“The increase from 44 tonnes to a maximum of 50 tonnes came after consultations with the transport sector, ” says Lydia Peeters, Flemish Minister for Mobility and Public Works. “We are increasing transport efficiency and reducing the impact on traffic and the environment,” she added.
In Belgium, determining the maximum GVW falls under the authority of its regional authorities. Flanders is the second region in the country that has decided to increase the maximum permissible weight of trucks. The 50-tonne trucks were approved by Wallonia in 2018 and the same trucks can also run in the Netherlands.
“Flanders is also choosing to do so, but it has its own emphasis on safety and the environment, ” adds Peeters. “We take into account our Flemish construction methods and infrastructure. In addition, we require state-of-the-art security technologies.”
According to the new regulations, vehicles with conventional drive will be allowed to have a maximum permissible weight of up to 48 tonnes , and in the case of environmentally friendly and emission-free vehicles, an increase in GVW of up to 50 tons is allowed.
“Raising the GVW of trucks is good news. Specialized companies have been asking for some time to adapt tonnage regulations to the regions around us. We will also have to send fewer trucks out onto the roads, which is conducive to mobility, ” says Hans Maertens, CEO of the transport organization Voka, quoted by the Dutch portal transport-online.nl.
Harsh conditions
To be able to benefit from the new GVW regulations, vehicles must meet the following requirements:
- all tag axles must be equipped with air suspension (or an equivalent suspension system)
- the minimum distance between the centers of the wheels is 1.30 metres
- it is forbidden to use a centre axle trailer
- the vehicle must be equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) to maintain the correct distance between the vehicles in front
- the date of placing the truck / tractor unit into service is a maximum of 8 years for zero-emission vehicles and a maximum of 4 years for vehicles with combustion engines