Multi-axle HGV (3+ axles)
Articulated lorries, large rigids and any goods vehicle with three or more axles.
PAYG
£8.40
Pre-pay
£7.20
Saving
£1.20
Dartford Crossing HGV costs
Multi-axle goods vehicles fall into Class D. The PAYG charge is the highest in the schedule. A pre-pay account drops the rate by £1.20 per crossing, which adds up to over £600 a year for a 5x weekly route.
Annual cost at common frequencies
Per HGV, 52 weeks a year. The pre-pay saving is significant on volume.
| Crossings/week | PAYG | Pre-pay | Annual saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1x | £437 | £374 | £62/yr |
| 3x | £1310 | £1123 | £187/yr |
| 5x | £2184 | £1872 | £312/yr |
| 10x | £4368 | £3744 | £624/yr |
| 20x | £8736 | £7488 | £1248/yr |
A 5-vehicle, 5-day-a-week operation crossing twice a day saves around £3,120 a year on the pre-pay rate alone.
Setting up a pre-pay account for HGVs
The standard Dart Charge pre-pay account works for HGVs, and its terms allow multiple vehicles on one account without publishing a maximum. For larger fleets, contact National Highways commercial enquiries directly.
- £15 minimum deposit, scaled up if you cross often.
- Direct Debit auto top-up keeps the balance from running dry.
- Add each vehicle by registration. Buying a new lorry? Update the account before its first crossing.
- Downloadable transaction reports for fleet admin and tax.
Routing for tall HGVs
The two tunnels do not share a height limit. Regulation 2(1) of the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Regulations 1998, as substituted by SI 2014/2949, prohibits an overall height above 4.80 metres in the west tunnel and above 5.03 metres in the east. Between those two figures you are east tunnel only; above 5.03m neither bore will take you, and since the tunnels carry the northbound traffic that means there is no northbound route here at all. Southbound the QE2 Bridge has no height limit in the regulations. Plan an over-height northbound run in advance rather than being turned at the tunnel head.
Width, length, weight and load restrictions
The same regulation caps overall width at 2.75 metres in either tunnel and 3.65 metres on the bridge, overall length at 18.75 metres in the tunnels and 27.4 metres on the bridge, and total weight at 44,000 kilograms on all three. A standard 44-tonne artic is therefore at the weight limit and inside the others. Wide loads, abnormal indivisible loads and anything requiring an escort should coordinate with National Highways in advance. Permit information sits with the National Highways abnormal loads team, not Dart Charge customer services.