High capacity vehicles
The weight and dimensions of road freight vehicles are nationally regulated and vary across countries. In most countries, heavy goods vehicles are considered to be those weighing more than either 3.5 or 4.5 tonnes. High-capacity vehicles (HCVs) are vehicles that exceed the general weight and dimension limitations set by national regulations and are usually operated within limited geographical areas or on specific routes under special provisions. Differing regulations across countries imply that while a 22-metre-long, 5-axle vehicle weighing 44 tonnes may be considered an HCV in one country, it may be considered a general access vehicle in another country. The ability to transport more cargo in fewer trips has implications for transport operators, cargo shippers, road freight regulators, consumers and the general public. The higher efficiency of HCVs means that the same amount of cargo can be transported with fewer vehicle-kilometres driven, which results in lower fuel consumption per unit of transported cargo.
A number of countries – including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, and several countries in Europe – have either introduced HCVs permanently or are piloting them in order to explore the impacts that the use of larger and heavier vehicles can entail. In the European Union, the European Modular System (EMS) allows member states to choose to use modular combinations of existing standardised EU modules. The EMS therefore allows operators to exceed the general size and weight restrictions by combining smaller, compliant modules. This provision was initially made to accommodate the larger vehicles that have been used in Finland and Sweden since the 1980s. The advantage of this system is that it allows for a high degree of flexibility in adapting vehicles to different situations, giving operators the ability to use longer combinations when possible and shorter combinations or single modules when local conditions require it.
The primary drivers of HCV adoption can be categorised as operational (cost-saving measures and availability of vehicle modules), market (cost savings linked to competition) and regulatory. Regulatory drivers include applicable government regulations regarding road freight transport, such as safety- and efficiency-related regulations. Typical policy goals include reducing road traffic accidents and improving environmental performance and efficiency in transport operations.
The evidence in the literature on the impacts of HCVs has been mixed, in large part due to the varying assumptions on road freight price elasticity and the specific payloads, distances, and costs considered. In Australia, Canada and Sweden, for example, the introduction of HCVs has been associated with reduced road traffic and CO2 emissions. The overall impacts of HCV introduction will depend on several factors, such as the adoption rate, the regional geography, the operational patterns of the operators using HCVs, the type and density of the cargo being transported, and the extent of existing networks of competing transport modes.
Studies indicate that capacity increases beyond 60 tonnes and 25.25 metres are likely to yield additional environmental benefits. In one study, simulations indicated that further increasing the weight and length restrictions on road freight vehicles in Sweden from 64 tonnes and 25.25 metres to 74 tonnes and 34 metres would decrease CO2 emissions by up to 12.17 megatonnes between 2018 and 2058. In Finland, the impact of introducing increased weight and height limits of 76 tonnes and 4.4 metres for road freight vehicles (up from 60 tonnes and 4.2 metres) is estimated to have led to a reduction of 65 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2015.
The introduction of HCVs increases the operational efficiency of freight transport, which is associated with two primary impacts: reduced vehicle traffic and reduced capital cost per unit of transported cargo. Although the use of longer and heavier trucks is estimated to increase per truck transport costs by 5-12%, the corresponding 10-50% decrease in the number of trucks required to transport the same amount of cargo results in an overall decrease in transport costs per unit of cargo transported.
The challenge for operators in using HCVs is to optimise vehicle loading. In practice, depending on the cargo type, the loading capacity of the vehicle will be limited either by the specified weight restrictions or by the volume of goods the vehicle is able to carry. Therefore, the increase in weight limits for HCVs will mostly have an impact on the transport of dense cargo that tends to be weight-limited, such as steel. Similarly, the increase in the maximum allowed dimensions of the vehicle will mostly impact the transport of cargo that is volumetrically limited, such as certain textiles or footwear.
HCVs can lead to fewer vehicles on the roads and fewer overall vehicle-kilometres driven – which, in turn, can lead to a reduction of congestion and increased safety. However, such co-benefits will only materialise where appropriate freight demand management measures are in place to keep rebound effects (such as increased traffic thanks to reduced travel times or unintended mode shifts, as mentioned above) in check.
Decreased road freight costs can also make it more difficult for less-CO2-intensive but more-costly freight modes to penetrate the market.
Studies carried out in Nordic countries have corroborated the emission-saving potential of HCVs, but only under certain scenarios when modal shift from rail to road is avoided. Data from Finland does point to a loss of modal share from rail and increase of road, which may be due to HCVs and respective cost savings.
Lower haulage costs can lead to secondary effects, namely a modal shift of freight activity away from rail or inland waterways towards road, and even additional demand for road freight transport.
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https://www.itf-oecd.org/policy/high-capacity-vehicles
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