Mega trucks: a way to reduce CO2 emissions?

In France, mega trucks are banned, and a majority of French MPs, as well as various transport ministers, remain opposed to transposing a European directive into French law. However, some of our European neighbors, such as Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Portugal, have already adopted them several years ago.

At STEF, out of the 8,000 vehicle registrations we have, a tiny proportion are for mega trucks based in Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

Adding a second semi-trailer to a road train or truck allows 19 additional pallets (or even 38 with a double floor) to be loaded at a lower cost than using a second truck. This optimizes load consolidation, thereby reducing the carbon footprint per tonne transported.

Sébastien Dortignac, Technical Director of STEF Vehicles, explains: “When a single vehicle is carrying 3 or 4 tons of additional goods, it will be used more, but it will not be necessary to put a second truck into service. So if the truck is sufficiently loaded, we effectively reduce our carbon footprint.”

On the one hand, these trucks are more expensive to purchase than standard trucks, and on the other hand, there are specific operating restrictions associated with these vehicles in each country. For example, driving hours and days may be regulated.

While drivers with a super heavy goods vehicle license in France would be able to drive these longer vehicles, this is not necessarily the case in other countries. It will therefore be necessary to examine the regulations on a case-by-case basis. If mega trucks were to be adopted throughout Europe, STEF could consider providing specialized training for its drivers.

For Sébastien Dortignac, these longer vehicles will inevitably change the way they drive: “The special feature of these vehicles is their double articulation, so you need a certain amount of experience to reverse or maneuver them. As with all new developments, they need to be supported, and training is even more important with mega-trucks.”

Integrating a fleet of mega-trucks also raises operational issues. At STEF, for example, not all of our sites are large enough to accommodate a long vehicle at the dock. Space is also needed to unhitch the second trailer and unload both simultaneously at two docks.

Are mega-trucks part of the solution for decarbonizing road freight transport? The question remains unanswered.

Originally, the revision of truck weight and dimension rules presented to the European Parliament aimed to encourage the development of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles by allowing additional space for battery or hydrogen fuel cells. However, diesel vehicles would also benefit from this increase to 44 tons (from 40 tons currently) until at least 2035.

While waiting for the details of the law on mega-trucks to be finalized, STEF continues to test mega-trucks in countries where it is legally possible and where there are suitable use cases.

In an aging population that is unfavorable to the transportation industry, mega-trucks may be a short-term solution to combat the driver shortage in Europe. However, this is only a solution to attract younger generations.

In conclusion, mega-trucks are designed for very specific uses. Their use will need to be regulated, but this type of vehicle will not be suitable for all transport applications.

The major challenge remains the decarbonization of the supply chain at a cost that is acceptable to all.

Pitting technologies (electric vs. B100 vs. HVO, etc.) or modes of transport (road vs. rail, etc.) against each other only serves to deny the diversity of logistics in the broadest sense and encourages inertia.

At STEF, we have decided to move forward with the technologies currently available that make decarbonization acceptable to our customers and consumers.