Will the speed limits change in April on Double Cab Pick ups when they are taxed like cars?
Will the speed limits change in April on Double Cab Pick ups when they are taxed like cars?
Asked on 3 February 2025 by Malcolm Catterall
Answered by
Craig Cheetham
The speed limit rules for pick-up trucks will not change, because they have always been different to cars and vans. From the law's perspective, a pick-up truck is usually classed as a 'Dual-Purpose Vehicle' and its speed limits are weight-specific. This Department for Transport (DfT) classifies a dual-purpose vehicle as:
"A vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage both of passengers and of goods or burden of any description, being a vehicle of which the unladen weight does not exceed 2040kg (two imperial tons)"
In these circumstances, the speed limits are the same as for cars - 60mph on single carriageways and 70mph on motorways and dual carriageways, assuming the truck is not towing.
However, some modern pick-up trucks weigh more than this and are therefore classed as light commercial vehicles, meaning they are subject to van speed limits. This will also not change when their taxation class is reclassified, as it is based on the truck's weight, not its tax classification.
"A vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage both of passengers and of goods or burden of any description, being a vehicle of which the unladen weight does not exceed 2040kg (two imperial tons)"
In these circumstances, the speed limits are the same as for cars - 60mph on single carriageways and 70mph on motorways and dual carriageways, assuming the truck is not towing.
However, some modern pick-up trucks weigh more than this and are therefore classed as light commercial vehicles, meaning they are subject to van speed limits. This will also not change when their taxation class is reclassified, as it is based on the truck's weight, not its tax classification.
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