On 15 April 2025, new permissible lengths for vehicle combinations take effect in Sweden. The aim is to increase the efficiency and reduce the costs of wheeled transport on selected roads.
Sweden has been at the forefront of solutions for long vehicle combinations for years. For a long time, it has allowed a length of 25.25m, which is only just being considered in European Union countries. This time, the Swedish Transport Agency, in accordance with TSFS regulation 2025:17, has decided to increase the permissible length of them to 34.5m. This involves a number of possible truck/tractor-trailer/semi-trailer combinations:
- Nordic combination of approximately 27m (rigid truck up to 12m + trailer up to 13.65m),
- A-double (tractor unit + semi-trailer + dolly + semi-trailer)
- AB-double (rigid truck + dolly + semi-trailer)
- B-double (tractor unit + semi-trailer with fifth wheel + semi-trailer)
- C-double (rigid truck + centre-axle trailer + centre-axle trailer, maximum height of vehicles 4m)
All vehicle combinations must comply with the relevant safety conditions and be equipped with ABS and automatic brake system activation at low speeds. In addition, vehicles with a minimum of three axles must have a stability system, and the driver must have a view of the right side of the convoy from the cab. At speeds above 40 km/h, only the front axles of the towing vehicle may be steerable, while some trailer axles must be actively or passively steerable at lower speeds (below 30 km/h) to improve the manoeuvrability of the combination. Dedicated markings for sets longer than 25.25m have also been introduced. At the same time, the speed limit for sets of two trailers/semi-trailers has been increased to 80 km/h under certain conditions.
Increasing the length of vehicle combinations is an interesting way to increase transport efficiency, but this can only be done under certain road conditions – on selected routes and with specific infrastructure. Long combinations have limited manoeuvrability and also force the use of powerful engines in towing vehicles. They are also more difficult to overtake, resulting in changes in traffic congestion.
Sweden is not the only country that has approved the use of long vehicle combinations exceeding the standard 16.5m (tractor + semi-trailer) and 18.75m (truck + trailer). Denmark and Spain have also done so.
