TNT Express puts controversial longer trailers British highways

TNT Express claims to be the first express delivery company to experiment with longer trailers on British roads in daily operations, reports London's Transport Intelligence.

Allowing 15 per cent more freight, the new TNT trailers are 15.65-metres longer than the standard semis in use today, which has aroused protest from British rail lobbyists who feel this undermines railways.

Said UK-Ireland TNT chief Simon Harper: "In days of high fuel prices, these innovative, modern trailers offer exceptional loading capacity and space utilisation to keep freight costs down to a minimum.

"It stands to reason that, with bigger loads on each vehicle, we will cover fewer miles per volume of parcels which will help with fuel consumption and reduce our C02 emissions," Mr Simon said.

"This equipment will increase the full capacity 42 per cent over a standard 13.6-metre trailer," he said.

The trailers will be introduced on TNT's route between its main hub at Kingsbury, Staffordshire, 40 kilometres east of Wolverhampton and the Llantrisant depot in Mid-Glamorgan, Wales.

The trial is part of a government initiative announced by Transport Minister Mike Penning, allowing longer trailers for 10 years.

Longer trailers cut tyre wear, raising the centre axle which only deploys when weight exceeds 90 per cent of the permitted axle load of nine tonnes.