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Europe’s heavy transport industry is closer than ever to achieving meaningful regulatory reform, but success will depend on turning political momentum into practical implementation, according to Miguel Flórez de la Colina, the new Director of the European Association of Abnormal Road Transport and Mobile Cranes (ESTA).
Speaking shortly after taking over the role on July 1, Flórez said securing approval of the revised EU Weights and Dimensions Directive and the Military Mobility Package represents the industry’s most urgent priority over the next 12 to 18 months.
Brussels reforms remain the immediate focus
Flórez said the proposed revisions have the potential to reshape abnormal transport across Europe by simplifying permitting and creating more consistent operating conditions between member states.
While discussions with Members of the European Parliament and European Commission officials have been encouraging, he cautioned that regulatory approval is only part of the challenge.
Even after new legislation is adopted, inconsistent permit processing and administrative practices across individual countries are likely to remain obstacles.
He noted that obtaining transport permits continues to be slow in several jurisdictions where authorities remain reluctant to modernise bureaucratic procedures.
Infrastructure presents an equally significant concern. According to Flórez, many governments still lack accurate information about the condition of bridges and transport corridors capable of carrying exceptional loads, creating uncertainty for operators planning complex projects.
Harmonisation remains within reach
ESTA has spent years advocating for greater consistency in abnormal transport regulations across Europe.
Flórez believes the current legislative process offers the strongest opportunity yet to achieve meaningful harmonisation, although negotiations remain ongoing.
Rather than reducing regulation altogether, he argued that Europe needs common, efficient rules applied consistently across all member states.
Without harmonised legislation, regulatory responsibility would increasingly fall back to national and regional governments, creating fragmented requirements that weaken the European single market.
He illustrated the current challenges with an example from his own experience where a special transport required five days to complete a journey of only 20 kilometres because each municipality imposed different restrictions on operating hours.
For operators moving project cargo, such inconsistencies translate directly into higher costs, longer delivery schedules and increased planning complexity.
Modern equipment outpaces existing regulations
Flórez also highlighted the rapid growth in the use of Self Propelled Modular Transporters and modular hydraulic trailer systems throughout Europe.
While these technologies have become essential for transporting increasingly large industrial components, regulatory frameworks have struggled to keep pace.
One concern is the growing number of inexperienced operators entering the market through equipment rental without formal specialist training.
To address this, ESTA is developing dedicated training programmes for SPMT operators alongside a series of best practice guides covering modular hydraulic suspended trailers and SPMTs.
He argued that regulators often fail to recognise that modern modular trailer systems distribute axle loads far more effectively than conventional transport equipment, reducing infrastructure stress in many situations.
At the same time, reductions in engineering expertise within local authorities increasingly require transport companies to perform their own bridge and route assessments, even when identical routes have already been surveyed for previous projects.
That duplication adds unnecessary cost and delays to heavy transport operations.
Digital permits remain uneven across Europe
Digital permitting continues to be another area where progress has been slower than many operators expected.
Flórez said the current legislative proposals include several practical improvements, including one stop permit offices within each country, standardised application forms, multilingual electronic permit systems and wider adoption of Europe wide abnormal load documentation.
He acknowledged that creating a single digital permitting platform covering the entire European Union remains unrealistic for now.
However, implementing common digital standards at national level would represent a significant operational improvement for transport companies working across multiple jurisdictions.
Industry recognition continues to grow
Drawing on more than two decades of experience in heavy lifting and exceptional transport, Flórez said policymakers are increasingly recognising the strategic importance of abnormal transport.
Although the sector represents only a relatively small part of Europe’s economy, it supports industries ranging from renewable energy and heavy manufacturing to defence infrastructure and major construction projects.
He said one continuing objective is ensuring governments consider heavy transport requirements when planning new infrastructure rather than addressing them only after projects are complete.
As Europe continues investing in wind energy, defence capability and industrial development, Flórez believes closer coordination between policymakers and the heavy transport sector will become increasingly important.
Alongside legislative priorities, ESTA also plans to continue developing the European Crane Operators Licence and the European Trailer Operator Licence, building on initiatives started under former Director Ton Klijn.
For Flórez, success will ultimately be measured not only by legislation passed in Brussels, but by whether operators experience faster permitting, more consistent regulations and safer working standards across Europe.
