On the road, lining wear increases very rapidly with the axle load. According to an American study (AASHO Road Test}}) it varies as the fourth power of the ratio of the loads applied to the axles.

This has led, in France, to create the axle tax that makes vehicles participate in road maintenance in proportion to their participation in its wear. It also encourages truck manufacturers to increase the number of axles to minimize costs, an example of a virtuous cycle caused by cost-effectiveness.

In the railway sector, the limits on axle loading are higher. They generally vary between per axle for trams or Corail type cars, per axle for high speed trains and even for certain more recent passenger trains (Régio2N). Freight trains and locomotives are normally limited to per axle.[13]​.

The impact of these loads on the sustainability of railway infrastructure, and in particular on railway bridges, depends not only on the axle load, but also on the spacing between the different axles and the speed of traffic. On the contrary, lower loads allow higher speeds such as for thermal or electric self-propelled vehicles that do not exceed 17 tons of axle load.[14]​.

For the sizing of track elements, such as concrete sleepers, combinations of axle loads and rolling stock circulation speeds are used:[15]​.

On railways dedicated exclusively to the transport of minerals, it is not uncommon to find track designs capable of supporting loads of more than 35 tons per axle, reaching values ​​close to 40 tons per axle in some cases, such as in some iron mines in Australia.[16]​.

On the road, lining wear increases very rapidly with the axle load. According to an American study (AASHO Road Test}}) it varies as the fourth power of the ratio of the loads applied to the axles.

This has led, in France, to create the axle tax that makes vehicles participate in road maintenance in proportion to their participation in its wear. It also encourages truck manufacturers to increase the number of axles to minimize costs, an example of a virtuous cycle caused by cost-effectiveness.

In the railway sector, the limits on axle loading are higher. They generally vary between per axle for trams or Corail type cars, per axle for high speed trains and even for certain more recent passenger trains (Régio2N). Freight trains and locomotives are normally limited to per axle.[13]​.

The impact of these loads on the sustainability of railway infrastructure, and in particular on railway bridges, depends not only on the axle load, but also on the spacing between the different axles and the speed of traffic. On the contrary, lower loads allow higher speeds such as for thermal or electric self-propelled vehicles that do not exceed 17 tons of axle load.[14]​.

For the sizing of track elements, such as concrete sleepers, combinations of axle loads and rolling stock circulation speeds are used:[15]​.

On railways dedicated exclusively to the transport of minerals, it is not uncommon to find track designs capable of supporting loads of more than 35 tons per axle, reaching values ​​close to 40 tons per axle in some cases, such as in some iron mines in Australia.[16]​.