IN COOPERATION WITH

American Association of State Highway 

and Transportation Officials

National Cooperative Highway 

Research Program

SPONSORED BY

Commercial Motor Vehicle Size and

Weight Enforcement in Europe

July 2007 n International Technology Scanning Program
NOT I C E

The Federal Highway Administration provides high-quality 

information to serve Government, industry, and the public 

in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards 

and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, 

objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and 

processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.
1. Report No.

FHWA-PL-07-002

2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

Commercial Motor Vehicle Size and 

Weight Enforcement in Europe

5. Report Date

July 2007

6. Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s) 

Jeff Honefanger, Julie Strawhorn, Rick Athey, 

Jodi Carson, George Conner, David Jones, 

Tom Kearney, John Nicholas, Pam Thurber, 

Randy Woolley

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

American Trade Initiatives

P.O. Box 8228

Alexandria, VA 22306-8228

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH61-99-C-005

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Office of International Programs

Office of Policy

Federal Highway Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation

American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. Supplementary Notes

FHWA COTR: Hana Maier, Office of International Programs

16. Abstract

Continued growth in commerce and traffic congestion makes it difficult for industry to move freight 

economically without using larger and heavier loads. This trend challenges the effective and efficient 

monitoring of vehicle size and weight compliance. The Federal Highway Administration, American 

Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and National Cooperative Highway Research 

Program sponsored a scanning study to evaluate procedures and technologies for enforcing commercial 

motor vehicle size and weight laws in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and 

Switzerland.

The scan team learned that the European countries use various technologies, such as bridge weigh-in-motion 

systems, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of motor vehicle size and weight enforcement. The team 

observed a greater use of mobile enforcement activities and fewer fixed roadside weight facilities in Europe 

than in the United States. 

The team’s recommendations for U.S. implementation include a pilot installation of a bridge weighin-motion system, a demonstration of the European mobile enforcement approach to prescreening 

suspected overweight vehicles, and a synthesis of existing research on linkages between overweight 

commercial motor vehicles and roadway safety.

17. Key Words

commercial motor vehicle, enforcement technology, 

harmonization, mobile enforcement, overweight/

oversize vehicle, vehicle size and weight, 

weigh-in-motion

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions. This document is available to the public from the: 

Office of International Programs,

FHWA-HPIP, Room 3325, U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Washington, DC 20590

international@fhwa.dot.gov

www.international.fhwa.dot.gov

19. Security Classify. (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classify. (of this page)

Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

100

22. Price

Free

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized

Technical Report Documentation Page
Disclaimer

This document is disseminated with the cooperation of 

American Trade Initiatives under the sponsorship of the 

U.S. Department of Transportation, the American 

Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 

and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program 

for the interest of information exchange. The United States 

Government assumes no liability for its contents or the 

use thereof. This report does not constitute a standard, 

specification, or regulation. The United States Government 

does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade and 

manufacturers’ names appear in this report only because 

they are considered essential to the objective of the 

document.
Commercial Motor Vehicle Size and

Weight Enforcement in Europe

Jeff Honefanger (cochair)

Ohio DOT

Julie Strawhorn (cochair)

FHWA

Rick Athey

Arizona DOT

Jodi L. Carson (report facilitator)

Texas Transportation Institute

George Conner

Alabama DOT

David Jones

FHWA

Tom Kearney

FHWA

John Nicholas

Washington State Patrol

Pam Thurber

Vermont Agency of Transportation

Randy Woolley

California DOT

for

Federal Highway Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation

American Association of State 

Highway and Transportation Officials

National Cooperative Highway 

Research Program

July 2007 

Prepared by the International Scanning Study Team:
iv | CHAPTER ONE
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 

Acknowledgments

T his report was developed in cooperation

with the members of the scan team and 

numerous individuals who served as resources 

for information on commercial motor vehicle 

size and weight enforcement activities in the countries 

investigated. Special thanks are extended to the following 

individuals for their assistance in this study:

Slovenia

◗ Ales Znidaric, Slovenia National Building and 

Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG)

◗ Robert Brozovic, Cestel

◗ Igor Lavric, Slovenia National Building and 

Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG)

◗ Dean Herenda, Slovenia Ministry of Transport

◗ Ljiljana Herga, Sector for Road Maintenance, 

Directorate of the Republic of Slovenia for Roads

◗ Mladen Loncar, Traffic Enforcement Section, 

Uniformed Police, Slovenia Ministry of the Interior

Switzerland

◗ Christoph Kaeser, Swiss Federal Roads Authority 

(FEDRO)

◗ Roland Aellen, Road Traffic Division, Swiss Federal 

Roads Authority (FEDRO)

◗ Lily Poulikakos, Empa

◗ Martin Arraigada, Empa

◗ Rico Muff, Empa

◗ Ewald Weber, Zurich Canton Police

◗ Walter Baumgartner, Winterthur Canton Police

Germany

◗ Martin Rickmann, Toll Collect

◗ Harald Lindlar, Satellic Traffic Management

◗ Christian Silzer, Toll Collect

◗ Siegfried Klar, Toll Collect, Enforcement

◗ Ralf Meschede, German Federal Research Institute 

(BASt)

The Netherlands

◗ Hans van Saan, Road and Hydraulic Engineering 

Institute, Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and 

Water Management

◗ Hans van Loo, Road and Hydraulic Engineering Institute, 

Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water 

Management

◗ Pieter Stienstra, Director, Road and Hydraulic 

Engineering Institute, Dutch Ministry of Transport, 

Public Works, and Water Management

◗ Bert de Wit, Road and Hydraulic Engineering Institute, 

Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water 

Management

◗ Govert Sweere, Road and Hydraulic Engineering 

Institute, Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works, 

and Water Management

◗ Jean-Marie Stam, Road and Hydraulic Engineering 

Institute, Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works, 

and Water Management

◗ Jan Kramer, National Traffic Management Center, 

Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water 

Management

◗ Kees Hersbach, Inspectorate of Transport, Dutch Ministry 

of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management

◗ Gerben Visser, Kalibra International

◗ Danny van Grondelle, National Police Services Agency, 

Traffic Police Division

Belgium

◗ Xavier Cocu, Belgian Road Research Center (BRRC)

◗ Davy Decock, Belgian Road Research Center (BRRC)

◗ Charles Surmont, Directorate General for Energy and 

Transport, European Commission, European Union

◗ Eddy Grief, Belgian Federal Police Services

◗ Jo Goossens, Flemish Road Administration

◗ Steve Phillips, Forum of European National Highway 

Research Laboratories (FEHRL)

France

◗ Bernard Jacob, Laboratoire Central des Ponts et 

Chaussees (LCPC)

◗ Victor Dolcemascolo, Laboratoire Central des Ponts et 

Chaussees (LCPC)

◗ Bouteldja Mohamed, Laboratoire Central des Ponts et 

Chaussees (LCPC)

◗ Daniel Stanczyk, Infrastructure Technical Research 

Institute, East Laboratory (CETE de l’Est)

◗ David Gil, Infrastructure Technical Research Institute, 

East Laboratory (CETE de l’Est)

◗ Roger Bour, Infrastructure Technical Research Institute, 

East Laboratory (CETE de l’Est)

◗ Charles Thiounn, Division of Sea and Transport, French 

Ministry of Transport
vi

T he International Technology Scanning 

Program, sponsored by the Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA), the 

American Association of State Highway 

and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and 

the National Cooperative Highway Research Program 

(NCHRP), accesses and evaluates innovative foreign 

technologies and practices that could significantly benefit 

U.S. highway transportation systems. This approach 

allows for advanced technology to be adapted and put 

into practice much more efficiently without spending 

scarce research funds to re-create advances already 

developed by other countries.

