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Longer semi-trailer trial evaluation: annual report 2020

31 Aug 2021

The Department for Transport began a trial of longer semi-trailers (LSTs) for articulated goods vehicles in January 2012 on roads in Great Britain.

The trial aims to see if using longer semi-trailers achieves the anticipated environmental and economic benefits while assessing their impact on road safety.

2020 headline information

Trial take up

Trial maximum: 2,800 LSTs

2,696 (96%)

LSTs registered on current or past vehicle special orders (VSOs) and not registered as scrapped (% of trial target of 2,800 trailers)

2,621 (93%)

LSTs on the road and submitted trial data (% of trial target of 2,800 trailers)

250

Number of operators with trailers on the road and due to submit data in final period of 2020

Utilisation and kilometres (km) saved

 

7.2 million

Journey legs travelled by LSTs during the trial

899 million

km travelled by LSTs during the trial, analysis in 2017 showed LST usage to be 85% trunk, 13% principal and 2% minor roads

66 to 73 million

Vehicle km saved by LST operations (end 2020). Lower – upper estimates (upper includes empty return legs that would also be saved)

Read the Report:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/longer-semi-trailer-trial-evaluation-annual-report-2020?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=28419cad-e020-43ef-b926-8a9b1829daae&utm_content=daily