Road cargo securing: Turkish law art. 65 and EU rules An unsecured load does not continue its journey.
Since 27 February 2026 the Turkish Highway Traffic Law has expressly prohibited loading cargo without proper lashing and securing so that it could fall, slide, tip over or upset the vehicle's balance; the fine is higher for vehicles carrying dangerous goods or containers. A non-compliant vehicle may not continue until the conditions are met. Roadside inspections in EU countries apply the same yardstick: cargo securing must withstand a force of 0.8 times the cargo's weight in the driving direction and 0.5 times sideways and backwards. The consignor must tell the carrier accurately what the cargo is and how it is stowed.
The rule in Türkiye
Law No. 7574 amended article 65 of the Turkish Highway Traffic Law No. 2918, with effect from 27 February 2026. For laden and unladen vehicles, the article prohibits (art. 65/1):
- (h) loading cargo without proper lashing and securing so that it could touch the road, fall, spill, scatter, leak, flow, slide, make noise, tip over or upset the vehicle's balance,
- (i) loading cargo so that it could upset the balance on any road and gradient, catch on something on the road or create sharp projections,
- (d) loading in a way that could be dangerous for the road structure and traffic safety.
Breaches of these points carry an administrative fine; if point (h) is breached by a vehicle carrying dangerous goods or containers, the fine is higher. A non-compliant vehicle may not continue its journey until the necessary conditions are met (art. 65/2). The amounts are set in the Law and are not given on this page because they are amended.
Under the Turkish Road Transport Regulation, the consignor must give the carrier full and accurate information on the type, quantity and nature of the goods and how they are stowed; liability for incorrect or incomplete information lies with the consignor (art. 45/2).
Roadside inspection in the EU
EU Directive 2014/47 provides that cargo securing may be checked during technical roadside inspections of commercial vehicles. The aim is that, in all driving situations including emergencies and uphill starts, loads can only minimally shift relative to each other and to the vehicle's walls, and cannot leave the cargo space (art. 13/1). A Turkish-registered truck may be subject to this inspection in an EU country.
| Direction | Multiple of the cargo's weight |
|---|---|
| In the driving direction (forward) | 0.8 |
| Sideways | 0.5 |
| Against the driving direction (backward) | 0.5 |
Annex III also requires that tilting and tipping of the cargo be prevented, and that load distribution respect the maximum and minimum axle loads. Where the headboard, side walls, stanchions or lashing points are used for securing, their strength requirements must be taken into account (Annex III, I/1–3).
Securing methods and standards
Under Annex III, cargo may be secured by one or a combination of these methods: locking, blocking (local or overall), direct lashing and top-over lashing (Annex III, I/4). The applicable standards (Annex III, I/5):
- EN 12195-1: calculation of lashing forces,
- EN 12195-2, -3, -4: web lashings made from man-made fibres, lashing chains and steel wire ropes,
- EN 12640: lashing points; EN 12642: strength of the vehicle body structure,
- ISO 1161 and ISO 1496: ISO containers; EN 283: swap bodies.
The latest version of these standards may be used in inspections (art. 13/2). The EU's 2014 cargo securing guidelines are also based on EN 12195-1; the guidelines are not a binding legal act of the Union, but state that following their principles should be recognised by enforcement authorities as the adequate safety level.
Deficiency categories
| Category | Definition | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | The load is properly secured, but safety advice may be appropriate. | Advice |
| Major | The load is not sufficiently secured; significant shifting or overturning of the load or parts of it is possible. | Rectified before the vehicle is further used on public roads (art. 14/1) |
| Dangerous | Traffic safety is directly endangered by a risk of losing the load or parts of it, a hazard from the load itself or immediate danger to persons. | Use of the vehicle restricted or prohibited until rectified (art. 14/3) |
Where there are several deficiencies, the transport is placed in the highest category; if they reinforce each other, it is moved up one category. Inspection consists of a visual assessment of cargo securing and, where appropriate, measurement of tension forces, calculation of securing efficiency and checking of certificates (Annex III, II/1–2).
