Question: Why are we waiting for a decision as to whether we can trial Longer, Heavier Vehicles (LHVs) in the UK? Answer: Because as ever we're waiting for the jolly old Department for Transport to make a decision. Ooohh steady, let's not rush in to things Minister!
Having been quite rightly been forced to take LHVs seriously (not least through the hard work of Dick Denby et al) the DfT promptly leapt into action last year and....commissioned a joint study from Professor Alan McKinnon at Heriot-Watt University and the people at TRL. The consultants were due to report in March and here we are still waiting.
Meanwhile, the Danes (who've also been looking at LHVs along with the Dutch and the Germans) have proposed a change to their regulations that would allow them from early next year - but based on the typically Scandinavian rigid+convertor dolly+plus 13.6m semi trailer (pictured above) OR an artic pulling a drawbar trailer with non-steering axles (pictured below).
However, B-doubles like the Denby Eco-Link pictured at the start of the story (i.e. a tractor pulling a short 'A' trailer with a fifth-wheel over the bogie with a regular 13.6-metre long trailer hitched on to it) will need a command steer system to satisfy the Danes. Which is good news for Denby as that's exactly what his Eco-Link has got---in fact the 25.25m long rig can turn within the same 'corridor' as a regular 16.5m artic. And here's a picture of a similarly 'steerable' B-Double, this time from Fliegl, which shows it turning.
So when WILL we hear from the DfT? Well the survey results, which would confirm (or otherwise) the case for testing LHVs in the UK, were due to be published in March. But that date came and went. Then they were going to be out by the end of the summer. Now it looks like we'll get the results "by October". Don't hold your breath...
Of course we shouldn't be surprised that Ministers at the DfT are treating it like a hot potato, even if their civil servants are up for it. None of the new boys (and girls) at the Department are going to want to stand up in Parliament and risk the wrath of hysterical, lorry-loathing backbenchers (or backwoodsmen in the Lords) for the sake of LHVs. But courage Camille! You know testing LHVs make sense. Why? Because if we don't test the theory that they can save on road space, cut emissions-per-tonne and reduce the overall number of HGVs on our roads then we'll never know will we? So what are you afraid of...that they might actually work? Imagine that...
Brian,
The UK government will never move forward with such a scheme, they prefer to moan about our global warming, and tax us for it, whilst they go to Tesco to buy their nice fresh food.
Clearly positive steps to reduce our footprint would be much better. I’ve heard that a double is just about as fuel efficient as a ‘train’ – which is double-edged sword as clearly the railways would do everything in their power to never let this idea get off the ground, and the sensational UK press would love to join in with the headline ‘Killer Artics get bigger!”
In my humble opinion a Standardized Double full length trailers is the only way to go, with the requirement of splitting them down before they enter a town or city, this makes the added complication of ‘forced steered’ converter dolly’s go away.
The straight truck pulling a full trailer, or a semi trailer pulling draw bar trailers are also interesting ideas – but I expect if the cost analysis is done, the two standardized 13.6m trailers probably cost the same if not less – for much more cargo capacity, and ultimately fuel used per tonne of cargo is less.
Remember we are moving into a global economy, we have to compete with the Chinese / India countries of the world. We either do this through the use of our more highly educated brains and solutions – or we compete on price.