Longer semi-trailers: report by the end of this year 25 October 2010

Acceptance of an additional 2.05m on the length of a semi-trailer – although with no increase in gross weight – looks tantalisingly close for UK roads.

Addressing a meeting of the Cambridge Vehicle Dynamics Consortium (CVDC) last week, Professor Brian Collins, chief scientific advisor to the DfT (Department for Transport), said: "Research is ongoing and I expect a report by the end of this year. This is a possibility."

And he added: "We need to assess the issues in a balanced way, but the point is we need to sweat that road infrastructure."

Collins suggests that one of the deciding factors may well be the amount of new road-building, following the coalition government's Comprehensive Spending Review.

"Philip Hammond [secretary of state for Transport] has made it clear there won't be much [new road investment]," he pointed out. "So, given the amount of freight on our roads for the foreseeable future, how are we going to deal with that?"

The DfT advisor believes that on the agenda will be harnessing intelligence in the vehicles, and their future knowledge of traffic situations, but also increasing truck capacities, to reduce the number of journeys and hence also traffic congestion.

With CVDC research suggesting that congestion causes a factor of two increase in fuel consumption (far in excess of any positive outcomes from technology and driver improvements), longer trailers may well be seen as killing two birds with one stone.

"Emissions targets are frighteningly difficult to achieve," agreed Collins. And while pointing out that road safety and the impact of HGVs on our roads are also important, he added: "I can't say much about [longer vehicles], because it's all work in progress, [but] by the end of the year we will have a better idea."

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Department for Transport

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