FHWA and AASHTO, with recommendations from 

NCHRP, jointly determine priority topics for teams of 

U.S. experts to study. Teams in the specific areas being 

investigated are formed and sent to countries where 

significant advances and innovations have been made in 

technology, management practices, organizational structure, program delivery, and financing. Scan teams usually 

include representatives from FHWA, State departments 

of transportation, local governments, transportation trade 

and research groups, the private sector, and academia. 

After a scan is completed, team members evaluate 

findings and develop comprehensive reports, including 

recommendations for further research and pilot projects 

to verify the value of adapting innovations for U.S. use. 

Scan reports, as well as the results of pilot programs 

and research, are circulated throughout the country to 

State and local transportation officials and the private 

sector. Since 1990, about 70 international scans have 

been organized on topics such as pavements, bridge 

construction and maintenance, contracting, intermodal 

transport, organizational management, winter road 

maintenance, safety, intelligent transportation 

systems, planning, and policy. 

The International Technology Scanning Program has 

resulted in significant improvements and savings in 

road program technologies and practices throughout 

the United States. In some cases, scan studies 

have facilitated joint research and technology-sharing 

projects with international counterparts, further 

conserving resources and advancing the state of 

the art. Scan studies have also exposed transportation 

professionals to remarkable advancements and inspired 

implementation of hundreds of innovations. The result: 

large savings of research dollars and time, as well 

as significant improvements in the Nation’s 

transportation system.

Scan reports can be obtained through FHWA free 

of charge by e-mailing international@fhwa.dot.gov. 

Scan reports are also available electronically and can 

be accessed on the FHWA Office of International 

Programs Web Site at www.international.fhwa.dot.gov.

International Technology

Scanning Program
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE vii

International Technology

Scan Reports

Safety 

Safety Applications of Intelligent Transportation Systems

in Europe and Japan (2006)

Traffic Incident Response Practices in Europe (2006)

Underground Transportation Systems in Europe: Safety, 

Operations, and Emergency Response (2006)

Roadway Human Factors and Behavioral Safety in Europe 

(2005) 

Traffic Safety Information Systems in Europe and Australia 

(2004) 

Signalized Intersection Safety in Europe (2003) 

Managing and Organizing Comprehensive Highway Safety 

in Europe (2003) 

European Road Lighting Technologies (2001) 

Commercial Vehicle Safety, Technology, and Practice in 

Europe (2000) 

Methods and Procedures to Reduce Motorist Delays in 

European Work Zones (2000) 

Innovative Traffic Control Technology and Practice in 

Europe (1999) 

Road Safety Audits—Final Report and Case Studies (1997) 

Speed Management and Enforcement Technology: Europe 

and Australia (1996) 

Safety Management Practices in Japan, Australia, and 

New Zealand (1995) 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety in England, Germany, and 

the Netherlands (1994)

Planning and Environment 

Active Travel Management: The Next Step in Congestion 

Management (2007)

Managing Travel Demand: Applying European 

Perspectives to U.S. Practice (2006)

Transportation Asset Management in Australia, Canada, 

England, and New Zealand (2005)

Transportation Performance Measures in Australia, 

Canada, Japan, and New Zealand (2004)

European Right-of-Way and Utilities Best Practices (2002)

Geometric Design Practices for European Roads (2002) 

Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Across European Highways 

(2002) 

Sustainable Transportation Practices in Europe (2001) 

Recycled Materials In European Highway Environments 

(1999) 

European Intermodal Programs: Planning, Policy, and 

Technology (1999) 

National Travel Surveys (1994) 

Policy and Information 

European Practices in Transportation Workforce 

Development (2003) 

Intelligent Transportation Systems and Winter Operations 

in Japan (2003) 

Emerging Models for Delivering Transportation Programs 

and Services (1999) 

National Travel Surveys (1994) 

Acquiring Highway Transportation Information from Abroad 

(1994) 

International Guide to Highway Transportation Information 

(1994) 

International Contract Administration Techniques for 

Quality Enhancement (1994) 

European Intermodal Programs: Planning, Policy, and 

Technology (1994) 

International Technology

Scanning Program: 

Bringing Global Innovations

to U.S. Highways
viii viii | INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY SCAN REPORTS CHAPTER ONE

Operations 

Commercial Motor Vehicle Size and Weight Enforcement 

in Europe (2007)

Active Travel Management: The Next Step in Congestion 

Management (2007)

Managing Travel Demand: Applying European 

Perspectives to U.S. Practice (2006)

Traffic Incident Response Practices in Europe (2006)

Underground Transportation Systems in Europe: 

Safety, Operations, and Emergency Response (2006)

Superior Materials, Advanced Test Methods, and 

Specifications in Europe (2004) 

Freight Transportation: The Latin American Market (2003) 

Meeting 21st Century Challenges of System Performance 

Through Better Operations (2003) 

Traveler Information Systems in Europe (2003) 

Freight Transportation: The European Market (2002) 

European Road Lighting Technologies (2001) 

Methods and Procedures to Reduce Motorist Delays in 

European Work Zones (2000) 

Innovative Traffic Control Technology and Practice in 

Europe (1999) 

European Winter Service Technology (1998) 

Traffic Management and Traveler Information Systems 

(1997) 

European Traffic Monitoring (1997) 

Highway/Commercial Vehicle Interaction (1996)

Winter Maintenance Technology and Practices—

Learning from Abroad (1995) 

Advanced Transportation Technology (1994) 

Snowbreak Forest Book—Highway Snowstorm 

Countermeasure Manual (1990) 

Infrastructure—General 

Audit Stewardship and Oversight of Large and 

Innovatively Funded Projects in Europe (2006)

Construction Management Practices in Canada and 

Europe (2005) 

European Practices in Transportation Workforce 

Development (2003) 

Contract Administration: Technology and Practice 

in Europe (2002) 

European Road Lighting Technologies (2001) 

Geometric Design Practices for European Roads (2001)

Geotechnical Engineering Practices in Canada and 

Europe (1999) 

Geotechnology—Soil Nailing (1993)

Infrastructure—Pavements 

Quiet Pavement Systems in Europe (2005)

Pavement Preservation Technology in France, South 

Africa, and Australia (2003)

Recycled Materials In European Highway Environments 

(1999) 

South African Pavement and Other Highway Technologies 

and Practices (1997)

Highway/Commercial Vehicle Interaction (1996)

European Concrete Highways (1992) 

European Asphalt Technology (1990) 

Infrastructure—Bridges 

Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems in Japan and 

Europe (2005) 

Bridge Preservation and Maintenance in Europe and 

South Africa (2005) 

Performance of Concrete Segmental and Cable-Stayed 

Bridges in Europe (2001) 

Steel Bridge Fabrication Technologies in Europe and 

Japan (2001)

European Practices for Bridge Scour and Stream 

Instability Countermeasures (1999) 

Advanced Composites in Bridges in Europe and Japan 

(1997) 

Asian Bridge Structures (1997) 

Bridge Maintenance Coatings (1997) 

Northumberland Strait Crossing Project (1996) 

European Bridge Structures (1995)

All publications are available

on the Internet at: 

www.international.fhwa.dot.gov.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE ix

Contents

Executive Summary ........................................... 1

Scan Purpose and Scope ................................................ 1

General Findings ............................................................. 2

 Enforcement Technologies .......................................... 2

 Enforcement Procedures ............................................. 2

 Unique Data Applications............................................. 3

 Public-Private Funding.................................................. 4

 Harmonization Approaches .......................................... 4

Team Recommendations ................................................ 4

 Slovenia Bridge Weigh-in-Motion................................. 5

 Swiss Heavy Goods Vehicle Control Facility................ 6

 Prescreening for Mobile Enforcement......................... 6

 Applying WIM for Direct Enforcement: A Template 

 for Implementation and Certification ........................... 7

 Behavior-Based Enforcement Activities....................... 7

 Synthesis of Safety Implications of Oversize/

 Overweight Commercial Vehicles................................ 8

 Effective Use of WIM Data: The Dutch Case 

 Study ............................................................................ 8

