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February 8, 2001 1:00 PM, EST

LONDON — British truckers won the right to add three tons of capacity to their rigs on Feb. 1 as the central government increased the maximum weight for six-axle tractor-trailers to just over 97,000 pounds.

Trucking and shipper groups in the United Kingdom hailed the move as a step forward for efficiency and said the environment should benefit from having fewer trucks traveling the roads. But environmental advocates called the growth of truck weights a mistake.

The weight increase and the arguments in favor of it mirror the regulatory change some trucking companies and shippers in the United States have been lobbying for, and the British experience could provide a proving ground for the concept.

Previously, the weight cap for British trucks was 41 metric tons, or just under 90,390 pounds. A metric ton equals 1,000 kilograms, or 2,205 pounds.

For the full story, see the Feb. 5 print edition of Transport Topics. .

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