The General Directorate of Traffic has authorized the transport of goods on a new type of Euromodular set that stands out for its dimensions. These are the duo-trailers, some trucks up to 32 meters and 70 tons.
These trucks may remind, in part, the so-called road trains – trucks that accumulate several trailers – that can be found in countries like the US or Australiaalthough they are still smaller in size.
“Spain is the country of road transport,” the DGT defended in a statement. Up to 93% of goods reach national territory through this route, according to the latest annual report of the Transport and Logistics Observatory in Spain belonging to the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
Traffic argues that, to ensure that this flow does not stop, the regulations need to be updated from time to time of the vehicles authorized to transport these loads and, on occasions, make their protagonists “grow”.
Remember that the last of those modifications were made in 2015, when the modification of Annex IX of the General Vehicle Regulations (RGV) came into force, which allowed the body responsible for traffic to authorize the circulation of sets of vehicles in Euromodular configuration (EMS) of up to 25.25 meters in length and 60 tons of weight. But this year, through an instruction (MOV 2023/28), the General Directorate of Traffic has added one more member to the EMS family: the duo-trailer.
A duo-trailer is a vehicle Composed of more than six axle lines and two semi-trailers connected through a dolly -a specific type of semi-trailer that facilitates the connection between two trailers-. It has a chassis, one or two air suspension axles and a braking system.
The main advantage of this type of truck compared to other large road vehicles is that it can transport the same amount of cargo as two trailer-type trucks, but with lower emissions of pollutants. Specifically, Traffic emphasizes that in studies prior to its approval, a reduction in CO2 emissions of between 25-30% compared to traditional trucks.
The DGT anticipates that these vehicles, unlike other trucks, need a special authorization to circulate on a specific route, a procedure that must be requested from the DGT.
“These authorizations only serve within the traffic management territory of the DGT, which is all of Spain. except Basque Country, Catalonia and Navarra“explains Mª Anuncia Ocampo, who adds that if you want to circulate through these communities you must receive a report from the authorities that allows it.
In any case, They will not be able to travel on conventional roads as long as there is no visibility range of 150 meters in front and behind or the wind weather alert is activated.
The DGT admits that these trucks still have certain disadvantages on Spanish roads, such as their difficulty when maneuvering – they have a greater length and turning radius – or the limitation of itineraries and their accessibility to refueling areas and parking lots, whose facilities are not yet equipped to this type of giant vehicles.