Next Steps....................................................................... 8

Chapter 1: Introduction..................................... 9

Scan Purpose and Scope ................................................ 9

Scan Team Members ...................................................... 9

Scanning Study Site Selection ...................................... 10

 Prior Scanning Studies ............................................... 10

 Literature Review....................................................... 10 

 Internet Review.......................................................... 11

 U.S. and European Expert Advice.............................. 12

 Site Selection ............................................................. 12

Scanning Study Site Visits............................................. 14

 Slovenia...................................................................... 14

 Switzerland................................................................. 15

 Germany..................................................................... 16

 The Netherlands......................................................... 17

 Belgium ...................................................................... 17

 France......................................................................... 18

Notable Historic Pan-European Projects ....................... 19

 COST 323................................................................... 19

 WAVE ......................................................................... 20

 TOP TRIAL.................................................................. 20

 REMOVE.................................................................... 21

Chapter 2: Enforcement Technologies.. 25

Existing and Emerging CMV Size Enforcement 

Technologies ................................................................. 25

 Switzerland................................................................. 25

 Germany..................................................................... 26

Existing and Emerging CMV Weight Enforcement 

Technologies ................................................................. 26

 Slovenia...................................................................... 26

 Switzerland................................................................. 28

 Germany..................................................................... 29

 The Netherlands......................................................... 30

 Belgium ...................................................................... 31

 France......................................................................... 31

Technology’s Role in CMV Size and Weight 

Enforcement ................................................................. 34

Comparison/Contrast with the United States............... 34

Chapter 3: Enforcement Procedures..... 35

Integrating Technology in CMV Size and Weight 

Enforcement ................................................................. 35

 Slovenia...................................................................... 35

 Switzerland................................................................. 36

 Germany..................................................................... 37

 The Netherlands......................................................... 38

 Belgium ...................................................................... 40

 France......................................................................... 41

Fully Automating CMV Size and Weight 

Enforcement ................................................................. 42

 The Netherlands......................................................... 42

 France......................................................................... 43

Preventing Weigh Station Bypass................................. 44

Accommodating Legally Permitted Oversize/

Overweight CMVs......................................................... 44

Benefits Resulting from Technology Use ..................... 44

Comparison/Contrast with the United States............... 44

Chapter 4: Unique Data Applications..... 47

CMV Size and Weight Data Collection and Use ........... 47

 Slovenia...................................................................... 47

 Switzerland................................................................. 48

 Germany..................................................................... 48

 The Netherlands......................................................... 48

 Belgium ...................................................................... 49
 | CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE

 France......................................................................... 49

Comparison/Contrast with the United States............... 50

Chapter 5: Public-Private Funding............ 51

Unique Funding Sources............................................... 51

 Switzerland................................................................. 51

 Germany..................................................................... 53

Private Sector’s Role in CMV Size and Weight 

Enforcement ................................................................. 54

Trucking Industry’s Role in CMV Size and Weight 

Enforcement ................................................................. 54

Comparison/Contrast with the United States............... 54

Chapter 6: Harmonization Approaches...57

European Union’s Role in CMV Size and Weight 

Enforcement ................................................................. 57

State of Harmonization Within and Among EU 

Members ...........................................................................58

Notable Harmonization Measures................................. 58

Coordination/Communication Procedures and 

Challenges..................................................................... 59

 Forum of European National Highway Research 

 Laboratories................................................................ 59

 European Traffic Police Network................................ 59

 European Control Route............................................. 59

Comparison/Contrast with the United States............... 59

Chapter 7: Recommendations................... 61

Team Recommendations .............................................. 61

 Slovenia Bridge Weigh-in-Motion............................... 61

 Swiss Heavy Goods Vehicle Control Facility.............. 62

 Prescreening for Mobile Enforcement....................... 62

 Applying WIM for Direct Enforcement: A Template 

 for Implementation and Certification ......................... 63

 Behavior-Based Enforcement Activities..................... 63

 Synthesis of Safety Implications of Oversize/

 Overweight Commercial Vehicles.............................. 64

 Effective Use of WIM Data: The Dutch Case Study .. 64

Next Steps..................................................................... 65

References ............................................................ 67

Bibliography........................................................... 69

Appendix A: Scan Itinerary........................... 73

Appendix B: Amplifying Questions......... 77

Appendix C: Scan Team Biographies 

and Contact Information................................ 81

Appendix D: Host Country Contacts...... 85

Figures 

Figure 1. Slovenia: proximity and road network............ 14

Figure 2. Switzerland: proximity and road network ...... 15

Figure 3. Germany: proximity and road network .......... 16

Figure 4. The Netherlands: proximity and road 

network ......................................................................... 17

Figure 5. Belgium: proximity and road network............ 18

Figure 6. France: proximity and road network .............. 19

Figure 7. Dual enforcement/prevention approach ........ 22

Figure 8. Lego approach to enhancing enforcement 

efficiency through technology....................................... 22

Figure 9. Switzerland: vehicle profiler system.............. 25

Figure 10. Switzerland: vehicle profiler system............ 26

Figure 11. Slovenia: bridge WIM system...................... 27

Figure 12. Slovenia: bridge WIM system...................... 27

Figure 13. Slovenia: bridge WIM system...................... 27

Figure 14. The Netherlands: dynamic calibration 

vehicle ........................................................................... 30

Figure 15. The Netherlands: dynamic calibration 

vehicle ........................................................................... 30

Figure 16. The Netherlands: dynamic calibration 

vehicle ........................................................................... 31

Figure 17. France: bridge WIM system test site .......... 33

Figure 18. France: bridge WIM system test site .......... 33

Figure 19. France: bridge WIM system test site .......... 34

Figure 20. Slovenia: mobile enforcement vehicle......... 35

Figure 21. Slovenia: mobile enforcement vehicle......... 36

Figure 22. Slovenia: mobile enforcement..................... 37

Figure 23. Slovenia: mobile enforcement..................... 37

Figure 24. Switzerland: fixed weight/size facility .......... 37

Figure 25. Germany: mobile enforcement vehicle 

for Toll Collect system................................................... 38

Figure 26. The Netherlands: mobile enforcement........ 39

Figure 27. The Netherlands: mobile enforcement........ 39

Figure 28. The Netherlands: mobile enforcement........ 39

Figure 29. The Netherlands: mobile enforcement........ 40

Figure 30. France: mobile enforcement........................ 41

Figure 31. France: mobile enforcement........................ 41

Figure 32. France: mobile enforcement........................ 42

Figure 33. Switzerland: Eureka Logchain Footprint 

Project test site ............................................................. 52

Figure 34. Switzerland: Eureka Logchain Footprint 

Project test site ............................................................. 52

Tables

Table 1. Prior related scan tour reports ......................... 11

Table 2. U.S. and international experts.......................... 12

Table 3. Summary of site recommendation factors...... 13

Table 4. Allowable tolerances by accuracy class........... 20

Table 5. Accuracy class requirements by application.... 21
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE xi

Acronyms and Abbreviations

AASHTO American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials

AVV Transport Research Center (the Netherlands)

BAG German Federal Office for Transport of Goods

BASt Bundesanstalt fur Strassenwesen 

(Germany’s Federal Highway Research Institute)

BRRC Belgian Road Research Center

B-WIM bridge weigh-in-motion

CEN European Committee for Standardization

CMV commercial motor vehicle

DOT department of transportation

DSRC dedicated short-range communications

DWW Road and Hydraulic Engineering Institute 

(the Netherlands) 

ECM Electronic Control Measure

ECR European Control Route

EC European Commission

EP European Parliament

EU European Union

FEDRO Swiss Federal Roads Authority

FEHRL Forum of European National Highway 

Research Laboratories

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

GPS Global Positioning System

GVW gross vehicle weight

HGV heavy goods vehicle

HS-WIM high-speed weigh-in-motion

ICWIM International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion

IR infrared

ITRD International Transport Research Documentation

ITS intelligent transportation system

IVWC International Vehicle Weight Certificate

km kilometer

km/h kilometers per hour

LCPC Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussees 

(France)

m meter

MISTRA Road Traffic Management Information 

System (Switzerland)

