Longer semi-trailer changes now in force

Statutory changes are now in force which broaden the scope for HGV operators to use longer semi-trailers (LSTs) on Great Brit­ain’s roads, following an announcement by the government in May.

There are already around 3,000 LSTs within England, Scotland and Wales, operated by more than 300 fleets that have been participating in an extensive trial of the trailers over the last decade, including high-profile names such as Stobart, Royal Mail, and retailers Argos, Greggs and Morrisons.

Under the changes, hauliers that are not part of the existing trial and its associated permit scheme may use LSTs – which are up to 2.05 metres longer than standard semi-trailers, yielding space for four more pallets (or eight on a double-decker).

But their use is not unrestricted; and rollout beyond the trial cohort is being implemented, with conditions attached, via amendment of the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 – commonly known as STGO rules, which are generally used to permit the limited transport of oversized and/or over­weight indivisible loads.

There has been no change to the existing rules on masses and dimensions which cover vehicles pulling standard trailers. Instead, the STGO amendment adds LSTs to the allowable categories of special vehicle types; and for vehi­cles pulling LSTs, the 44-tonne weight limit that applies to trucks with standard trailers will still apply.

Furthermore, “operators will be legally re­quired to ensure appropriate route plans and risk assessments are made to take the unique specifications of LSTs into account,” the Depart­ment for Transport (DfT) said.

“In addition to these new legal requirements, operators will also be expected to put in place extra safety checks including driver training and scheduling, record keeping, training for transport managers and key staff, and loading of LSTs.”

LSTs can therefore only be operated on planned and assessed routes, which have to be notified to the transport secretary via the operator licensing system prior to use.

Copies of the plans and assessments must be held on the towing vehicle, and must be retained by the operator for two years after the LST last used the route.

Richard Owens, technical support specialist at trailer maker Don-Bur, said: “New LSTs will automatically fall within the new statutory regime [but] trailers falling within the scope of the existing LST trial will continue to be bound by the terms of the trial until they are manually ‘migrated’ to the new regime.

“Operators with LSTs under trial should not assume that their LSTs will automatically be approved for general use and should continue their ‘Operator Undertaking’. This will provide a transitionary period which is expected to last for six months.”

Detailed DfT guidance for the use of LSTs going forward, both for existing trial operators and those looking to implement longer trailers for the first time, can be found here, at the gov.uk website.

Mr Owens added that LSTs are heavier unladen than their standard counterparts, thanks to their extra length and the compulsory use of a steered axle, which limits their application to transporting lighter goods only.

The extra unladen weight of an LST is in the region of 500 to 1,000 kg, depending on spec.

“They are more expensive too,” he added. “The increased weight is in the length and the majority of the increased price is in the steered axle.

“Realistically, you are looking at maximum pallet weights of just over a tonne each if you want to avoid the risk of overloading the trailer bogie when loading the full length of an LST.

You could say that the legislation change is a bit of a wasted opportunity: allowing a payload increase could have made the LST concept more attractive to operators and reduced carbon output from road transport by allowing fewer trucks to carry more goods.

“What is a standard trailer now will continue to be the industry standard trailer: LSTs won’t be replacing standard 13.7m semitrailers as the workhorses of the industry.

“Customers for LSTs now are own-account and dedicated contract hauliers handling light, bulky cargoes such as clothing, breakfast cereals and crisps. They may not be a suitable choice for general hauliers, unless the haulier can get an accurate declared weight for every pallet that gets put on the trailer and can calculate the weight of the load accordingly.

“In the future we may see some general hauliers operating a small number of LSTs as part of a fleet of predominantly standard trailers, but they will need to be careful to match suitable goods with the right trailers.”

Darren Holland, sales director at manufacturer Tiger Trailers, said he thought the reform would generate more business: “Since the original trial of LSTs began, Tiger has manufactured various LST trailer types for various sectors year on year. The latter half of last year saw an uplift in confirmed LST orders from various customers for 2023, notably from the clothing retail, FMCG and white-goods sectors.

“These builds comprise curtainsiders, and single and double-deck box trailers in an equal split.

“As these orders were placed prior to the government’s green light that came in early May, we expect to receive increased interest in LSTs from both existing and prospective Tiger customers going forwards.

“However, the prevailing 44-tonne overall operating limit may still be a restriction for certain operators. The government’s announcement is certainly a major and exciting step forward though.”

Paul Bratton, president of SDC Trailers, said: “The confirmed legislation of LSTs in GB is a positive move for operators, and SDC are ready to cater to the rising demand for these vehicles. By fully utilising the extended length of these trailers, operators can significantly enhance productivity levels, achieve economic savings, and reduce carbon emissions, thereby fostering a more sustainable road transport industry.”

The government agrees that the move will boost productivity and cut emissions from road transport, due to LSTs’ ability to move the same volume of goods over fewer journeys. This, DfT claims, is expected to generate £1.4 billion in economic benefits.

The department cites results from the trial suggesting that LSTs were involved in around 61 per cent fewer personal injury collisions than conventional vehicles. In addition,they are said to haveenabled a reduction in CO2emissions of 70,000 tonnes over the course of the trial, and 97 tonnes of nitrogen oxides (NOx).

In an initial statement, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) welcomed the move, but also acknowledged that vehicles using LSTs would still be subject to the existing weight limit, adding that the government could: “go further by increasing the permitted weight to 48 tonnes for moving goods from road to rail. This will be increasingly important when we roll out zero-emission trucks to compensate for the increased weight from batteries.”

Acknowledging the administrative burdens of LST use, RHA technical director Paul Allera said that, having spoken to a number of operators during the trial, “the pros appeared to outweigh the cons” for the majority.

However, he added that operators carrying heavier loads “saw no real benefit, because the increase in unladen weight resulted in reduced payload”.

He said he believed it was time to “reconsider gross vehicle weights” to increase LST utilisation.

Meanwhile, Logistics UK said the rollout of LSTs would provide a much needed environmental boost.

“The introduction of LSTs into general service will increase the scope and scale of the goods which our industry is able to transport, increasing efficiencies and reducing the environmental impact of delivering for the UK’s economy,” said Chris Yarsley, the organisation’s senior policy manager for road freight regulation.

“Over the past few years of the trial, our members have proved that LSTs provide operators with a cost-efficient, environmentally prudent alternative to conventional vehicles and our members remain committed to rolling them out across the wider industry as soon as possible.”

Gavin Kirk, supply chain director at Greggs, said: “We welcome the introduction of LSTs into general use. Since 2013, Greggs has been operating LSTs from our national distribution centre in Newcastle. We were early adopters of the trial as we saw significant efficiency benefits from the additional 15 per cent capacity that they afforded us.

“We have converted 20 per cent of our trailer fleet to LSTs, which was the maximum allowable under the trial, and these complement our fleet of double- deck trailers. Our drivers undertook additional training to use these trailers and we have monitored accidents, finding that they are as safe as our standard fleet.

“Due to the increased capacity, we have reduced our annual kilometre (km) travel by 540,000 km, and saved 410 tonnes of carbon per year from LSTs.”

Announcing the changes, the roads minister Richard Holden said: “Everyone around the country depends on our haulage sector for their everyday needs – from loo rolls to sausage rolls – and a strong, resilient supply chain is key to the government’s priority to grow the economy.

“These new longer lorries will make a big difference for British businesses like Greggs, who will see 15 per cent more baked goods delivered, from tasty pastries to the nation’s much-loved sausage rolls.”