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Long and short of it
Page 3
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If at first you don't succeed... it might just be too difficult. And so the Freight Transport Association wants to persuade the Department for Transport [DfT) to allow longer semitrailers and heavier artics up to 18.75m tong. Given that it couldn't persuade the DfT tor to be strictly accurate the 'here yesterday, gone today' former transport secretary Ruth Kelly) to embrace 25.25m LHVs, what's left to say?
DfT experts can recommend all they like — it's a politician that has the final say-so. And newly arrived transport secretary Geoff Hoon won't be in a rush to bite into such unpalatable fare as HGV weights and dimensions.
But before we're accused of negative thinking, longer semi-trailers do have an attraction, although many CM readers will justifiably consider it's more for shippers than operators. Even with a slight deterioration in fuel economy, the more you can Load on to a single vehicte, the lower the emissions per tonne carried, thus there's a environmental benefit, which even the greens acknowledge with LHVs.
Likewise, few members of the 'Great British Public' will notice the difference between a 13.6m semi-trailer or one that's 14.9m, i.e. the size of Kogel's Big-Maxx concept semi, 300 of which are currently being tested by German operators. To see more on Big-Maxx and other stories, visit wvvw.roadtransport.com. But whatever their benefits, supporters of longer semi-trailers need to address three issues. First, many artic operators are running out of space. Second, longer artics would be compatibte in existing fleets and Loading docks. And third, and most important, why at Least some of the extra 2.25m shouldn't be given to drivers in terms of bigger cabs to live in...
Brian Weatherley