MS-WIM multiple-sensor weigh-in-motion

NOR/FAD Nothing-on-the-Road/Free-of-Axle Detector

OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and 

Development

OBU onboard unit

OIML International Organization of Legal Metrology

OS/OW oversize/overweight

REMOVE Requirements for Enforcement of 

Overloaded Vehicles in Europe

SIREDO Systeme Informatise de REcueil de DOnnées 

(France)

PPP public-private partnership

STIT scan tour implementation team 

TIPSOL European Traffic Police Network 

TRIS Transportation Research Information Services

VSW vehicle size and weight

WAVE Weighing-in-Motion of Axles and Vehicles 

for Europe

WIM weigh-in-motion

WIM/VID weigh-in-motion with video

ZAG Zavod za gradbenistvo Slovenije (Slovenia’s 

National Building and Civil Engineering Institute)

COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 

Executive Summary

S ignificant growth in domestic and international 

commerce, coupled with ever-increasing traffic 

congestion and delay on surface transportation 

networks, challenges the ability of industry to 

move freight economically without the use 

of larger and heavier loads. This trend challenges limited 

enforcement resources tasked with monitoring vehicle 

size and weight compliance in the interest of infrastructure preservation and in response to the structural 

constraints of the existing infrastructure. The American 

Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ 

(AASHTO) Technology Implementation Group has 

identified the weigh-in-motion (WIM) concept and its 

capabilities as a focus technology for enhancing the 

effectiveness and efficiency of vehicle size and weight 

enforcement in the United States.

The potential benefits of WIM-based vehicle size and 

weight enforcement extend beyond infrastructure 

preservation to include the following: 

w Improved delivery of enforcement services by 

enhancing effectiveness and efficiency

w Improved commercial motor vehicle productivity 

(i.e., supply chain velocity) by reducing the total 

number of vehicles required to stop for enforcement 

purposes 

w Fewer emissions by reducing unnecessary deceleration, 

idling, and acceleration of compliant vehicles 

w Higher commercial and general motor vehicle 

safety levels by controlling the operation of 

nonpermitted, noncompliant (i.e., overweight or 

oversize) vehicles

w Better data quantity and quality to support pavement 

design, bridge/structural design, traffic engineering, 

and transportation planning efforts, as well as ongoing 

performance monitoring and evaluation of vehicle size

 and weight enforcement programs

The scanning study on commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight (VSW) enforcement, conducted June 16 

through July 2, 2006, included a review and evaluation 

of contemporary European procedures and technologies 

for enforcing commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

laws and regulations.

Based on information obtained from reports on prior 

related scanning studies, published literature, various 

Internet sites, and U.S. and European experts in the 

field, recommended sites for the scanning study included 

France, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and 

Switzerland. In addition to visiting these countries, the 

scan team met with members of the European Union 

(EU) in Brussels, Belgium, to gain perspective on efforts 

to harmonize VSW enforcement activities among 

different countries.

The scanning study was conducted by a team of experts 

in the area of commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement. Jeff Honefanger, AASHTO cochair, and 

Julie Strawhorn, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

cochair, led the 10-member team, which included 

personnel from FHWA (three members), various State 

departments of transportation (DOTs) (five members), law 

enforcement (one member), and academia (one member). 

In addition to breadth across agency types, the team had 

expertise in motor vehicle size and weight technologies, 

procedures, data applications, public-private involvement, 

and harmonization.

Scan Purpose and Scope

The scope of the scanning study included a review and 

evaluation of contemporary European procedures and 

technologies for enforcing commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight laws and regulations. Specifically, the study 

considered the following, as applied in Europe:

w Emerging vehicle size and weight enforcement technologies, including but not limited to third-generation WIM 

devices that can produce reliable evidence of specific 

violations capable of withstanding legal challenge

w Unconventional vehicle size and weight enforcement 

procedures, including but not limited to alternative 

performance-based programs

w Novel uses or applications of WIM data to support 

pavement design, bridge/structural design, traffic 

engineering, transportation planning efforts, or ongoing 

performance monitoring and evaluation of vehicle size 

and weight enforcement programs

w Innovative public-private funding mechanisms for vehicle 

size and weight enforcement technologies or programs
 | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER ONE

w Multinational programs to harmonize administrative and 

operational vehicle size and weight enforcement 

procedures or programs among member countries

Intrinsic benefits related to infrastructure preservation, 

enforcement efficiency and effectiveness, commercial 

motor vehicle productivity, emissions, safety, and data 

quantity and quality were considered concurrently in 

this investigation.

General Findings

General findings and observations resulting from the sixcountry scanning study are summarized below. Findings 

are generally categorized as enforcement technologies, 

enforcement procedures, unique data applications, 

public-private funding, and harmonization approaches.

Enforcement Technologies

w Two of the six countries visited use technology for 

commercial vehicle size enforcement; the Swiss use an 

automated profile measuring device in low-speed applications and the Germans use a gantry laser system in 

high-speed applications. In low-speed applications (less 

than 10 kilometers per hour (km/h)) suitable for legal 

enforcement, these systems were purported to provide 

a more complete and accurate dimensional picture of a 

vehicle and allow enforcement officials to focus on 

other aspects of inspection. In high-speed applications, 

these systems can be used to preselect sizequestionable vehicles from the traffic stream.

w A bridge WIM system is being used successfully and 

extensively in Slovenia, is undergoing tests on several 

bridges in France, and is generating interest in several 

other countries visited. Primary applications include 

preselection for mobile enforcement activities; data 

support for planning, design, and structure analysis; 

overweight permit application processes; and monitoring of alternate routes (i.e., bypass detection). France 

is conducting a field trial to assess the accuracy and 

reliability of SiWIMTM technology and available devices 

and to extend application to other bridge types. To date, 

the Slovenian bridge WIM system has proven most 

successful on short, stiff bridge structures (i.e., integral 

concrete slabs). The Netherlands recently installed one 

bridge WIM system for testing under Dutch highway 

conditions and is now identifying potential bridges for 

implementation.

w Research into the accuracy and durability of fiber 

optic-based, high-speed WIM systems was carried 

out in France in the late 1990s. Upgrades of the 

performance and design of these systems have led to 

field-based testing. Fiber optic-based systems overcome 

detector interference challenges caused by magnetic 

interactions with reinforcement bars in portland cement 

concrete slabs.

w The use of technology to support commercial vehicle 

weight enforcement varies among the countries visited 

on implementation and application extent (the COST 323 

Project lent consistency to deployment site selection 

and accuracy determination through development of a 

European WIM specification). A general consistency, 

however, was noted in the type of WIM sensor (i.e., 

piezoquartz or piezoceramic) used for roadway applications. Previously observed challenges with accuracy 

and maintenance are being addressed in the countries 

visited.

w In general, the accuracy levels attained by WIM systems 

are sufficient for preselection of vehicles to weigh 

on static or low-speed scales for enforcement, for 

infrastructure design and maintenance, and for planning 

and statistical purposes, but are not sufficient for direct, 

automated enforcement.(1) France is nearing use of lowspeed WIM for legal enforcement (i.e., issuing citations 

based directly on low-speed WIM measurements). 

