Latest big Lorries

[glojo]

Have our truck drivers seen these and will we shortly be seeing them on our highways.

Now can you guess what these words describe in THE TIMES: it's 24 feet longer than a bendy bus, as heavy as a fully armoured Challenger tank and could be coming to a road near you. The answer is an LHV -- or longer, heavier lorry. The 60-tonne articulated vehicle has two trailers and carries more goods than a conventional lorry. According to THE TIMES, studies have shown that it could reduce traffic, costs and carbon emissions -- because two LHVs do the work of three existing lorries. The Government is now said to be considering whether to allow trials on public roads.

Regards
John

 

[recycled]

most of the ones leaving our company are never full anyway

 

[Stratman]

So instead of another lorry only taking five miles to overtake on the motorway it will now take seven.

Great.

 

[Brian WH]

They used to call them Trains in my day and they ran on steel rails on a seperate highway.

Wait till they try and send them through your village them you will complain.

 

[television]

They have had those things passing through Sweden from Finland to the continent for years, the difference being in Sweden is that no A roads pass through any towns

Just imagine one of those using SAT NAV down here

 

[crockers]

Add to that a left hand drive and watch the side swatting on the motorways increase....................................

 

[kikkthecat]

This theory may work if ALL lorries were replaced by these but we all know that wont happen, they'll just be in addition to what we already have.
I notice the animation showed an average gap between lorries on the motorway of 40 Metres. Well travelling the motorways on a daily basis I'd say it was nearer 40 inches.
And how exactly is a 60 tonne lorry "road wear neutral" ?

 

[del320]

Excellent news

Statistics show that in 2006 injury and fatal accidents involving heavy goods vehicles totalled 11,336 of which 1,072 involved foreign registered vehicles. As such although foreign vehicles represent some four per cent of lorries on UK roads they are actually involved in over 12 per cent of the accidents. The Freight Transport Association calculates that the annual cost of casualty accidents linked to foreign lorries is £100 million.

 

[Mudster]

I get stuff that size arriving at my warehouse when we get deliveries in from Europe, the trucks run a little larger over there than here.

My problem is, if they miss the entrance to my business Park they end up going through a very old one way high street (Reigate) and causing carnage.

I then get the Police on my case about signage so these trucks can find me, unfortunately the local DC won't grant me planning permission for any....They don't mind charging me a £1000 a month in business rates though....sometimes it makes you wonder.......

 

[Colin_b]

Now this is what I call a load...

http://www.cofc.edu/~gourdink/roadtrain.jpg

 

[Nik_Endeavour]

Excellent news

Statistics show that in 2006 injury and fatal accidents involving heavy goods vehicles totalled 11,336 of which 1,072 involved foreign registered vehicles. As such although foreign vehicles represent some four per cent of lorries on UK roads they are actually involved in over 12 per cent of the accidents. The Freight Transport Association calculates that the annual cost of casualty accidents linked to foreign lorries is £100 million.

Why I think that these lorries are a daft idea I would have to disagree with the tone foreign lorries are frowned upon and the stigma associated with them. I myself have had a near miss from an Italian lorry but what is the solution. Have them unload in Dover and load up on British lorries. Or only use British goods? Since the UK is a mercantile nation and we rely on trade from foreign countries then we should respect the foreign drivers as they do the same job as the domestic ones, long hours, small pay.... Or stop drinking French wine/Belgian beer, drive German cars, wear Italian clothes and stop using just anything else as we stopped making them long time ago

 

[television]

Now this is what I call a load...

http://www.cofc.edu/~gourdink/roadtrain.jpg

That would be great if the driver takes it home week ends

 

[Nik_Endeavour]

Just another thought, as another poster pointed out: What is wrong with trains anyway?

 

[Mudster]

Why I think that these lorries are a daft idea I would have to disagree with the tone foreign lorries are frowned upon and the stigma associated with them. I myself have had a near miss from an Italian lorry but what is the solution. Have them unload in Dover and load up on British lorries. Or only use British goods? Since the UK is a mercantile nation and we rely on trade from foreign countries then we should respect the foreign drivers as they do the same job as the domestic ones, long hours, small pay.... Or stop drinking French wine/Belgian beer, drive German cars, wear Italian clothes and stop using just anything else as we stopped making them long time ago

If we played on a level playing field (which the EU was designed to be) we wouldn't need to even consider your suggestion. The bottom line is money.

I use Portuguese Haulers because they can collect and deliver a full truck load to my warehouse in Gatwick for £1500, a UK hauler can't get close to that.

If I'm obliged to use UK haulers then I'm going to charge my customers more (that's you and people like you).

The problem here lays in the inequality in hydrocarbon taxes and vehicle taxation. Address the source of the problem by providing exemptions for the haulage industry and actually allow them to compete equally.

 

[Mudster]

Just another thought, as another poster pointed out: What is wrong with trains anyway?

Because a truck has to deliver and collect to the train, time and money.

 

[Aletank]

I seen quite a few double trailer wagons in Oz, There's a programme on MotorsTV on Wed 9pm about Australian Road Trains, I think I may seen this before and the wagons/road trains featured are much longer than 2 trailers!!

 

[Silestanix]

A company here has already thought of trying 60-ton artics, 'STAN ROBINSON'. The government didn't even come up with this idea, they nicked it from Stan.

 

[Dryce]

The problem here lays in the inequality in hydrocarbon taxes and vehicle taxation. Address the source of the problem by providing exemptions for the haulage industry and actually allow them to compete equally.

Or ... charge foreign trucks proportionately while on UK roads.

 

[wallingd]

"Road-wear neutral" I suspect relates to the tonnage per tyre being lower for an LHV than for a 44-tonner.

 

[jeremytaylor]

I don't have a problem with trucks this big PROVIDED they stick to roads that can accommodate them.

And experience shows this just won't happen. We already have artics, especially food deliveries, delivering to small corner shops. The worst is the in-town Tesco Metro shops etc. which seem to have their deliveries from the same trucks that supply the large out-of-town Tescos. I'm sure this would still happen with these monsters.