Transport Ministry to Enforce Stricter Overload Restrictions at Ports from July 2025

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 25, 2024 – The Ministry of Transport (MOT) announced tougher enforcement measures targeting heavy vehicles exceeding permissible weight limits, aiming to enhance road safety across Malaysia. The decision was revealed during a closed-door meeting of the National Logistics Task Force (NLTF), chaired by the Transport Minister on November 25, 2024.

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Starting July 1, 2025, MOT, in collaboration with relevant agencies, will leverage port infrastructure to expand enforcement against overloaded heavy vehicles. Federal ports in Peninsular Malaysia will serve as key checkpoints to filter out vehicles carrying excess cargo, a major contributor to road accidents.

For import transactions, cargo bookings exceeding the Vehicle Gross Weight (BGK) limit will be automatically rejected, preventing non-compliant vehicles from entering ports to collect cargo. For exports, vehicles will be weighed at port entrances, and those found to be overloaded will be barred from delivering cargo.

Currently, enforcement requires officers to detain heavy vehicles and escort them to weigh stations, limiting the number of inspections. The new port-based approach is expected to significantly increase the scope of enforcement.

Detailed guidelines on the overload policy will be communicated by respective port authorities to industry players. The minister urged logistics companies to cooperate, acknowledging that improving safety standards may incur costs but will ultimately reduce accidents caused by overloading.

“Investing in road safety benefits all road users,” the minister said, emphasizing the government’s commitment to systemic improvements in road safety.