The truck is one of the most important commercial vehicles in freight transportation. It is available in different variants, some of which are adapted in great detail to specific transportation tasks. In addition, different combinations of trucks and trailers are used in everyday freight transport, depending on the intended use. Find out more here,
Here we have collected all the information about the different types of HGVs. What regulations apply to the individual types? Why is the gigaliner an exception? And how do local trucks differ from their international counterparts?
WHAT TYPES OF TRUCKS ARE THERE?
There are many variations of the truck, all of which are based on the basic structure of a truck or articulated lorry. The typical truck is a vehicle in which a body for transporting goods is attached behind the driver’s cab. It can optionally be combined with a trailer to form a road train.
One of the most common types of truck is the articulated truck or semi-trailer truck – a combination of tractor unit and semi-trailer. This combination is mainly used for longer transport routes. There are also some special superstructures such as refuse trucks, fire engines or ambulances.
WHAT TYPES OF TRUCK TRAILERS ARE THERE?
The different trailers for trucks are roughly divided into three categories
- Rigid drawbar trailer,
- multi-axle articulated drawbar trailers and
- Semi-trailer.
In the case of rigid drawbar trail ers, the trailer is connected to the towing vehicle with a rigid drawbar. In multi-axle articulated drawbar trailers, the front two to four axles are steerable. They are used for road trains, for example. The semi-trailer is used in combination with a tractor unit to form a semitrailer combination and does not have its own front axle at regular length.
A distinction can also be made according to the type of body. This depends on the type of goods you want to transport. Examples of different superstructures are
- Car transporter
- Container chassis
- Timber transporter
- Tipper
- Box body
- Refrigerated and deep-freeze trailers
- Tarpaulin
- Platform
- Tandem trailer
- Tank
- Low loader
- Animal transporter
REGULATIONS AROUND THE TRUCK
There are a number of regulations in Germany regarding the weight and dimensions of trucks. We have summarized these and the most important traffic regulations that apply to trucks.
Weight regulations
Trucks and delivery vehicles form their own vehicle class in Germany, namely vehicle class N. This is divided into subclasses N1 to N3, which in turn are based on the permissible gross weight. The permissible axle load is also clearly defined. It may not exceed 10 tons for single axles without drive and 11.5 tons for drive axles.
Vehicle class N1
The light commercial vehicles in this class must have a gross vehicle weight of less than 3.5 tons. They are mainly used regionally as delivery vehicles.
Vehicle class N2
Trucks weighing 3.5 tons or more fall into this category. The maximum permissible total weight must be less than 12 tons. This includes vehicles from regional freight transport as well as those from long-distance freight transport.
Vehicle class N3
This includes all trucks weighing 12 tons or more. Currently, the maximum permissible weight is 40 or 44 tons. The maximum weight permitted in individual cases is linked to certain conditions, namely:
- 12 t with two-axle trailer
- 18 t with three-axle trailer
- 36 t for four-axle semitrailers or trucks
- 40 t for five- or six-axle vehicle combinations
- 44 t for three-axle trucks with two- or three-axle semi-trailers and the transportation of 40-foot ISO containers
Regulations on dimensions
There are also precise legal requirements for the dimensions of a truck, which must not normally be exceeded. We have summarized the dimensions for the most common variants.
Maximum permitted width
This dimension is the same for all types of trucks. They may not exceed a width of 2.55 meters. The maximum permissible width must be observed by all parts of the truck and also applies to trailers. There are exceptions requiring approval for heavy goods vehicles. A width of up to 3 meters is possible here.
Maximum permitted height
The maximum permissible height of a truck in Germany is limited to 4 meters – even for heavy goods vehicles.
Maximum permitted length
There are different rules for the permissible length of a truck depending on the type. A truck including trailer may not exceed 18.75 meters. No part of the combination may be longer than 12 meters.
The maximum permissible length for articulated lorries is 16.5 meters. Heavy goods vehicles can have a length of up to 23.0 meters. There are also exceptions for protruding loads. In this case, the total length may not exceed 22.75 meters.
Gigaliners: the long truck as an exception to the rule
Since 2017, we have had a class of trucks that may exceed the previously valid dimensions. These extra-long combinations are known as gigaliners, long trucks or Eurocombi. It is a truck that can measure up to 25.25 meters and weigh up to 44 tons. However, the height and width of the combination must meet the general requirements for trucks.
These combinations are currently only used on selected routes in Germany, after a field test was completed in 2016 with predominantly positive results. In other countries such as Finland and Sweden, they have been in use for a long time.
Oversize as a problem and potential
The legal basis for the exemption from the applicable regulations can be found in the Ordinance on Exemptions from Road Traffic Regulations for Vehicles and Vehicle Combinations with Excess Length(LKWÜberlStVAusnV). The permitted routes are specified in the Annex to Section 2 (1) LKWÜberlStVAusnV.
