Sir, Consider the impact the past restrictions on vehicle length have had on loading unit dimensions and the knock on effect the wide range of ILUs and swapbodies have had on handling complexity and transfer overheads. Many of us would like see freight moved to the railways where appropriate. But, the key is not hold back development nor to follow road transport down every evolutionary step at massive cost nor lead the way with rail or road bias solutions but together we need to define and embrace a generic loading unit that is economic for all modes and readily transferable between modes.

At 8.25 meters (27-foot) long this generic loading unit holds 20 Euro pallets (0.8m wide) equally as efficiently as 16 Imperial pallets (1m wide) - no geographical bias. It would be economic to transport and readily transferable between modes - no modal bias and could be moved one at a time on small rigids or in multiples on LHVs across both developing and developed countries - no economic bias

Carl Henderson, Silvertip Design,

There is enormous potential in the UK for freight to go by rail and by ship. Why is this not being exploited?
Damage to road surfaces due to vehicles increases as the cube of the increase in weight. In other words, HGVs are responsible for all the damage to roads and bridges. Why are they not made to pay in proportion to the damage caused?
In France through traffic of HGVs is banned from local roads if there is a motorway alternative; and the law is obeyed. Moreover HGVs are banned from moving at all on Sundays and on bank holidays before 10 pm . Why cannot the UK adopt these perfectly sensible measures?
In a collision between two vehicles of disproportionate weight, there is no doubt that the occupants of the lighter vehicle are more likely to come off worst.

Terence Hollingworth, Blagnac, France

Totally unreasonable to mix passenger cars and heavy goods vehicles on the same highway. Look at the difference in size and weight. Passenger car occupants are placed at far greater risk simply because governments can't get their goods transportation act together.

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Nagano