EC plans for 44 tonnes
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• Europe's transport ministers could be on the brink of harmonising the weight limit for six-axle artics at 44 tonnes. When they meet later this month they are also expected to agree on a width limit of 2.55m — but there will still be national exceptions, predicts a leading Commission expert.
But John Berry, of the Commission's transport department, warns that plans to increase drive-axle weights to 11.5 tonnes from 1992 could be more road-wearing.
Speaking at the Institute of Road Transport Engineers' national lecture in Edinburgh over the weekend, Berry declared that 11.5 tonnes was a tonne too heavy: ''A strong argument can be made for a 44 or even 46 tonne six-axle combination, provided the drive axle is limited to 10.5 tonnes maximum, and the overall length to at least 15 or 15.5m," he said. "Such a vehicle would be more efficient and less damaging to the infrastructure than current lighter vehicles that use the 11.5-tonne or heavier drive axle." Berry has been trying to draft a proposal for "roadfriendly" suspensions, but told the 1RTE that his hands have been tied by a directive amending 85/3, which stipulated that twin tyres, air suspension or its equivalent must be fitted to trucks with 11.5-tonne drive axles.
In Luxembourg on 30 October, the transport ministers will discuss proposals to set a maximum drawbar length of 18.35m, Berry added. "Any amendment would be aimed at increasing the load length to permit the carriage of two 7.82m swap bodies. That might mean an overall increase to 18.7m or shortening the minimum coupling dimension, thereby encouraging the use of extendable couplings."
The argument for maximising load space with longer vehicles or shorter couplings has been countered by alleged dangers to road safety, but there was no evidence of this, he said. However, bigger drawbars could pose problems for hauliers going to Austria and Switzerland.