France: 44 tons only for national transport

With the publication of new legislation, France has put an end to all uncertainty about the maximum weight for cross-border transport. From January 1, 2022, the limit will be a maximum of 40 tons. 44 tons is only allowed for intermodal transport. In 2013, France increased the maximum weight for trucks from 40 to 44 tons. This increase formally only applies to national transport. After all, the (mandatory) regulations of the European Transport Directive 96/53/EC apply to cross-border transport. Based on this, the maximum weight is 40 resp. 44 tons for intermodal transport. For national transport, the directive allows countries to allow higher weights. The Netherlands with 50 tons and France with 44 tons, among others, make use of this. Legal basisThe 44 tons could only apply to national transport. In practice, 44 tons were also driven a lot between the Benelux and France. It was officially not allowed, but shippers in particular saw it differently. According to them, it lacked a ...