The issue is so strictly regulated because the dimensions of the gigaliners are difficult to reconcile with the existing infrastructure on German roads. More specifically, elements such as emergency stopping bays, rest areas, parking lots, bridges, intersections and traffic circles are too small for long trucks in many places. So far, some sections of freeways and a few federal highways are on the approved route network, such as the A7 from the Danish to the Austrian border.
Despite the infrastructural difficulties, the Gigaliner has potential in Germany. It can transport larger freight than other trucks. This means more efficient and cheaper logistics, as fewer vehicles and drivers are required.
Traffic rules for trucks
The traffic rules that a truck driver must observe depend heavily on the gross vehicle weight rating. The driving license category is also determined by the gross vehicle weight – more on this in the next section.
Passage restrictions for mass and weight
At certain points in the road network, there are specific weight restrictions for traffic passing through or restrictions regarding the maximum permissible height. These restrictions are indicated by traffic signs. Truck drivers must always observe the dimensions and weight of their vehicle and, if necessary, take an alternative route.
Restrictions on maximum speed
Special regulations apply to HGVs with regard to the maximum permitted speed. A speed limit of 80 km/h applies on highways. The following applies on country roads:
- Trucks up to 7.5 tons may drive up to 80 km/h.
- Trucks over 7.5 tons may drive up to 60 km/h.
Light commercial vehicles excluded
The same traffic rules and regulations that apply to passenger cars apply to all commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tons gross vehicle weight. This also means that these light versions of HGVs can drive freely wherever there is a ban on through traffic or a speed limit for HGVs. These are only expressly aimed at trucks weighing 3.5 tons or more.
Which driving license categories are required?
The relevant driving license categories for HGVs can be differentiated according to the maximum permissible weight of the vehicle. There are four separate driving license categories for HGVs, namely C, CE, C1 and C1E. For small trucks under 3.5 tons, a category B driving license, i.e. the regular driving license for cars, is sufficient. For light trucks, a category BE license is required.
Class C truck driver’s license
- Motor vehicles over 3.5 t
- Trailers with a maximum total weight of 750 kg
- Driver must be at least 21 years old, exception: during vocational training (e.g. as a professional driver); then at least 18 years old
- Driver must already have a class B driver’s license
- for heavy trucks
Class CE truck driver’s license
Conditions as in class C; additionally:
- Trailers also over 750 kg total weight
- Without weight limit for the entire trailer
- for heavy trucks such as gigaliners, combinations with heavy trailers
Class C1 truck driver’s license
- Motor vehicles up to a maximum of 7.5 t
- Trailers with a maximum total weight of 750 kg
- Driver must be at least 18 years old
- Driver must already have a class B driver’s license
- automatically included with the acquisition of category C
- for light trucks with trailers
Class C1E truck driver’s license
Conditions as in class C1; additionally:
- Trailers also over 750 kg total weight with limit
- Total combination must not exceed 12 t
- for road trains
Are there international differences between truck types?
Within Europe, the regulations governing the various types of trucks are quite similar, so that the front-wheel-drive design has become established for most trucks for reasons of space. The short, compact towing vehicle with a high cab is a typical image that would be hard to imagine German and European highways without.
Although there are differences in details such as the permissible total weight (e.g. 60 tons for heavy trucks in Denmark and Sweden), there are significantly more divergent standards and designs in other parts of the world.
USA
In the USA, for example, the overall length of trailers is hardly regulated. Here, it is mainly the maximum permitted loading space length that is specified. Because the overall length does not have to be taken into account, various tractor unit designs are possible.
This is why in the USA you often find trailers pulled by a long-hooded vehicle, i.e. a machine with an elongated hood. These are considered easier to maintain because the engine compartment is easier to access.
AUSTRALIA
Long-hoods are also widespread in Australia. Particularly large dimensions are also permitted in this country. A combination may be up to 53.5 meters long and 4.60 meters high if it is used as a so-called road train to transport goods over long distances. The vehicle may weigh up to 135.5 tons in total and 132 tons without the tractor unit.
These exceptional vehicles exist because they are irreplaceable for the Australian logistics industry. They cover thousands of kilometers in the outback and connect sometimes very remote places with the more densely populated coastal regions. However, they are not allowed to enter city centers. The cargo must be loaded outside the cities onto smaller trailers with a maximum length of 19 meters and a total weight of 43.5 tons.
Image credits:
Image 1: stock.adobe.com © Björn Wylezich
Image 2: stock.adobe.com © xiaosan
Image 3: stock.adobe.com © Simon
Image 4: stock.adobe.com © studio v-zwoelf
