1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192 
German campaign for bigger
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
trucks gains moment UM
DaimlerChrysler has won approval for a 60-tonne EcoCombi drawbar rig, adding to calls for an increase in the overall length and weight limits.
DESPITE STRONG opposition, mainly from the rail lobby, the German campaign for longer, heavier trucks is gaining momentum.
The undoubted political clout of DaimlerChrysler has helped secure approval for a 60-tonne EeoCombi drawbar rig in the Stuttgart region. This is in addition to the trial in the Hanover area of three 25.25m vehicles operating at the current German GCW of 40 tonnes.
The Mercedes-Benz Euro-5 Actros 2660 LL 6x4 curtainsider prime mover hauls a two-axle dolly supporting a semi-trailer to give an overall length of 25.25m but is permitted to run at 60 tonnes.
Special attention has been paid to the selection of suitable routes and this has involved the cooperation of a number of federal and regional bodies, which will monitor the operating experience over the next 24 months.
The routeing between M-B plants at Stuttgart,Cannstatt and Sinclelfingen deliberately includes a number of two-lane roads with long no-overtaking stretches as well as a relatively short sections of Autobahn. Diversionary roads have been listed for use in case of motorway closures.
German fuel tanker operators are also preparing to lobby for higher payloads. Germany has almost 15,000 fuel stations, of which more than 350 are located on the Autobahn network.Almost all are supplied by 40-tonne tankers with volumes up to 35m3. Now the industry has asked for a 44-tonne limit to cut the number of trips needed by 10%.
However, there is growing opposition to the idea of heavier and longer trucks.
At the IAA exhibition the German Department ofTransport expressed strong concern at the way in which some of the federal states, notably Lower Saxony and Baden-Wuerttemberg, have jumped the gun by unilaterally clearing the new dimensions for specified operations.
The Kombiverkehr, which promotes road-rail operation, has rushed through a specially commissioned study, which has indicated that combined traffic would decline by up to 55% a year.
This report also warns that the total volume of truck traffic on German roads would not decrease to the extent claimed by the promoters of the EuroCombi.