Transporting a flagpole in Finland

A flagpole is long and sometimes heavy to transport. A light fibreglass pole can sometimes be carried on a trailer or roof, but long poles are usually delivered as freight. This guide describes what the Road Traffic Act says about carrying a long load and what is useful to know about delivery.

Load overhang

Under section 107 of the Road Traffic Act, within the length permitted for the vehicle or combination on the road, a load may extend at most 1.00 metre in front and at most 2.00 metres behind the outermost part of the vehicle. Sideways, the load may not extend beyond the vehicle’s body or load space under the Act, unless otherwise provided. Transport that departs from these provisions is special transport, to which separate provisions apply.

An 8 metre pole, for example, is clearly longer than an ordinary car and trailer, so not every pole can be carried within the overhang limits. Telescopic poles and poles assembled from two sections are shorter in transport. The types of pole are described in the guide to types of flagpoles.

Marking the load

Under section 110 of the Road Traffic Act, the outermost part of the load is marked with a red or red-and-yellow marker flag at least 300 millimetres high and 300 millimetres wide if the load extends

• beyond the vehicle’s outline at the front, or
• more than 1.00 metre beyond the vehicle’s outline at the rear.

In the dark or at dusk, and at other times when conditions require it, the Act requires a lamp showing white light forwards and a white reflector at the front, and a lamp showing red light to the rear and a red reflector at the rear. When a car tows a trailer, a load overhanging the rear need not be marked under the Act if it extends no more than 1.00 metre beyond the rearmost part of the trailer.

Positioning and securing the load

Under section 108 of the Road Traffic Act, the load is made as low and compact as possible, with its centre of gravity as low as possible and close to the vehicle’s centre line. Under section 109, the load may not shift in a way that could impair the safe use of the vehicle in traffic, and it must stay in place during acceleration, braking and cornering. Under the Act, the load is secured by blocking, lashing, locking or covering.

A long pole flexes and sways in transport, so it is usually supported at several points. The surface of a fibreglass pole can be scratched where lashing straps and the edges of the load space press on it, which is why the pole is often protected with padding or its original packaging.

Roof loads and trailers

Under section 107 of the Road Traffic Act, the mass of goods carried on the roof of a car may be at most 10 per cent of the car’s kerb mass. According to Traficom, towing a trailer involves the masses entered in the vehicles’ registration data and the rights of the driving licence, and with a light trailer of at most 750 kilograms the maximum permitted speed is 100 kilometres per hour.

Freight and delivery

Long aluminium and steel poles are usually delivered as freight or special transport, and delivery can be a significant part of the total cost. The terms of delivery state whether the pole is delivered to the property or to the nearest terminal and who is responsible for unloading. Delivery as part of the price is described in the guide to buying a flagpole.

Storage before installation

Before erection, the pole is usually stored supported on a level surface so that it does not bend. A fibreglass pole keeps best protected from direct sunlight until it is installed. Installation is described in the guide to flagpole installation.