The United Kingdom and Germany reportedly are using 

low-speed WIM for direct enforcement already, although 

this was not observed during the scanning study.

w Both France and the Netherlands are investigating 

the use of multiple-sensor WIM to achieve sufficient 

per-truck accuracy levels to support direct, automated 

enforcement of commercial vehicle weight limits.

w For WIM systems, calibration procedures in use include 

(1) self- or autocalibration, (2) calibration with vehicles 

of a known weight, (3) calibration with instrumented 

vehicles using onboard WIM systems, and (4) 

continuous, ongoing calibration (during enforcement 

efforts) using sample vehicles from the traffic stream 

at the enforcement site weighed both statically 

and in motion. The Netherlands has developed a 

dynamic calibration vehicle that eliminates traditional 

dynamic-to-static measurement adjustments, 

particularly for multiple-sensor WIM installations.

w In general, the use of technology in enforcing both 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight is viewed as 

beneficial in enhancing effectiveness and efficiency. 

For vehicle size enforcement, technology was also 

purported to improve the accuracy of dimensional 

measurements.

Enforcement Procedures

w A greater use of mobile enforcement activities and 

few fixed roadside weigh facilities were consistently 

observed. This strategy results in a lower volume of 

trucks being processed and geographically and geometrically constrained inspection and offloading areas, but 

provides more flexibility to respond to industry loading 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE  

and routing patterns and more efficient and effective 

enforcement action.

w A high level of collaboration in commercial motor vehicle 

size and weight enforcement activities was observed in 

several countries visited between similar agencies of different jurisdictional levels (e.g., national and regional law 

enforcement agencies) and between different agencies 

(e.g., transportation and law enforcement agencies). 

It was also observed that private sector entities work 

closely with government and research bodies to refine 

and enhance product performance and accuracy.

w Weigh-in-motion technology, commonly used with 

video technology, is used to support commercial vehicle 

weight enforcement through (1) real-time preselection 

for mobile enforcement, (2) scheduling time and location 

(to the extent possible) of enforcement activities, and 

(3) directing carrier/company advisory notices of noncompliance (i.e., warning letter) and preventive visits 

(this information is shared with enforcement personnel).

w All countries visited noted consistent or lower weight 

limits on secondary and local roads.

w Many countries visited had truck travel restrictions by 

day of the week (e.g., no truck travel allowed on 

Sundays) or hour of the day (e.g., no truck travel 

allowed after 10 p.m.).

w Many European enforcement entities have dedicated 

personnel for size and weight enforcement. Often, size 

and weight enforcement personnel are not authorized 

to perform duties beyond size and weight enforcement 

(i.e., not authorized to stop vehicles, carry firearms, perform arrests). If an obvious safety, credential, or criminal 

problem is noted, personnel authorized to address these 

issues are called to assist.

w Citation issuance procedures and fine amounts differed 

between and within the countries visited, varying by the 

assumed violator (i.e., driver, carrier, or both), unique 

procedures for foreign drivers and carriers, and the time 

allowed for establishing and responding to the fine (in 

many instances, the fine was immediate). In general, 

the citation amounts were reported to be sufficient as 

a deterrent.

w Fully automated commercial motor vehicle size and 

weight enforcement using high-speed WIM is 

estimated to be 5 to 20 years in the future, as 

purported in France and the Netherlands. Primary 

challenges for high-speed WIM applications include

(1) attaining sufficient accuracy levels for the WIM 

systems (i.e., accuracy class A(5) with respect to 

the COST 323 European specification), (2) gaining 

certification approval from the national metrological 

bodies, and (3) modifying existing laws that require 

static weight measurements. France (as well as the 

United Kingdom and Germany) has obtained approval 

from the national metrology authority to certify lowspeed WIM for use in enforcement, but related legal 

authority to introduce this application by statute is still 

required. In Belgium, low-speed WIM is used for direct 

enforcement, but it is unclear what legal or metrological 

changes were required to support this practice.

w In many of the countries visited, bypass of enforcement 

activities was discussed as a concern. Mobile enforcement activities, by their nature, are generally able to 

address any bypass-related challenges. France has 

integrated bypass considerations as part of its WIM 

site selection process (i.e., locating WIM systems to 

discourage obvious or convenient bypass).

w Unique procedures for addressing oversize/overweight 

(OS/OW) permitting in the countries visited focused on 

(1) the development and provision of Web sites allowing 

truck drivers to self-route based on origin, destination, 

and route restrictions (Switzerland), (2) the use of 

calibrated influence lines derived from bridge WIM to 

calculate safety of the bridge under the special transport 

using the exact axle loadings and spacing (France, 

Slovenia), (3) and remote field verification capabilities 

for OS/OW movements (Slovenia).

w Benefits from the technologies or procedures used are 

not yet precisely quantified. General benefits related to 

increased enforcement efficiency through the use of 

technology (i.e., providing greater enforcement effort 

with less human resource) were reported by Swiss, 

Dutch, and French representatives. The most common 

quantified benefit reported related to onsite enforcement efficiency—the number of overweight penalties 

issued (i.e., warning, citation, etc.) per total trucks 

inspected.

Unique Data Applications

w Real-time WIM system data are used most often for 

preselection during mobile enforcement operations and 

to a lesser extent for scheduling the best days, times, 

and locations for optimum mobile enforcement. Use of 

this data to support planning, historical trend analysis, 

policy and pricing decisions, design, structure analysis, 

permitting, etc., was more limited.

w Data exchange and sharing within the countries visited 

varies. Limited data are exchanged with the European 

Union under special efforts such as the European 

Control Route (ECR).

w Implementation of a European WIM database, as 

envisioned and initiated to a limited extent in the COST 

323 and WAVE Projects, has not been fully realized.

w Data quality was reported to be largely sufficient for 

each of the various applications (i.e., preselection, 

planning, etc.). The most common shortcoming noted 

was geographic coverage.
4 | CHAPTER ONE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Public-Private Funding

w Commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 

is the responsibility of the public agencies (either 

police or transportation), with a few exceptions (the 

Netherlands, Slovenia, and Germany use limited 

authority enforcement personnel). Tolling activities have 

a higher involvement of private management partners.

w Several countries visited demonstrated a high reliance 

on private contractors for services (e.g., setting up 

systems, maintaining software, processing data). In the 

United States, private industry is more often involved 

through supply contracts than service contracts.

w Motivation for investment in commercial vehicle size 

and weight enforcement is often justifiable through 

environmental (e.g., noise, emissions, vibration), road 

safety (e.g., braking and stopping distances), and 

infrastructure (pavement and bridge lifetime preservation) impact considerations. The development of 

enforcement approaches, tools, and techniques is also 

driven by a desire to maintain fair competition among 

industry. In the United States, primary motivators 

include infrastructure preservation and safety, although 

the basis for safety benefits is not well quantified.

w A strong focus on modal shift to rail was observed in 

the countries visited. Low commercial motor vehicle 

weight limitations, nighttime travel restrictions, and 

strict requirements on drivers’ rest periods in 

Switzerland result in significant movements by rail. 

Rail industry unions appear to have an equal or, in some 

instances, stronger voice than trucking industry unions. 

European rail infrastructure is largely government owned 

and operated. The Netherlands also reported a heavy 

reliance on inland waterways for moving freight.

w The countries visited use some form of tolling or pricing 

to help finance roadway operation, maintenance, or 

improvement, with a focus on heavy goods movement. 

The extent and nature (i.e., public-private system 

operation, weight- or size-based for heavy vehicle 

movements) of tolling systems varies from country 

to country, however. None of the tolling schedules 

observed is based on actual or real-time weights. More 

often toll schedules reflect a fixed registered weight 

capacity (e.g., trucks greater than 12 metric tons in 

Germany) and do not distinguish between fully loaded 

or empty transports. This latter trait encourages the 

trucking industry to operate more efficiently to avoid 

paying tolls for empty transports.

w Similarly, the fee structure for special permits is not 

always based on actual or real-time weights, but 

instead reflects a flat-fee structure.

w Emerging user fees (being investigated and developed 

as part of the European EUREKA Footprint Project) 

consider environmental impacts (e.g., noise, vibration, 

emissions) as well as infrastructure impacts for both 

road and rail.

w A noted sensitivity for fair competition among trucking companies exists in both industry and government. Industry is largely supportive of enforcement 

approaches, tools, and techniques that will help 

ensure fair competition. 

w Despite industry support of enforcement efforts in the 

interest of fair competition, direct participation from the 

trucking industry to address commercial vehicle size 

and weight enforcement challenges was observed to 

be minimal. The Netherlands actively sought solutions 

from the trucking industry for size and weight enforcement challenges without any initial actionable feedback. 

