Why HCT is about more than “larger vehicles”

The drivers behind HCT are well known:

• Higher transport efficiency – more cargo by volume or weight per journey
• Lower emissions per volume- or tonne-kilometre
• Greater competitiveness for Nordic industry, particularly in forestry, mining and long-haul freight

However, experience from the Nordic countries clearly shows that HCT is not simply about permitting heavier or longer vehicles. It represents a system-wide shift that affects:

• Road networks and bridge structures
• Axle configurations and vehicle combinations
• Workshop expertise and maintenance strategies
• Route planning, terminals and digital monitoring, as well as expanded rest areas – which today are often too small to accommodate 34.5-metre combinations

The countries have chosen different approaches, but with the same objective: to transport more goods with fewer vehicles, without compromising safety.

Sweden – from pilot projects to a system for BK4 and 34.5 metres

Sweden is currently transitioning from selective HCT implementation towards a more integrated system-wide approach.

Where Sweden stands today

• BK4 (74 tonnes): By 2024–2025, approximately half of the national road network was open to BK4 traffic. Even more importantly, cooperation between the Swedish Transport Administration and municipalities has enabled an increasing proportion of industrial freight to travel the entire route on BK4 roads without transshipment.
• 34.5 metres: Since 1 December 2023, Sweden has had a national HCT road network of approximately 5,900 km where vehicle combinations up to 34.5 metres are permitted.
• More types of combinations: During 2025, new HCT combinations were approved, several of them harmonised with Finland, improving the conditions for cross-border transport.

Decisions shaping the period 2026–2037

The most important development is that BK4 is no longer regarded as an exception.

• The Swedish Government’s direction is for the entire national BK1 network to be gradually upgraded to BK4 by 2037.
• The target is for the trunk road network to meet BK4 requirements by around 2030, followed by continued expansion to include the strategic road network by 2033 and, ultimately, the entire BK1 network by 2037.
• Municipal and private roads are being mapped to create continuous freight corridors from origin to destination.
• The Swedish Road Traffic Ordinance is being amended to permit additional vehicle combinations within the 34.5-metre limit, for example trailers longer than 12 metres in A-double combinations, as already used in Finland.

For hauliers and bodybuilders, this means that 74-tonne capacity will increasingly become the norm, rather than a specialised solution.

Finland – the mature HCT system

Finland remains Europe’s frontrunner in HCT.

• 76 tonnes was introduced as early as 2013.
• 34.5 metres became the national standard in 2019.
• Long and heavy vehicle combinations are now a natural part of the transport system.

Finland’s experience shows that:

• Road safety does not deteriorate.
• Infrastructure service life can be managed through appropriate axle loads and vehicle requirements.
• When regulations are clear and provide long-term certainty, the industry adapts quickly.

Looking ahead, the focus is on maintenance, removing bottlenecks and influencing EU policy, rather than further increases in weight or length.

Norway – weight before length

Norway has chosen a more gradual approach.

• Since 2022, up to 60 tonnes has been permitted on the BK8 road network.
• During 2026–2030, further weight increases for additional vehicle combinations are being investigated, while investment in bridges and road-bearing capacity continues.
• Trials with 34.5-metre combinations have been under way since November 2025, connecting a road network between Svinesund, Oslo, Gardermoen and Larvik.
• The next step is a proposed new regulatory framework for timber transport allowing up to 74 tonnes for combinations with eight or nine axles. This follows several years of trials with test vehicles.

Denmark – pilots preparing the way for the next step

Denmark combines pilot programmes with gradual regulatory changes.

From 2026

• Increased gross combination weight for EMS1 (25.25 m), from 60 tonnes to 64 tonnes.
• Increased gross combination weight for EMS2 (up to 34.5 m), from 72 tonnes to 74 tonnes.
• Increased gross vehicle weight for two-axle trucks, regardless of fuel type, from 18 tonnes to 20 tonnes.
• Increased gross vehicle weight for three-axle trucks, regardless of fuel type, from 26 tonnes to 28 tonnes.
• Increased gross vehicle weight for five-axle trucks with an axle spacing of more than 7.1 metres, from 40 tonnes to 41 tonnes.

From 2027

• Increased gross combination weight for certain vehicle combinations with seven or more axles, from 56 tonnes to 58 tonnes.
• Since 2024, an extensive double-trailer trial has been under way, involving combinations of up to 34 metres and 72 tonnes between Aarhus and Høje-Taastrup.
• From 2026, additional HCT combinations of up to 34.5 metres will be introduced, including AB-doubles. Technical requirements will also be harmonised with Sweden to facilitate cross-border transport. The permitted weight will also increase to 74 tonnes.

The ambition is to expand the HCT network gradually towards 2030, based on the results of the pilot programmes.

What does this mean for the industry?

One thing is clear: HCT is no longer a trial – it is a new normal that is currently taking shape.

For hauliers, this affects:

• Vehicle selection and lifecycle planning
• Route strategy and terminal structure
• Resale value and cross-border use

For technicians and bodybuilders:

• Adaptation to higher weights and longer combinations
• New competency requirements for vehicle body design and construction
• The decisions made today will determine competitiveness well beyond 2030.

The Nordic countries are moving at different speeds – but in the same direction. Together, they are shaping a new Nordic standard for efficient, safe and sustainable road transport.

The question going forward is not whether HCT will become standard, but how well the industry prepares for it.