Who does what
The EU guidelines say responsibilities rest on international conventions, national legislation and contracts between the parties, and recommend setting functional responsibilities by contract. Where there is no such agreement, the guidelines' chain of responsibility lists these tasks (1.3):
- Transport planning: a correct description of the cargo, with at least the mass of each load unit, the position of its centre of gravity if not in the middle, its outer dimensions, and stacking and orientation limits. Load units packed to withstand normal transport stresses and lashing forces; a vehicle and securing equipment suitable for the cargo.
- Loading: loading only cargo that is safe and suitable for transport; checking whether a securing plan is available when loading starts; a clean, sound vehicle; correct distribution respecting axle loads; no overloading; applying equipment such as anti-slip mats, stuffing and blocking bars.
When it goes wrong
The load is left to hold by its own weight
Heavy cargo slides too under hard braking. Cargo not blocked or lashed against the 0.8 force in the driving direction breaches art. 65/1-h in Türkiye and may be a major or dangerous deficiency in the EU.
The consignor does not give stowage information
If the carrier is not told about cargo whose centre of gravity is off-centre or that cannot be stacked, liability for the incorrect information falls on the consignor (Road Transport Regulation art. 45/2).
Loose lashing on a vehicle carrying dangerous goods or containers
For these vehicles the fine for breaching art. 65/1-h is higher.
The inspection finds a deficiency
In Türkiye the vehicle may not continue until the conditions are met; in the EU a vehicle with a major deficiency may not be used on public roads until it is rectified, and with a dangerous deficiency its use is restricted or prohibited.
Frequently asked
Who is responsible for lashing: the consignor or the carrier?
The Law applies the fine to those who do not comply with these points and stops a non-compliant vehicle from continuing (art. 65/2). The consignor must give the carrier accurate information on the cargo and its stowage (Road Transport Regulation art. 45/2). The EU guidelines split the tasks into planning and loading, and recommend setting who does what by contract.
Are the EU guidelines binding?
No, the guidelines do not regard themselves as a binding legal act of the Union. What is binding are the roadside inspection provisions of Directive 2014/47; the principles and standards in its Annex III may be applied in inspections.
Does a truck carrying a container need additional lashing?
The container is secured to the vehicle by its locking devices; Annex III counts locking as one of the securing methods. The cargo inside the container must still be packed and secured in the container separately; details are on the container packing page.
How much is the fine?
The amounts are set in article 65 of Law No. 2918; the fine for breaching point (h) is higher for vehicles carrying dangerous goods or containers. We do not give amounts because the Law is amended from time to time; check the current text.
Sources
- Turkish Highway Traffic Law No. 2918, art. 65 art. 65/1 (d, h, i), 65/2 (fine, no continuation); current text as amended by Law No. 7574 · mevzuat.gov.tr · accessed 29 Sep 2026
- Law No. 7574 amending the Highway Traffic Law, Official Gazette 27.02.2026 / 33181 art. 18 (amendment of art. 65), art. 35 (in force on publication) · resmigazete.gov.tr · accessed 29 Sep 2026
- Turkish Road Transport Regulation, Official Gazette 08.01.2018 / 30295 art. 45/2 (consignor's cargo and stowage information); current text read · resmigazete.gov.tr · accessed 29 Sep 2026
- EU — Directive 2014/47/EU on the technical roadside inspection of commercial vehicles art. 13 (inspection of cargo securing), art. 14 (follow-up for major and dangerous deficiencies), Annex III (principles, forces, methods, standards, deficiency categories) · eur-lex.europa.eu · accessed 29 Sep 2026
- European Commission — Cargo securing for road transport, European best practice guidelines (2014) Non-binding status (introduction), basis in EN 12195-1 (1.2), functional responsibilities (1.3) · op.europa.eu · accessed 29 Sep 2026
This page is for information only. It is not legal advice. The Law, regulation, directive and guideline texts were read directly and article numbers are given. Fine amounts are set in the Law and are not given because they are amended. Lashing calculations depend on the type of cargo, the vehicle body and the equipment used; for heavy or special cargo, confirm the securing plan with your carrier and a specialist.
Change log
- Page published. Turkish legislation was written from the current texts on mevzuat.gov.tr and the Official Gazette, the EU directive from the Publications Office text, and the guidelines from the version published by the European Commission, all read directly.