4m height limit on trailers muted

New vehicle and trailer heights could be limited to 4 metres under new proposals

New vehicle and trailer heights could be limited to 4 metres under new proposals being developed in Brussels, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The obvious threat to much of the UK transport network would be to limit high-cube trailers.

The SMMT's commercial vehicle affairs manager, Robin Dickeson, says that if this makes it onto the statute book we should "expect anguish". Details of the plan will be published shortly as part of European Whole Vehicle Type Approval proposals, he says.

We are aware that a number of proposals are being considered in Brussels and we are keen to establish the likelihood of their being adopted and the extent to which there would be derogations in the UK.

It is unclear as to whether existing vehicles would be covered at all by the Brussels ideas and in any case any new directive or regulation would be several years off. It could be that certain trailer manufacturers and large logistics operators across Europe would welcome a degree of standardisation of heights; and some might welcome the restriction as a trade off against an extension of permitted lengths and or weights. 

In June, the German truck industry body VDA and Deutsche Bahn, the state-owned rail operator, announced a willingness Modular Concept (longer trucks, say 25.25m) can positively contribute to creating more efficient logistics chains.

The RHA is already in discussion in London and Brussels over weights and dimensions and is seeking clarification on the weight behind these latest ideas.

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