France Trials Increased MAM on Road

France has recently announced a new 18 month trial happening accross their national transport industry, increasing the MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) for combined tractor & semi-trailer units to 46 tonnes, up from 42-44 tonnes previously.

The trial plans to benefit multimodal transport, and cross-channel services as well as truckers in general. The French government will be monitoring the experiment, specifically the impact on the road network, CO2 savings, and increased transport performance.

The decree, published on 27th July has been met with some concerns; Ralph-Charley Schultze, CEO of UIRR noted "It could be beneficial, if this is only for the first and last mile, but for the longer haul by road, this is not a good idea. The bridges and road infrastructure in general cannot handle this weight".

Time will certainly tell on this one, with 16 months still left on the experiment - would you like to see the MAM increased in the UK to 46 tonnes? Let us know in the comments.