In yet another move designed to alleviate the ongoing HGV driver shortage across the United Kingdom, the government has announced that longer heavy goods vehicles could become a permanent fixture on Britain’s roads from 2022. This follows an extensive 9-year trial of the vehicles that found them to be not only safer, but also more fuel efficient and better for the environment.

These new vehicles – which can be as much as 15.65 metres long – were the subject of a consultation during which the majority of respondents were found to be in favour of their use. As well as being more economical, Longer Semi Trailers (a.k.a. LSTs) would also eliminate the need for 1 out of every 8 freight journeys due to fewer lorries being required for the same amount of cargo.

Rolling Out at Some Point Next Year

This welcome news represents a plan that falls in line with the government’s Transportation Decarbonisation Plan through which it aims to fight climate change and it would see the rollout of these eco-boosting vehicles at some point during 2022. It also comes just a couple of months prior to the UK hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had this to say about the announcement “This government is committed to fighting climate change and decarbonising our transport network, and we are working at pace to achieve net zero by 2050. Today’s announcement is a vital step forwards as we work to introduce more environmentally friendly freight to our roads and build back greener”.

Further ‘Heavier’ Lorry Trials Planned

What’s also planned by the government is the launching of a separate trial that’s investigating the possibility of using HGVs that are heavier than the norm. At present, the maximum weight for a HGV on Britain’s roads is 44 tonnes, which could potentially rise to 48 tonnes if this trial also reaches the same successful conclusion.

The initial response to this consultation has been a positive one and it would represent another useful tool against the driver shortage. Not only would it mean less lorries would be needed, but it would also make it easier to transport heavier cargos to rail depots – reducing congestion on the road network at the same time.

Addressing the Balance One Measure at a Time

While the journey to a self-sustaining UK logistics sector with sufficient driving personnel will surely be a long and drawn-out one, measures like these can only help the situation. At HGVC, we’re doing what we can to help by providing industry-leading licence acquisition programs over our national network of training centers.

If you would like to know more about us and how we’re empowering UK businesses to meet their own HGV driving requirements, you can find what you need by sending us a message here. If, however, you’d like to speak to us directly about your HGV training needs, simply call us on 0330 818 8888 and we’ll do everything we can to find the ideal solution.