Mega truck madness

THE Spanish General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has published a document laying out conditions and protocols for the circulation of vehicles known as ‘mega trucks’ on the country’s road network.

Known by several innocuous names, including ‘Gigaliner’, ‘EcoLiner’, ‘Eurocombi’, ‘innovative commercial vehicle’ and ‘long and heavy vehicle (LHV)’, these tarmac-munching behemoths essentially consist of a standard articulated truck with two or three additional trailers attached.

Designed to ‘improve’ logistics, safety and efficiency, mega trucks are already legal in the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden, although their use is controversial with plenty of opposition from environmentalists, road safety experts, and the rail industry.

Among the suite of requirements required to apply for a license to drive one in Spain, which will be available in “a few months,” is the unsettling regulation that these mammoth motors are able to overtake vehicles travelling at less than 45 kilometres per hour on single lane roads.

Considering that a mega truck can measure in excess of 25 metres and weigh 60 tonnes, slightly more than a Boeing 737-300, this represents a potentially terrifying prospect for drivers of family cars and other small vehicles.

Could we soon see fleets of these monsters leaving Algeciras and other ports across the country?