Thirty CEOs of leading European trailer manufacturers have jointly called on the European Commission and the European Parliament to revise the current CO₂ regulations for trailers. According to the industry, climate goals are important, but the regulations need to better align with the realities of European road transport.

The current regulation evaluates trailers using the VECTO tool, which relies on standardized reference data and usage profiles. However, according to the signatories, this method does not sufficiently account for how trailers are actually used. Factors such as load capacity, load factor, route profiles, and various logistics applications have a significant impact on total emissions in practice.

According to the manufacturers, that is precisely where the problem lies. When regulations lead to design changes that reduce a trailer’s cargo capacity, more trips are needed to transport the same amount of goods. That means more empty kilometers, more vehicles on the road, and ultimately, possibly even higher total CO₂ emissions.

The sector emphasizes that it fully supports the European climate goals. The joint appeal is therefore not intended to water down the targets, but to ensure that the regulations reflect the actual impact on the road. Ultimately, sustainable logistics is not just about theoretical calculations, but above all about efficiently transporting as much cargo as possible with as few transport movements as possible.

The message to European policymakers is therefore clear: develop regulations that both encourage innovation and are in line with the day-to-day realities of freight transport.