Confusion on 44 tonnes T found the letter from iStephen
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Joseph, director of environmental pressure group Transport 2000, somewhat confusing (CM 22 Dec 1994-4 Jan 1995).
Initially it remarks on the Government's rejection of the 44-tonne legislation advised by the House of Lords committee on maximum weights.
It then remarks on the public seeing increased truck mileages and that efficiency, measured in how full trucks are, has been falling. Hardly surprising considering the state of the economy
He then suggests taxing heavy trucks on mileage travelled, presumably he is looking at road wear costs, if this is so all vehicles would need to contribute, not just LGVs.
He then states the transport industry is continually pressing for larger and bigger trucks, this again I find strange as the last major change was about 12 years ago when we went from 32 to 38 tonnes. The Brewery Transport Advisory Committee has always attempted to be a forward looking organisation, as we demonstrated in our 1984 seminar with the theme of 38 tonnes and which was responsible for the introduction of air suspension on LGVs and a reduction of road wear, damage to buildings, and so on.
The size of a 44-tonne sixaxled articulated vehicle would vary only in one respect, its width would increase from 2.50m to 2.55m—a number of these vehicles can be seen on our roads now, refrigerated body six-axled vehicles running at 38 tonnes.
At our seminar at Coventry in March 1995, entitled 44 tonnes in
weighting, we will be addressing probably the most crucial factor in UK road transport the riqrnage to the roads.
In 1999 the UK's derogation from complying with the 40-tonne on five axles and a drive axle weight of 11.5-tonne runs out, a 44tonne six-axle combination will only have a 10.5-tonne drive axle, the dramatic reduction on road wear by this latter vehicle will be explained in a paper by Dr CGB Mitchell, lately of the Transport Research Laboratory.
It seems likely we will see a change of Government before long, with a determination to repair the infrastructure and give industry a boost—it is with this in mind that our political speaker will be Shadow Transport Secretary, MP Michael Meacher.
The brewery industry at the moment could not take
full advantage of the 44tonne vehicle unless we had square bottles and kegs, but it would save worry on overloading, and if financial inducements were offered, who knows, road repairs cost an awful lot in time and money.
It would have been suicidal for the Government to be seen to support 44 tonnes with its confused transport policy.
Bill Montague Secretary Brewery Transport Advisory Committee, Hornchurch, Essex.