Transporting a flagpole in the Netherlands: long loads on the road

A flagpole of 6 metres or more fits in no ordinary car. Suppliers therefore deliver poles by special transport, and anyone collecting or moving a pole themselves is subject to the rules for overhanging loads. This guide describes those rules as summarised by the Dutch motoring organisation ANWB and the transport association evofenedex, and how suppliers deliver poles.

Delivery by the supplier

According to the Dutch supplier Vlaggenmasten.nl, flagpoles are delivered by special transport or the supplier’s own transport service because of their length, not by an ordinary parcel service. The buyer is told the planned delivery time in advance, and ordinary parcel tracking does not always work for this. According to the supplier, additional conditions or surcharges may apply for Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and the Wadden Islands. How this feeds into the price is described in the guide to buying a flagpole.

Divisible and indivisible loads

The rules distinguish between a divisible load, which can be split into smaller pieces, and an indivisible load, which cannot. The ANWB expressly names a pole as an example of an indivisible load. A pole made of several sections that can be carried separately may be treated differently.

Car and commercial vehicle up to 3,500 kg

For an indivisible load on a car or commercial vehicle up to 3,500 kg, the ANWB gives:

• Rear: overhang of no more than 1 metre; marking is not compulsory.
• Front: overhang of no more than 1 metre.
• Sides: no more than 20 cm on each side, with a total width of no more than 2.55 metres.

A load on the roof goes on a suitable load carrier, which according to the ANWB is used only for the goods it is designed for. A 6 metre pole on an ordinary car therefore quickly overhangs more than is allowed.

Trailer

For an indivisible load on a trailer or a commercial vehicle over 3,500 kg, the ANWB gives:

• Rear: no more than half the vehicle’s length, and never more than 5 metres behind the centre of the rear axle.
• Marking: if the load overhangs by more than 1 metre, a marker board is compulsory.

According to the ANWB, a car and trailer together may not be longer than 18 metres. Evofenedex gives the same limits for indivisible loads overhanging the rear of lorries, and notes that a load overhanging the front or rear by more than 1 metre is marked with the prescribed boards and extra lighting.

The marker board

According to the ANWB, the marker board is a square board with alternating white and red reflective diagonal stripes 7 to 10 centimetres wide. When transporting an overhanging load in the dark, according to the ANWB, at least one white light is carried at the front and one red light at the back.

Securing and protecting

A pole is long and light, and can slide or bend under braking or in the wind. On a pole with a painted surface, a scratch can, according to a supplier, reveal the colour of the metal. More about the materials is in the guide to flagpole materials, and about installation after arrival in the guide to flagpole installation.