Gigaliners * Holland - Get the green light from the Dutch

Netherlands government allows use of double-trailer trucks and calls on other EC countries to follow suit

Amsterdam,Holland -IFW, by Damian Brett -25 May 2011: -- Shippers, forwarders and hauliers have welcomed the Dutch government’s decision to allow longer, HGVs on the country’s roads... This month, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Environment, Melanie Schultz Van Haegen, announced that double-trailer trucks up to 25 metres long and 60 tonnes in weight, also known as gigaliners (pictured), would be allowed to operate across the Dutch road network... Supporters of gigaliners claim they allow more goods to be transported in each truck, reducing the number of journeys and the carbon emissions produced by the industry... However, while the European Modular System (EMS) Forum believes longer, heavier trucks will have a positive impact on the environment, others argue they will have the opposite effect... The UK Department for Transport (DfT) had found longer trailers would cut carbon emissions without compromising safety. The research was published by the DfT alongside a consultation seeking views on the proposals to increase the length of semi-trailers in the UK by up to 2.05 metres to 15.65 metres... The Dutch government has now called on the European Commission and other member states to review their position on gigaliners in order to allow their use for cross-border transport...