Road Haulage Association (RHA) chief executive Roger King says the UK has the potential to introduce longer heavier vehicles. King says although these vehicles are "not for everyone", there is potential "in a limited form". He adds: "Again and again manoeuvrability was cited as a cause for concern, along with weight problems for EU bridge infrastructure but the general consensus was that neither of these was a show stopper.
"The message I heard from many of the delegates was that we should
not be afraid of the technology." His comments come after he attended an International Road Transport Union meeting in Amsterdam a fortnight ago to look at the possibility of the EU adopting a common view on the trucks. He concludes the UK should follow Holland and other EU countries and stage its own trials. "Otherwise, as our economy grows, more trucks will be needed and this will add to congestion," he adds.
The Dutch trials have route limitations, a 50mph speed limit, and no overtaking apart from for agricultural vehicles.
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