Pickup Truck and Panel Van Drivers, Pay Attention to the November 1, 2025 Date!…

A new regulation that closely concerns pickup truck and panel van owners carrying goods across Turkey will come into effect on November 1, 2025. According to a statement by the General Directorate of Highways, some vehicles weighing 3,500 kg or less, previously exempt from weighbridge inspections, will now be subject to mandatory weight checks.

A significant change is coming for pickup truck and panel van owners carrying goods on Turkey’s roads. With a decision by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and the General Directorate of Highways, the weighbridge exemption for vehicles weighing 3,500 kg or less, which was lifted on April 12, 2022, will be reinstated as of November 1, 2025. Weight and dimension checks at Highway Inspection Stations aim to prevent pickup trucks and panel vans from carrying excessive loads and to ensure traffic safety.

So, Which Vehicles Are Covered by the Weighbridge Mandatory?
According to a statement by the General Directorate of Highways dated September 4, 2025, starting November 1, 2025, pickup trucks and panel vans with a maximum loaded weight of 3,500 kg or less will be subject to weight and dimension inspections at Highway Inspection Stations. These vehicles include:

Pickup trucks: Vehicles legally designed for carrying goods with a maximum loaded weight of 3,500 kg or less.
Panel vans: Closed-body light commercial vehicles used for freight transport.
Lorries, trucks, cargo vans, and transport trucks: These vehicles, which were previously required to be weighed, will continue to be subject to inspection under the new regulation.

All these vehicles, including empty vehicles, will be required to enter the weighbridge. Warning signs will be posted at the weighbridge entrances, and drivers who do not comply with the regulations will be subject to penalties for illegal crossing. Furthermore, vehicles found to have excessive tonnage may be subject to administrative fines and even driving bans.

Letter from the General Directorate of Highways, dated September 4, 2025, numbered E,14792053-175.1613592884.
The relevant letter summarizes: To prevent the high number of pickup trucks and long queues at the entrances of Highway Inspection Stations across Turkey, and to avoid problems with the inspection of trucks, tractors, and semi-trailers/trailers, pickup trucks and panel vans with a maximum loaded weight of 3,500 kg or less are exempt from mandatory weight and dimension inspections by the General Directorate of Highways, with its approval dated April 12, 2022 and numbered 120012.

However, verbal and written complaints submitted to the General Directorate of Highways, and observations made by the General Directorate, indicate that this exemption is being abused, and that pickup trucks and panel vans are being loaded above their maximum loaded weight.

Therefore, as of November 1, 2025, pickup trucks and panel vans with a maximum loaded weight of 3,500 kg or less will be subject to inspection by Highway Inspection Station personnel (flag personnel) using a sounding method, and weight and dimension inspections will be carried out. It has been announced that a Traffic Administrative Fine Decision Report will be issued in accordance with Article 65 of Highway Traffic Law No. 2918 for those who fail to comply with the instructions of inspection station personnel (flag bearers), who are found to have exceeded their maximum loaded weight, or who have loaded improperly.

Source: https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/bilgi/galeri-kamyonetler-ve-panelvanlar-kantara-girecek-mi-kantar-zorunlulugu-olan-araclar-2025-42952475/3