How does oversized cargo differ from general cargo in terms of transport requirements?

General cargo moves on standard curtainsider or box body trucks within legal vehicle dimension limits — 13.5 metres long, 2.55 metres wide, 4 metres high in most EU member states. Oversized cargo — machinery, construction equipment, wind turbine sections — exceeds one or more of these limits and requires specialist vehicles: low loaders for heavy machinery, extendable trailers for long loads, multi-axle vehicles for extreme weights. Each oversized movement requires a special transport permit issued by the national road authority on the route, advance route planning to identify bridge weight restrictions and low clearances, and in some cases a police escort or pilot vehicle accompanying the load.