Embargo Days

Please contact the relevant Provincial Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) for information on embargo days when abnormal vehicles and loads may not be moved on the N3 Toll Route and/or to obtain special permits for the movement of abnormal loads.

SA Permit Offices contact details can be found here.

Embargo Days and fees are listed here.

Impact of Road Works

Major road rehabilitation and/or maintenance work on the N3 Toll Route may result in temporary lane restrictions or road closures causing unforeseen delays to hauliers of abnormal loads between Cedara and Heidelberg.

The N3TC Route Control Centre will assist hauliers to plan for the movement of abnormal loads. Contact the N3TC Helpline 0800 63 4357 to discuss:

• details of the load and vehicle            
• transit plan along the N3 Toll Route            
• current road works and possible restrictions
• actions required to clear the route   

Surveys have found that one in eight trucks weighed along the N3 Toll Route is overloaded. There are many reasons behind the high incidence of overloading, the most prominent being commercial self-interest. 

The N3 Toll Route passes through the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Mpumalanga and Gauteng. Each province is responsible for the enforcement of overloading control within its borders and N3TC is required to monitor the effectiveness of this enforcement.

Currently there are five permanent calibrated weighbridges on the N3 Toll Route and two on the alternative routes operated by the KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate. In addition, N3TC has installed six weigh-in-motion stations along the Route to monitor the degree and severity of overloading.

The N3 Toll Route, as well as the alternative routes that make up the N3 Corridor, are monitored on a regular basis to detect overloaded vehicles that are avoiding the main weighbridges. Such vehicles are then diverted to the nearest calibrated weighbridge for processing and, if necessary, prosecution.

The static weighbridges at seven of the traffic control centres along the N3 Corridor are sophisticated multi-deck bridges used to accurately check the mass of all typical trucks that move any type of freight between Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Large buses are also weighed.

The weighbridges are managed by the provincial traffic departments and fines are issued when trucks are found to be overloaded in terms of the five regulations governing permissible mass loads as described in the National Road Traffic Act.

Accepted Payment Methods for Class 2 - 4 Heavy Vehicles: 

• Tags
• Cash
• Fleet cards issued by South African fleet card issuers                                                
• Zimele Toll Card

Payment Methods NOT Accepted for Class 2 - 4 Heavy Vehicles:      

• Diners Club, American Express and all other international cards are NOT accepted methods of payment for any class of vehicle           
• Mastercard and Visa cards are only accepted for Class 1 (Light) Vehicles
• Garage cards are only accepted for Class 1 (Light) Vehicles