Longer semi-trailers: who will be trialling them and how many?

A total of 180 applications have been approved by the Department for Transport (DfT) for next year’s trial of longer semi-trailers, CM can reveal.

The breakdown consists of hauliers, own-account operators and trailer manufacturers, which between them will pilot the use of 1,811 longer semi-trailers on UK roads.

While larger operators have been granted the most longer semi-trailers in pure number terms as expected, the DfT has been true to its word and spread the allocation widely between operators large and small, with no single entity having more than 8% of the total.

Nobert Dentressangle has the largest combined allocation (split between its logistics and transport services businesses) and will run 67 of the 14.6m length longer semi-trailers and 64 of the 15.65m maximum length variant.

Trial supporter Wincanton gets 68 (straight split), while Eddie Stobart gets 67 of the 14.6m trailers and 23 of the 15.65m variant, with DHL UK getting 90 (split 67/23). All significantly below the few hundred each of the three firms were gunning for.

Other well known names include Bibby Distribution, which will run 25 of the longest trailers, while CM Downton has 60, split 22/38. Maritime Transport has 75 of the 15.65m version and Geopost, parent firm of DPD and Interlink, a 64/21 split.

Jack Semple, director of policy at the Road Haulage Association, says: "There was a fear large companies could dominate.

"While we would have liked to see more weighting towards SMEs, we are very pleased that the department has essentially opted for a half-way house."

Regional players include Manchester’s BTS Haulage has 19 trailers (split 14/5), while Lincoln-based ET Morris has an allocation of 9 (7/2). Kirkcudbright’s Hayton Coulthard has a single 15.65m trailer, while Northampton’s Acumen Distribution will run four of the longest variant and Heathrow's Saints Transport five.

Risk Solutions has been chosen to asses the UK longer semi-trailer trial on behalf of the DfT.

See our guide to Longer semi-trailers (high-volume trailers) for more.

Allocation of longer semi-trailers