Consultation launched on the use of longer HGVs to cut down trips

The Department for Transport has launched a consultation on the permanent use of longer goods vehicles, which have shown in a trial to increase productivity and reduce emissions.

Longer semi-trailers (LSTs) can carry three more rows of supermarket goods cages on each journey compared with existing trailers.

A trial of LSTs that has been underway for the past 7 years has shown that they’ve saved lorry drivers travelling millions of miles – cutting emissions and boosting productivity. In the past year alone, the 2,600 vehicles involved in the trial have saved lorry drivers 33.5 million miles and 48,000 tonnes of CO2 – equivalent to taking over 20,000 cars off the road. The results also show the trailers were involved in fewer personal injury collisions compared with standard size HGVs.

Off the back of these positive results, the government has proposed to end the trials early and, through today’s consultation, seek views on whether LSTs should be allowed to permanently operate on roads across the UK.

The Department for Transport is also launching a further consultation today on proposals to start a trial of slightly heavier HGVs on UK roads, which could see the maximum weight of some HGVs increased by 4 tonnes to 48 tonnes.

The change suggested in the consultation would allow lorries to transport heavier containers direct to or from freight trains, helping to shift more cargo from road-only journeys onto rail, and therefore cutting emissions and congestion on our roads, further demonstrating government commitment to make haulage more environmentally friendly.

The proposed trial would operate on around 10 routes cleared as safe for use by 48-tonne vehicles, and would look at whether it encouraged a shift of goods from road to rail.