Groups call for more big trucks in Europe

Several European associations representing the interests of shippers and the logistics, express, freight forwarder and road transport industries are calling for extended use within Europe of longer, potentially heavier road freight vehicle combinations.

   They cite a study, published last week by the European Commission from a private research company based in Belgium, Transport & Mobility Leuven (T&M), that concluded longer, heavier vehicles would be beneficial to European society by making road freight transport more efficient, safer and better for the environment.

   The associations are the European Shippers Council, International Road Transport Union, European Express Association, the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistic and Customs Services (CLECAT), and logistics working group of Eurocommerce, an association of retail, wholesale and international trade interests.

   They note some members of the European Union allow controlled operation of a modular trucking system, called the European Modular System (EMS), within their borders and say it continues to demonstrate significant economic and environmental benefits -- running completely counter to the arguments used by opponents of the modular system.

   EMS should be lifted without further delay, the groups said in a statement. The industry group does not concur with a recommendation of the T&M report that the weight limits should increase gradually in a step-by-step fashion first. What industry seeks is not new or amended regulation, but recognition from member states and the commission that they can legally operate, today, between consenting member states. By doing so, some internal barriers of the EU road transport market will be lifted.

   The wider introduction of EMS would help operators and their customers find ways to optimize their road freight transport requirements in order to reduce the amount they need. This subsequently reduces emissions, fuel consumption and noise of the operations. The conclusions of the study, along with an expansion of pilot schemes across the EU, would further demonstrate the value of the EMS concept to those member states that remain unsure of the effects from removing the barriers to their wider use internationally. The groups said the T&M study poured cold water on previous suggestions that longer or heavier vehicles might significantly attract freight from the railways, The T&M report indeed merely concluded that 'there is no downward spiral projected: rail will still grow and the growth rate will be only somewhat lower than in the case of no longer heavier vehicles.

Source: American Shipper