“With the agreement, we ensure that long lorries can make better use of their advantages across borders,” said German Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer.
For Dutch long lorries to be on the road in Germany, they have to meet the German regulations and safety standards. For example, the requirement of a turning assistant and the maximum weight limit of 40 tonnes (or 44 tonnes in combined transport).
As two long lorries can replace three regular ones, both countries' governments hope that the agreement will help in decreasing traffic on the roads, fuel consumption and emissions and thus make transportation more efficient and climate-friendly.
The Netherlands is also in talks with Denmark and the Czech Republic about a similar agreement.