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One in eight trucks could be taken off Europe’s roads if Kögel’s Big-MAXX semi-trailer is accepted by the member states.

Germany is two years into a six-year trial, which sees 300 of these longer trailers in operation with 50 hauliers. Last week the Czech Republic announced that it would allow an unlimited number of permits for its domestic hauliers to operate them, and Kögel is optimistic that other countries are about to follow suit.

“There is absolutely no reason why this concept  can’t be rolled out across Europe, including the UK,” says Kögel’s marketing manager Andreas Lubitz.

The Big-MAXX is not rocket science – it is simply a regular semi-trailer, but 130cm longer than the norm. The rear overhang is 100cm greater than usual, while the wheelbase has been extended by 30cm. This increases the overall length of the truck from 16.5m to 17.8m. In terms of capacity, this results in an extra 8 to 10%, increasing the number of Euro-pallets carried from 33 to 36. The overall maximum weight of the vehicle remains at 40 tonnes.

Although BigMAXX is very much the brainchild of Kögel, there is no patent and any other trailer maker is free to build it.