Longer Truck to Reduce CO 2 Emissions: Study and Proposal Accepted for Analysis in Spain

The transport industry in the European Union plays a key role in the economy. However, due to persistent political, social, and technological changes, examining optimization strategies in transportation has become a crucial task to minimize expenditure, promote sustainable solutions, and address environmental degradation concerns. This study analyzes the effectiveness of a new truck trailer design, adapted from existing European models, which improves load capacity through an extended trailer length. The increased length (and, by extension, volume) is expected to reduce the number of vehicles for freight transportation, thereby improving road congestion and reducing environmental impacts, which include GHG emissions and overall carbon footprint. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive analysis of current European regulations on articulated vehicles and road trains was carried out, alongside a review of related case studies implemented or under development across the European Union member states. Additionally, a pilot study was conducted using the proposed 18 m semi-trailer across 14 real-life freight routes involving loads from several suppliers and manufacturers. This study therefore demonstrates the economic benefits and reduction in pollutant emissions related to the extended design and evaluates its impact on road infrastructure conditions, given the total length of 20.55 m.