A European Union directive is being amended to harmonise the way different countries classify mobile cranes in their highway regulations.
Until now, some countries in Europe such as France and Austria, classify mobile cranes as trucks, while others, such as Germany and the UK, classify them as machinery. For this reason, some manufacturers have to produce slightly different versions of certain models for different countries within the EU. Liebherr is a different case, all the cranes it produces are built to German standards of 12t per axle and any modifications needed are carried out by the end user.
The mobile crane group of the Federation Europeenne de la Manutention has spent almost three years discussing how to clarify the European Union directive 70156 (Road Requirements), working together with the Motor Vehicle Working Group and the Adaption to Technical Progress Committee.
The change to the current legislation, if finally approved, will see mobile cranes classed as ‘special purpose vehicles’ and able to travel freely on roads throughout the EU.
An attempt to clarify the directive was made in 1998 when a ‘drive past noise’ test was added. Cranes were deemed too noisy on the road to be considered trucks. However, the French and the Austrians continued to observe their own domestic regulations which classify mobile cranes as trucks.
The UK delegate for FEM’s mobile crane division, Tim Faithfull, said he expected the directive to be amended by the end of this year.
Further changes to legislation are also being prepared for other types of construction and agricultural machinery to harmonise their status in road regulations.
