Submitting Abnormal Load Notifications via ESDAL is not mandatory.
You can submit an abnormal load notification using any method you like.
Any abnormal load notification submitted to a highway or police authority which complies with the requirements of the STGO is a valid notification. There are no powers under the STGO to allow authorities to require the ESDAL website to be the sole means of transmitting abnormal load notifications to highway and police authorities.
Highways England that runs the ESDAL portal has always been quite clear that it has no intention of sponsoring legislation to make the use of ESDAL compulsory. In recent years several authorities have suggested this, and also that hauliers should be charged for notifications, and have discovered in due course that neither of these options are possible or legal.
Indeed, it is sometimes not fully appreciated that the whole notification process to highway authorities is instituted solely for the benefit of those authorities, the protection of their highway assets and their bridge stocks in particular, and not for the benefit of hauliers and plant operators.
Although Merseyside Police currently mandate the use of ESDAL, Cascade, the Heavy Transport Association, the Construction & Plant Hire Association and the 500 haulage companies and notifying agents that have signed our petition against them believe their mandate has no basis in law. We continue to work to get this changed. You can sign our petition here
