UK economy boosted by £1.4b as longer lorries roll out on UK roads

Longer lorries will be introduced to GB roads to deliver on the Government’s priority to grow the economy, boost productivity, slash road emissions, and support supply chains.

Legislation will be laid to safely roll out the vehicles on British roads from 31 May. The longer lorries will be able to transport fast-moving consumer goods and retail products, as well as waste packaging, parcels and pallets.

The new lorries will move the same volume of goods using 8% fewer journeys than current trailers – generating an expected £1.4 billion in economic benefits and taking one standard-size trailer off the road for every 12 trips.

A Longer Semi-Trailer (LST) is an extra-long semi-trailer, able to be towed by a lorry, measuring up to 2.05 metres longer than a standard semi-trailer. As part of efforts to grow the economy and cut emissions, the Government is changing the regulations to allow longer trailers on GB roads, which it estimates will save 70,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere over 11 years.

The move follows an 11-year trial to ensure they are used safely on roads, and operators will be encouraged to put extra safety checks and training in place. The trial showed that LSTs were involved in around 61% fewer personal injury collisions than conventional lorries.

Roads Minister Richard Holden will today meet with Greggs in its depot in Newcastle to see these new longer lorries. For British businesses like Greggs, the change in law will help them see a 15% uptick in its regular deliveries, meaning it can now transport thousands more much loved sausage rolls and baked goods through its regular deliveries.

Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “A strong, resilient supply chain is key to the Government’s efforts to grow the economy. That’s why we’re introducing longer semi-trailers to carry more goods in fewer journeys and ensure our shops, supermarkets and hospitals are always well stocked.

“These new vehicles will provide an almost £1.4 billion boost to the haulage industry, reduce congestion, lower emissions and enhance the safety of UK roads.”

Vehicles which use LSTs will be subject to the same 44 tonne weight limit as those using standard trailers, and the new vehicles are expected to cause less wear on the roads than conventional lorries due to the type of steering axle used.

Operators will be legally required to ensure appropriate route plans and risk assessments are made to take the unique specifications of LSTs into account. In addition to these new legal requirements, operators will also be expected to put in place extra safety checks including driver training and scheduling, record keeping, training for transport managers and key staff, and loading of LSTs.

It is expected that LSTs will create almost £1.4 billion in net economic benefits by ensuring more goods are carried on fewer vehicles, supporting productivity and boosting the economy. With over 300 companies in the UK having already taken part in the trial, and almost 3,000 on the road, some of the biggest brands including Greggs, Morrisons, Stobart, Royal Mail, and Argos, will be rolling out the longer semi-trailers.

Gavin Kirk, Supply Chain Director at Greggs, said “We welcome the introduction of Longer Semi-Trailers (LSTs) into general use. Since 2013, Greggs has been operating LSTs from our National Distribution Centre in Newcastle. We were early adopters of the trial as we saw a significant efficiency benefits from the additional 15% capacity that they afforded us.

“We have converted 20% of our trailer fleet to LSTs, which was the maximum allowable under the trial, and these complement our fleet of double-deck trailers. Our drivers undertook additional training to use these trailers and we have monitored accidents, finding that they are as safe as our standard fleet.

“Due to the increased capacity, we have reduced our annual km travelled by 540,000, and saved 410 tonnes of carbon per year from LSTs, which supports our wider ESG agenda, The Greggs Pledge.”

The trial revealed the important environmental benefits associated with the introduction of LSTs, including a considerable reduction of 70,000 tonnes of CO2 and 97 tonnes of NOx over the trial. The average CO2 reduction across the lifetime of the trial is similar to the amount of CO2 captured by roughly 11,600 acres of forest per year. The savings in NOx emissions averages to the entire annual NOx emissions of around 2,000 diesel cars per year.

Introducing LSTs is an important, easy and affordable measure to continue to reduce CO2 emissions from the haulage industry without significant technological and infrastructure development, as the Government continues to work closely with the sector to ensure all new HGVs are net-zero by 2040.

The move is part of the government’s comprehensive 33 actions to address the shortage of HGV drivers and boost recruitment and retention.

The Government’s 33 actions to support Britain’s haulage sector include £52.5 million to improve roadside facilities for lorry drivers, making 11,000 HGV driver training places available through Skills Bootcamps, boosting the number of HGV driver tests, and launching our Future of Freight plan to encourage millions of people to kickstart an exciting career in logistics.

As a result, new HGV drivers are taking and passing their driving test in record numbers. Between March 2022 and May 2022, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) carried out 29,384 HGV tests – 54% more than the corresponding period in 2019 before the pandemic.

Chris Yarsley, Senior Policy Manager at Logistics UK said: “The introduction of Longer Semi-Trailers (LSTs) into general service will increase the scope and scale of the goods which our industry is able to transport, increasing efficiencies and reducing the environmental impact of delivering for the UK’s economy.

“Over the past few years of the trial, our members have proved that LSTs provide operators with a cost-efficient, environmentally prudent alternative to conventional vehicles and our members remain committed to rolling them out across the wider industry as soon as possible.”