Over time, the Dutch trucking industry has responded 

to enhanced commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

controls (e.g., through the use of WIM and weigh-inmotion with video (WIM/VID) systems) by developing 

new or adapting existing vehicle configurations (e.g., 

including additional axles) to increase compliance.

Harmonization Approaches

w Commercial vehicle size and weight limits are largely 

harmonized between member countries for crossborder travel. Country-imposed limits for national travel 

vary, but must not be lower than EU requirements 

except in cases where the infrastructure along 

secondary roads cannot support the load.

w A common goal or priority in decisionmaking for the 

countries visited is consistency within the European 

Union while maintaining the individual country’s 

economic interests. This goal not only applies to 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 

activities, but also to tolling.

w The European Traffic Police Network (TIPSOL) provides 

a framework for multinational, coordinated highway 

enforcement actions.

w In general, a greater focus on coordinated research 

efforts among EU member countries exists than 

among U.S. States. The European Union and Forum 

of European National Highway Research Laboratories 

(FEHRL) provide the framework for administration of 

large-scale, multiyear coordinated research efforts.

w The special permit process for oversize/overweight vehicles varied because of unique conditions in each country.

w The COST 323 European specification for WIM 

systems—calling for tender and test-based acceptance 

procedures—provides a common and widely accepted 

prestandard used by all parties since its inception in the 

late 1990s.

Team Recommendations

Based on these general findings and observations, the 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 5

scan team ranked a preliminary list of European 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement technologies and procedures as having “high,” 

“medium,” or “low” interest levels for implementation 

consideration in the United States. These relative 

rankings did not recommend implementation of the 

various technologies or procedures, but instead 

indicated interest in further investigation.

After the scan, the scan tour implementation team (STIT) 

focused on implementation opportunities assigned a 

high interest level and worked further with scan team 

members to prioritize the 17 initial opportunities included 

in this category. Some opportunities were later combined 

because of perceived overlap. Through this process, the 

STIT identified seven specific implementation opportunities as having the greatest potential benefit to U.S. 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 

procedures:

w Slovenia bridge weigh-in-motion (B-WIM, Slovenia, 

France)

w Swiss heavy goods vehicle control facility (Switzerland)

w Prescreening for mobile enforcement (Slovenia, 

Switzerland, the Netherlands, France)

w Applying WIM for direct enforcement: a template for 

implementation and certification (France)

w Behavior-based enforcement activities (the Netherlands, 

France)

w Synthesis of safety implications of oversize/overweight 

commercial vehicles (Belgium)

w Effective use of WIM data: the Dutch case study 

(Netherlands)

Specific strategies for advancing these implementation 

opportunities were also identified, with various scan team 

members assigned supporting action items. These implementation opportunities and strategies are detailed below.

Slovenia Bridge Weigh-in-Motion (Slovenia, France)

Bridge weigh-in-motion (B-WIM) was initially identified 

in the late 1970s in the United States and developed in 

the WAVE Project. European researchers continued to 

advance field testing and applied research into the concept, leading to its widespread deployment in Slovenia. 

B-WIM is a vital component of Slovenia’s commercial 

motor vehicle weight monitoring system and is used to 

prescreen commercial vehicles for weight enforcement 

purposes. SiWIM in Slovenia was developed and implemented through a partnership between research staff 

at the National Building and Civil Engineering Institute’s 

(ZAG) Research Department and a private engineering 

firm, CESTEL. Deployment of Slovenian SiWIM targets 

short-deck (5- to 10-meter) orthotropic bridges. Extensive 

research into the reaction of the bridge deck to weights 

has led to the ability to estimate, within acceptable levels 

of accuracy for prescreening, a vehicle’s static weight. 

Analysis and data collection leading to this capability centered on the behavior of the “influence line” when truck 

weights are applied to the bridge’s deck. Weight-detection 

instrumentation is applied at the under-deck location of the 

structure, eliminating the need to disrupt traffic flow during installation. Multiple sensors are used to monitor travel 

lanes and a sensor data hub or cabinet feature is used to 

draw readings from the individual sensors and composite 

the deck loading readings. Axle weights, gross vehicle 

weights (GVW), axle spacing, vehicle speed, and vehicle 

class are captured through this data collection approach. 

The Netherlands is analyzing its inventory of structures 

to determine the number and location of bridges where 

B-WIM could be deployed. Recently, one bridge WIM 

system was installed for testing under Dutch highway 

conditions. In France, significant applied research efforts 

are concentrated on advancing the use of B-WIM on 

multiple-span, multiple-lane structures and steel 

orthotropic deck bridges. The filtering of sensor readings 

from several vehicles on the bridge deck simultaneously 

is the target of current research efforts. The scan team 

visited the Autreville orthotropic steel bridge site on the 

A31 motorway outside of Nancy, France. French hosts 

provided a tour of the site layout and demonstrated the 

SiWIM under testing.

Eliminating the need to disrupt traffic flow and minimizing 

worker risk when installing traditional roadway telemetry, 

B-WIM was seen to possess major benefits over 

current U.S. practices. Also, as seen in Slovenia, the time 

required for installation is not significant and, once bridge 

deck superstructures are instrumented, B-WIM is highly 

portable. In Slovenia, five SiWIM devices are used to 

collect data for 1 week at 30 locations twice a year. 

U.S. applications of B-WIM would enhance prescreening 

capabilities for commercial motor vehicle weight enforcement, as well as provide important information to bridge 

management systems. The choice of a suitable bridge 

and the development of an appropriate instrumentation 

plan and related calibration procedures may be 

challenging and require a high expertise level.

Implementation Strategy (George Conner, Pam Thurber, 

and Randy Woolley)

w Obtain detailed site layout specifications from Slovenian 

contacts.

w Synthesize the French experience and analyze the 

accuracy and performance results.

w Prepare and deploy a one-page information sheet 
6 | CHAPTER ONE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

presenting a compelling case for pursuing B-WIM 

implementation in the United States.

w Present findings at AASHTO’s Bridge Conference.

Deliverables

w One-page information sheet detailing B-WIM 

requirements and benefits

w Summary of French experience, including accuracy and 

performance results

w Transportation Pooled Fund Program study focusing on 

deployment opportunities in the United States

w Implementation of pilot B-WIM system (i.e., potential 

bypass route adjacent to enforcement location)

Swiss Heavy Goods Vehicle Control Facility 

(Switzerland)

To protect highway tunnel facilities and roadway 

infrastructure from the impacts of heavy trucks, 

Switzerland has developed and implemented an efficient 

and effective approach to simultaneously measuring 

commercial vehicle size and weight at stationary 

enforcement locations. The system also includes a 

high-speed weigh-in-motion (HS-WIM) and video (VID) 

technology component that is used to strategically 

select trucks requiring additional measurements.

The scan team had the opportunity to observe enforcement procedures at the control facility outside of Bern, 

Switzerland. Mobile enforcement details escorted 

vehicles into the facility for additional measurements 

using the HS-WIM/VID prescreening capability. Vehicles 

were directed onto a weigh bridge (i.e., static scale pad 

instrumented with several load cell scales) that provides 

simultaneous axle and gross vehicle weight measurements. An overhead gantry fitted with laser scanners 

capable of capturing commercial vehicle length, height, 

and width measurements is used simultaneously.

