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High Capacity Transport (HCT)

33,5 meter lång lastbil utanför falköping

From the first of December 2023, 34.5-meter-long trucks may drive on parts of Sweden's roads.

The introduction of longer vehicles is an issue that has been investigated for almost 15 years and 10 years ago, in 2012 started the High Capacity Transport (HCT)-project on CLOSER. CLOSER has since been the hub for the research conducted within the program.

 

The journey continues, now the road network must be able to carry the trucks. Something Sweden's municipalities are responsible for.

Fotografi på man i skjorta, leer och har en röd industriell bakgrund.

"It feels very good that now, after 15 years of research, we are taking the first and important step in the implementation of 34.5 m, mainly in view of the environmental and financial gains that exist.

In order to get the full benefit, however, it is required that the vehicles can get all the way to the terminal and there the municipalities have an important role as that part is almost always on municipal roads."

Says Thomas Asp, Project Manager, HCT, CLOSER

– Det är glädjande att arbetet med att tillåta längre fordon i Sverige tagit fart. För oss är längre fordon en viktig åtgärd för att minska våra utsläpp av klimatgaser eftersom det då blir färre antal fordon på våra vägar.

säger Ylva Öhrnell, hållbarhetschef, DHL Freight.

"The road network designated by the Swedish Transport Administration for longer vehicles is a big first step for us to implement longer vehicles in our daily traffic. To do this, however, we are dependent on the municipal roads being opened up for this traffic. Therefore, we hope that all municipalities will have a clear and smooth process for allowing longer vehicles.

Ylva Öhrnell, Sustainability Manager, DHL Freight

An increased use of HCT vehicles would increase energy efficiency and thereby reduce CO2 emissions and increase the capacity of the infrastructure system. CLOSER is responsible for an R&D program called HCT (High Capacity Transport) where the goal is to be able to propose a regulatory framework that makes it possible to introduce longer and heavier vehicles on parts of the Swedish road network.

The definition of HCT is that it is longer and / or heavier than current regulations allow.

CLOSER is responsible for running the HCT program and it includes 10 work packages according to the figure below. CLOSER is also responsible for the work package; International cooperation. A Nordic HCT conference is arranged annually and an Annual Report is also published.

The desire for additional state connection roads

There is still the possibility of supplementing with more state connection roads.

The Swedish Transport Administration continues to conduct dialogue with municipalities in connection with the designated road network during the autumn of 2023.

Requests and needs for additional state connection roads need to be received by the Swedish Transport Administration by 31 December 2023 at the latest. The additional state roads recorded during the autumn can hopefully be included in the road network on 1 July 2024.

 

Vehicle requirements

For it to be possible for a road operator, the Swedish Transport Administration or a municipality, to prescribe to allow long trucks (vehicle trains) up to 34.5 meters, it is also required that there are vehicle requirements decided, something that the Swedish Transport Agency is responsible for. The vehicle requirements have been under review in the spring of 2023 and came into force on 15 September 2023. See also link below for more information on the Swedish Transport Agency's vehicle requirements.

Transportstyrelsens fordonskrav

The innovation journey for HCT

Take part in the innovation journey for the HCT project where several actors played and still play a major role in the development and implementation of HCT on the Swedish roads. You can do this either in video format or in report format.

The innovation work continues

 

"There are also remaining research questions, for example to be able to open additional road networks, so a pilot project is needed where traffic safety issues are looked at and another thing is how the 34.5 m vehicles can best be used "practically" in the logistics system"

says Thomas Asp, Project Manager, HCT, CLOSER

HCT

HCT Duo Demo

The HCT Duo Demo project tests the use of longer vehicle combinations for transportation between Hallsberg and Örebro. The aim is to investigate the effects of utilizing these longer vehicle configurations on transport efficiency, transport costs, and traffic safety, among other aspects.
Duo2-lastbil

Projects within the HCT program implemented.

In the Duo2 project, two parallel pilots are underway between Gothenburg and Malmö with the goal of reducing vehicle fuel consumption by up to 20%.

Do you want to know more about Duo2?

Lastning på en kombiterminal

What are the effects of allowing HCT for transport to/from combi terminals?

The study was initiated by CLOSER and was carried out as a continuation of the work that CLOSER and the Swedish Transport Administration have jointly carried out within the framework of the HCT programme . 

The work analyzed the potential effects regarding transport efficiency, environment and costs that could arise if HCT was used to a greater extent for transport to and from intermodal railway terminals. Furthermore, it was studied what possible obstacles there are to introducing HCT transport in Sweden on a wider front. The work also included extensive monitoring of the environment in which the majority of combi terminal owners/operators, transporters and experts within the academy were interviewed.

The results of the study show great potential effects of HCT in the form of reduced emissions and reduced transport costs by up to 15%.

News on HCT

Man is standing on a stage with his microphone in his hand, smiling out to the croud

Status on High Capacity Transport (HCT) 2023

2023-10-23
The Nordic HCT conference has just taken place, where the latest developments in research, experiences from testing, and implementation related to High Capacity Transport (HCT) in the Nordic region...
HCT

On the first of December, 34.5 meter long trucks are allowed to drive on Sweden's roads

2023-06-28
"It is gratifying that the work to allow longer vehicles in Sweden has gained momentum," says Ylva Öhrnell, head of sustainability, DHL Freight. "For us, longer vehicles are an important measure to...
Woman standing on a scene talking in front of people

Cross-border knowledge-sharing to reduce CO2 emissions

2022-10-11
High-Capacity Transport (HCT) refers to transporting things longer and/or heavier than current regulations allow. Increased use of HCT vehicles would increase energy efficiency and thereby reduce CO2...
HCT fordon

Really long trucks will soon be driving on Sweden's roads

2022-06-22
The government is now opening up for 34.5 meter long trucks to be able to drive on Swedish roads, which has been made possible thanks to solid work within CLOSER's network. Something that will bring...

Event

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Online and Conference room Pascal at Lindholmspiren 3-5, Göteborg
Lång lastbil står framför fartygscontainrar

Nordic HCT Conference 2023

The conference reported on the latest developments in research, experiences from tests, and...
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Gothenburg, Sweden
BUSS på landsväg, omges av åkrar en strålande sommardag

Nordic HCT conference 2024

Invitation to the Nordic HCT Conference 2024 The Nordic HCT conference 2024 will be on October 9...

To control the HCT program, we have a working group that convenes four meetings annually in which both those responsible for each work package and other members of CLOSER participate.

We have also developed a roadmap for HCT with a series of measures to be implemented in the coming years.

HCTs arbetspaket

Work packages within HCT. (English version will be available soon)

If you want to know more about High Capacity Transport, get in touch with

Fotografi på man i skjorta, leer och har en röd industriell bakgrund.

Thomas Asp

Project manager
HCT - High CapacityTransport
daniel-moback

Daniel Moback

Focus area manager long-distance transport