Research and analysis

Longer semi-trailer trial evaluation: annual report 2020

Summary of research and findings from year 9 of the longer semi-trailer (LST) trial evaluation.

• From: Department for Transport
• Published: 25 August 2021

Documents

Evaluation of the Longer Semi-Trailer Trial: annual report 2020 update

PDF, 2.29 MB, 70 pages

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Details

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)

Published 25 August 2021