CER guiding principles for the revision of the Weights & Dimensions Directive

Rail is 7 times more energy-efficient than road, therefore cooperation, coordination and solidarity between modes is the way forward if we want to be able to transport goods using less energy. For now 3 decades, railways have innovated to accommodate trucks, trailers, containers and swap-bodies, by creating new types of wagons (e.g.:  pocket wagons) and new transhipment technics (horizontal). These investments are capital-intensive and can only be amortised over long periods. It is therefore essential that road now makes a step towards rail. While improving the intrinsic performance of road transport, truck manufacturers must make sure that any truck-trailer coming off the manufacturing line is compatible with rail, as rail-based multimodal transport chains are undeniably the most efficient way to save energy overall. 

With this in mind, CER puts forward the following guiding principles to be taken into consideration in the current revision of Directive (EU) 2015/719 setting maximum weights and dimensions for certain road vehicles.