What are the “mega-trucks” which could soon be authorized on French roads and why do they pose a problem ?

Les gigaliners mesurent jusqu'à 25 mètres de long et pèsent jusqu'à 60 tonnes. ILLUSTRATION MAXPPP – Jens Buettner

Mega-trucks, titans of the road that can measure up to 25 meters long and weigh up to 60 tonnes, could soon be authorized to circulate in all countries of the European Union . A vote will take place on Tuesday, March 12 in the European Parliament, on this decision which is not unanimous.

Will we soon have to share the road with mega-trucks ? This is the decision that MEPs must make this Tuesday, March 12. 

The size of a tennis court

By mega-trucks, we mean extendable trucks, consisting of a container to which is added a trailer. These "gigaliners" as they are called, can measure up to 25 meters – the size of a giant ship. a tennis court points out Le Parisien, or half an Olympic swimming pool, and weigh up to 60 tons , i.e. 16,000 kg more than the currently authorized limit for diesel trucks.

They already exist in a handful of European countries, including Germany, Sweden, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands.

The European Parliament is invited to vote this Tuesday on a draft revision of the "Weight and dimensions" freight trucks, which would allow these road monsters to move freely between willing neighboring states. 

A debate that divides

The authorization of these giant trucks sparks a lively and divided debate: its defenders claim a useful tool to achieve the decarbonization objectives of the European Union: gigaliners would allow savings on fuel and carbon emissions by transporting more goods in fewer journeys.

But the rail freight sector is far from sharing this opinion. Its detractors invoke an "ecological aberration" and affirm that the circulation of mega-trucks will have consequences on road safety. Environmentalists, for their part, point the finger at the deterioration of road infrastructure and the resulting bill.

"Heavier trucks will prematurely wear out our roads and require us to adapt our infrastructure", comments in a press release the 4F alliance which represents all players in the French rail freight sector.

Too dangerous ? 

According to the German firm D-Fine, these mega-trucks throughout Europe would cause "1.15 billion euros in public spending additional per year for the maintenance of road infrastructure, with disproportionate damage: ten 44-ton trucks cause more damage than fifteen 40-ton trucks".< /p>

The question of gigaliners is not at its first examination, remind our colleagues from BFMTV:  during the Grenelle de l’environment in France, in 2010, their experiment was refused. The issue came back to the table in mid-2015, this time at European level. Due to their abnormally large size, mega trucks were then rejected by Europe, because they were considered too dangerous.

If MEPs authorize their circulation this Tuesday, trucks will only be authorized on certain major routes outside cities, with mandatory braking technologies, stability control or even cameras.&nbsp ;