An attractive element of the Swiss heavy goods control 

facility operation is the user-friendly presentation of data 

to enforcement officers operating the system. A horizontal line on the computer screen represents legal axle and 

gross vehicle weight allowances with violations clearly 

presented as exceeding this allowance line. Size dimensions exceeding legal allowances are highlighted in red on 

a three-dimensional model of the vehicle. Size- and weightrelated citations are generated automatically for issuance 

to the vehicle operator and submission to the appropriate 

judiciary officials. Swiss enforcement personnel described 

the advantages of this system over traditional portable 

scale and manual measurements efforts. More accurate 

measurements are conducted with less manpower, resulting in more effective enforcement performed in considerably less time. The Swiss operate three control centers, 

with additional centers in the planning and development 

stages. The scan team believes that U.S. deployment of 

such an enforcement station at key high-volume domestic 

or international land crossing locations would be beneficial.

Implementation Strategy (Jeff Honefanger and Tom Kearney)

w Obtain control facility weigh bridge and laser scanner 

gantry specifications from Swiss contacts (i.e., number 

and type of load cell scales, number and type of laser 

scanners).

w Evaluate domestic or international land-crossing 

locations as possible candidates for a model deployment 

pilot site.

Deliverables

w List of locations viable for model deployment

w Implementation of a control facility in the United States

w Documentation of timesaving benefits realized through 

pilot deployment

Prescreening for Mobile Enforcement 

(Slovenia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and France)

A significant level of interest exists in the United States 

in the use of automation tools and technology to improve 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement. 

The scan team witnessed similar mobile enforcement 

activities in four of the six countries visited: Slovenia, 

Switzerland, the Netherlands, and France. Common features and elements were identified in each. High-speed 

WIM technology was used in each case for mainline 

prescreening of suspected overweight commercial motor 

vehicles. Video capture (i.e., digital photo images) of the 

vehicle was triggered by overweight detections. Both 

weight and image data were transmitted via short-range 

communications to enforcement personnel, allowing 

them to identify appropriate commercial vehicles in the 

traffic stream and escort them off the mainline for further 

investigation. Such systems are referred to as WIM/VID 

in Europe. Such approaches were embraced by the COST 

323 action and are used widely by EU member nations.

U.S. States use elements of this approach to varying 

degrees. The scan team identified the need for a comparative analysis to measure the differences between the 

state of the practice for mobile enforcement in the United 

States and that observed in several European countries. 

The team believes that advancement of the most effective mobile enforcement practices could be supported and 

delivered most expeditiously once State-level variations 

are identified and compared to European practices.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 7

Implementation Strategy (Ric Athey and John Nicholas)

w Survey U.S. States on mobile enforcement program 

components and aspects.

w Obtain specific detail on mobile enforcement tools and 

techniques in use from European contacts.

w Identify demonstration sites for a European mobile 

enforcement approach (may be combined with B-WIM 

deployment).

Deliverables

w One-page information sheet on U.S.-versus-European 

state of the practice

w Implementation of a pilot demonstration of European 

mobile enforcement approach

Applying WIM for Direct Enforcement: 

A Template for Implementation and Certification 

(France and the Netherlands)

In many cases, the difficulty in deploying advanced technologies stems from institutional barriers. The widespread 

deployment and use of technologies for commercial motor 

vehicle size and weight enforcement require support from 

both the metrological bodies responsible for equipment 

certification and judicial bodies responsible for related legal 

actions. Low-speed WIM systems can be tested and certified using similar methods as static weighing equipment, 

making deployment of the WIM systems a logical first step 

toward direct enforcement. The testing and certification 

process for high-speed WIM systems is more complex and 

requires the development of new acceptance methods.

French officials are leading in their efforts to overcome 

institutional challenges to the use of low-speed WIM 

systems for direct enforcement (i.e., gaining acceptance 

from the national metrology and judiciary communities). 

While the French are focused on the initial acceptance 

of low-speed WIM systems, the Dutch are focused on 

gaining acceptance of high-speed WIM.

Because a similar development process would be 

required in the United States, the scan team recommended an indepth review of the French and Dutch 

evolutionary process for acceptance of WIM systems for 

direct enforcement, with a concurrent review of the U.S. 

direct enforcement climate and requirements.

Implementation Strategy (Jodi Carson)

w Characterize the U.S. climate toward the use of WIM 

for direct enforcement.

w Identify issues that must be addressed to gain metrological and judicial acceptance in the United States.

w Identify and review successful European practices on 

direct weight enforcement using WIM technology.

w Establish legal basis and gain judicial support for citing 

overweight trucks directly from low-speed WIM initially 

and later from high-speed WIM.

Deliverable

w Modeled after the French and Dutch process, an outline 

of the required steps leading to legal acceptance of 

WIM technology for use in direct weight enforcement in 

the United States

Behavior-Based Enforcement Activities 

(the Netherlands and France)

Using the European WIM/VID (photo) approach of simultaneously capturing a digital image of the vehicle when an 

overweight condition is detected, officials in the Netherlands and France have gained additional knowledge of the 

trucking firms most frequently operating in an overweight 

condition. This information is captured continuously (i.e., 

24 hours a day, 7 days a week), regardless of whether 

mobile enforcement activity is taking place. Historical WIM 

information is reviewed, typically on a monthly basis, to 

determine trucking firms that most frequently engage in 

overloading practices. Enforcement officials contact the 

most frequently offending firms to encourage compliant 

loading behavior. After this contact, the trucking firm begins 

a probationary period. If no positive change is observed 

through continued monitoring by WIM/VID systems, graduated enforcement actions are taken. France is beginning a 

3-year study to determine the effectiveness of this process.

The scan team observed that this general process is 

similar to the safety inspection steps routinely followed by 

the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) 

in its oversight of trucking firms operating commercial 

vehicle fleets. The application of this process to 

commercial motor vehicle weight enforcement in the 

United States shows promise for firms that could have 

reasonably brought their loading practices into legal 

compliance with relevant laws.

Implementation Strategy 

(Julie Strawhorn and Mike Onder)

w Obtain specific details on the behavior-based 

enforcement approach from Dutch and French contacts.

w Obtain estimates of approach effectiveness (i.e., 

percentage of reduction in the proportion of overweight 

trucks) from Dutch and French contacts.

w Coordinate with FMCSA officials to gain understanding 

of their behavior-based approach to commercial vehicle 

safety enforcement.

Deliverable

w One-page information sheet on behavior-based approach 
8 | CHAPTER ONE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

to commercial motor vehicle weight enforcement in the 

Netherlands and France

Synthesis of Safety Implications of Oversize/

Overweight Commercial Vehicles (Belgium)

In the United States, justification and authority for the conduct of commercial vehicle weight enforcement are vested 

in the public’s interest in preserving highway infrastructure 

and promoting a climate of equity and fairness among 

trucking firms (i.e., not allowing violators to be rewarded at 

the expense of law-abiding firms). These same principles 

and interests were reported in each of the countries the 

scan team visited. In addition, several of the countries identified safety as a primary motivator for commercial vehicle 

size and weight enforcement. In Belgium, officials have 

linked weight enforcement activities to the public’s interest 

in safe operating conditions on the highways. After years 

of weight and speed data collection and analysis, 

Belgian officials noted direct relationships between 

excessive speed by overweight vehicles involved in highway accidents and the frequency of fatalities occurring in 

accidents including such vehicles. As a result, they were 

able to build the case to legislative leaders that weight and 

speed needed to be aggressively regulated. Governors, or 

speed-monitoring devices, are installed on trucks to control 

their maximum speed. Speed violations are treated as 

criminal offenses, since excessive speeds can be achieved 

only by tampering with the speed-control devices.

The scan team indicated a desire to better understand the 

relationship between commercial motor vehicle weight 

condition and safety in the United States. While public 

concerns about the impact of overweight vehicles on 

bridge and pavement conditions and on equitable trade 

practices are valid, the safety benefits tied to commercial 

vehicle weight enforcement activities need to be better 

defined. The scan team proposes an assimilation of existing safety studies and research to improve understanding.

