Weights and Dimensions

In Europe, heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches must comply with certain rules on weights and dimensions for road safety reasons and to avoid damaging roads, bridges and tunnels. Directive (EU) 2015/719 sets maximum dimensions and weights for international traffic, also ensuring that Member States cannot restrict the circulation of vehicles which comply with these limits from performing international transport operations within their territories. The Directive also aims at avoiding that national operators benefit from undue advantages over their competitors from other Member States when performing national transport.

Directive (EU) 2015/719 ) grants derogations on the maximal lengths to make heavy goods vehicles greener by improving their aerodynamic performance. This also provides the opportunity to make them safer by including new features in the extra space in the driver cabin. Derogations on weights are also allowed for vehicles powered by alternative fuels.

This directive has an important role in improving the functioning of the internal market and in ensuring the free movement of goods in Europe.