The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has legalized the circulation of duotrailers on Spanish roads. Coinciding with the beginning of the year, the body dependent on the Ministry of the Interior has approved Instruction MOV 2023/28 on the issuance of authorizations for Euromodular units, which expands the dimensions allowed for this type of sets.
The duotrailers that we can now see on the roads of our country have a maximum length of 32 meters and can transport up to 72 tons of cargo. These vehicles exceed the dimensions of the megatrucks that arrived in Spain nine years ago with a maximum length of 25.25 meters and up to 60 tons of authorized mass.
The new gigantic trucks legalized by the DGT are made up of two trailers, hence the name duotrailer, pulled by a tractor unit. They are common vehicles in Europe, especially in the Nordic countries due to their specific transportation needs, although more than a hundred of these trucks were already circulating experimentally in Spain since 2018.
After five years of development of these tests with duotrailers of 32 meters in length and 72 tons of maximum allowed mass, the DGT considers that “there is already enough knowledge and accumulated experience” to legalize their circulation in Spain. According to Traffic, “the transportation sector is already prepared” for the regular use of duotrailers that will rival megatrucks.
The green light that duotrailers have received in Spain was included in the proposal to modify the General Vehicle Regulations in the previous legislature. However, the electoral advance prevented its approval and it has now been, with an instruction that has taken the leaders of the sector by surprise, when the DGT has authorized the circulation of these gigantic vehicles on the roads of our country.
The regulations establish that duotrailers must circulate on highways, expressways or multilane roads with separate lanes for each direction of traffic. They can only do so on conventional roads, with a single lane for both directions of traffic, when it is the only viable option to get to the place where the truck will carry out loading and unloading operations. These points must be located in industrial estates, logistics centers or similar areas, as stated in point 2.3 of the instruction.
Likewise, the regulations establish that duotrailers may not circulate on conventional roads when there are adverse meteorological phenomena that pose a risk to circulation, such as rain, fog or snow. They will also not be able to do so when visibility is less than 150 meters.
Without a doubt, overtaking a truck of these characteristics represents a major challenge for drivers. The length of a duotrailer – 32 meters – is equivalent to the length of eight utility cars and it is for this reason that the DGT limits its circulation on certain roads.
In its publications, the DGT offers a series of tips to make the overtaking maneuver as safe as possible. The basic rules are three: overtake only when it is safe and with visibility, leave a safe distance and take extreme caution when weather conditions are unfavorable.
When starting the maneuver, it is essential to ensure that there are no signs or continuous lines that prohibit overtaking, and that vehicles traveling in the opposite direction will not be hindered or endangered. After carrying out these checks, it is essential to clearly communicate your intentions to other users by signaling the maneuver with the use of the turn signal.
During overtaking, we must maintain an adequate lateral distance from the vehicle we are passing, which must be proportional to the speed, width and characteristics of the road, as well as the type of vehicle being overtaken. In the case of overtaking a truck, you must keep in mind the screen effect that occurs at the end of the maneuver, returning to the lane as soon as possible and signaling the action with the corresponding turn signals.
