for length, width, height or mass — and cannot be broken down. Then it may only travel on public roads under an…
August 14, 2026
Code 14 is now called Code EC. It is the licence for an articulated vehicle with a gross combination mass over 16,000 kg — a truck-tractor and semi-trailer, which is what most…
August 14, 2026
From 1 March 2026 the legal minimum for a heavy or extra-heavy motor vehicle driver in South Africa’s road freight industry is R3,383.37 per week — about R14,661 a month. An ultra-heavy…
May 5, 2026
Updated via eval