Implementation Strategy 

(George Conner and Mike Onder)

w Invite university research communities, via the 

University Transportation Research Consortium (UTRC) 

initiative, to conduct a synthesis effort on the linkages 

of overweight commercial motor vehicles and safety.

w Obtain detailed information on the use of safety as a 

compelling case for commercial motor vehicle weight 

enforcement from Belgium contacts.

Deliverables

w One-page informational sheet describing the basis for 

Belgium’s regulations

w Synthesis of existing research describing relationships 

between commercial motor vehicle weight condition 

and safety in the United States

Effective Use of WIM Data: The Dutch Case Study 

(the Netherlands)

In the Netherlands, every Wednesday morning at 7 a.m., 

an e-mail with an attachment detailing the frequency of 

truck weight violations by location, time of day, and day 

of the week is distributed to enforcement personnel 

responsible for scheduling enforcement actions and 

transportation personnel charged with infrastructure 

condition monitoring and multimodal freight planning 

and forecasting. The data report is a product of a rather 

extensive database management operation constructed 

by Dutch officials. Extensive quality control and quality 

assurance protocols have been built into the operations 

of this data management system.

In the United States, State-level officials operate data 

management systems to manage highway and bridge 

programs and to monitor travel for supporting program 

and policy development. The scan team determined that 

documentation of the Dutch database management 

system could assist States in extracting greater value 

from the database systems they operate.

Implementation Strategy (David Jones and Tom Kearney)

w Obtain detailed information on the architecture and 

system specifications for the data model used in the 

Netherlands from Dutch contacts.

w Conduct a comparative scan of data management 

operations employed in the United States.

w Propose a National Cooperative Highway Research 

Project synthesis topic related to WIM database 

management and potential enhancements.

Deliverables

w Case study report on WIM data processing, reporting, 

and distribution opportunities based on findings from 

the Netherlands

w Presentation of case study report findings at the next 

scheduled North American Traffic Monitoring and 

Equipment Conference

Next Steps

Next steps include defining specific timeframes and 

funding requirements for implementation. Once defined, 

funding sources can be identified and secured.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 

Introduction

Chapter 1

Scan Purpose and Scope

Significant growth in domestic and international 

commerce, coupled with ever-increasing traffic 

congestion and delay on surface transportation 

networks, challenges the ability of industry to 

move freight economically without the use of 

larger and heavier loads. This trend also challenges 

limited enforcement resources tasked with monitoring 

vehicle size and weight compliance in the interest of 

infrastructure preservation. The American Association of 

State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) 

Technology Implementation Group has identified the 

weigh-in-motion (WIM) concept and its capabilities as a 

focus technology for enhancing the effectiveness and 

efficiency of vehicle size and weight enforcement in 

the United States.

The potential benefits of technology-based vehicle size 

and weight enforcement extend beyond infrastructure 

preservation to include (1) improved delivery of enforcement services by enhancing effectiveness and efficiency, 

(2) improved commercial motor vehicle productivity (i.e., 

supply chain velocity) by reducing the number of vehicles 

required to stop for enforcement purposes, (3) fewer 

emissions by reducing unnecessary deceleration, 

idling, and acceleration of compliant vehicles, (4) higher 

commercial and general motor vehicle safety levels by 

controlling the operation of nonpermitted, noncompliant 

(i.e., overweight or oversize) vehicles, and (5) better data 

quantity and quality to support pavement design, traffic 

engineering, and transportation planning efforts, as well 

as ongoing performance monitoring and evaluation of 

vehicle size and weight enforcement programs.

In pursuit of these benefits, the scanning study on 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight (VSW) 

enforcement included a review and evaluation of 

contemporary European procedures and technologies 

for enforcing commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

laws and regulations. Specifically, the scanning study 

considered the following, as applied in Europe:

w Emerging vehicle size and weight enforcement 

technologies, including but not limited to thirdgeneration weigh-in-motion (WIM) devices that can 

produce reliable evidence of violations capable of 

withstanding legal challenge

w Unconventional vehicle size and weight enforcement 

procedures, including but not limited to alternative 

performance-based programs

w Novel uses or applications of WIM data to support 

pavement and bridge design, traffic engineering, or 

transportation planning efforts (e.g., freight modeling 

and forecasting) or ongoing performance monitoring 

and evaluation of vehicle size and weight enforcement 

programs

w Innovative public-private funding mechanisms for vehicle 

size and weight enforcement technologies or programs

w Multinational programs to harmonize administrative and 

operational vehicle size and weight enforcement 

procedures or programs among member countries

Intrinsic benefits related to infrastructure preservation, 

enforcement efficiency and effectiveness, commercial 

motor vehicle productivity, emissions, safety, and data 

quantity and quality were considered concurrently in 

this investigation.

Scan Team Members

The scanning study was conducted by a team of 

experts in commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement. The 10-member team included three 

representatives from the Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), five from State departments 

of transportation (DOTs), one from law enforcement, 

and one from academia. Scan team members and 

affiliations are listed below:

Jeff Honefanger (AASHTO cochair)

Manager, Special Hauling Permits Section

Ohio Department of Transportation

Julie Strawhorn (FHWA cochair)

Office of Freight Management and Operations

Federal Highway Administration

Jodi L. Carson (report facilitator)

Associate Research Engineer 

Texas Transportation Institute
Ric Athey

Assistant Director, Motor Vehicle Division

Arizona Department of Transportation

George Conner

Assistant State Maintenance Engineer–Bridges

Alabama Department of Transportation

David Jones

Office of Policy

Federal Highway Administration

Tom Kearney

Statewide Planner, New York Division

Federal Highway Administration

John Nicholas

Program Manager, Commercial Vehicle Division

Washington State Patrol

Pam Thurber

Bridge Management and Inspection Engineer

Vermont Agency of Transportation

Randy Woolley

Division of Research and Innovation

California Department of Transportation

Jeff Honefanger and Julie Strawhorn, acting as AASHTO 

and FHWA cochairs respectively, led the scan team. In 

addition to breadth across agency types, the team had 

expertise in commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

technologies, procedures, data applications, public-private 

involvement, and harmonization.

Scanning Study Site Selection

Sites for inclusion in the scanning study were determined 

using information from four primary sources: (1) reports 

on prior related scanning studies, (2) published literature, 

(3) various Internet sites, and (4) U.S. and European 

experts in the field. Past scan reports and published 

literature provided a historic chronology of vehicle size 

and weight enforcement research and development. 

Internet sites provided information on more recent 

developments in vehicle size and weight activities, 

including ongoing projects and points of contact. 

Countries that exhibited a long history of enforcement 

technology or program development and led current 

research and development efforts ranked highest for 

potential scanning study site visits. These recommendations were confirmed through discussions with U.S. 

and European experts, many of whom had been directly 

involved in vehicle size and weight enforcement efforts 

in Europe. More specific information provided by these 

sources is described below.

Prior Scanning Studies

A review of scanning study reports (available at www.

international.fhwa.dot.gov) revealed six prior scan topics 

related to this investigation (see table 1):

w Freight Transportation: The European Market—

The most recent related report documents the 

challenges facing Europe as a result of the global 

marketplace encouraged through the formation of the 

European Union (EU) and describes the response to 

these challenges by various sectors of the transportation community (i.e., private sector, public sector, local 

government, member states, European Union). This 

report provided useful insight into differences between 

North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) and 

Europe and historic methods to address differences 

and achieve harmonization in freight movement among 

disparate countries.(2)

w European Traffic-Monitoring Programs and 

Technologies—Despite significant technological 

advancements since the time of publication, this report 

provided a historical perspective of early traffic-monitoring technology deployment (including WIM) in various 

European countries.(3)

w Advanced Transportation Technology—Similarly, 

this report described the use of early traffic-monitoring 

technology (including WIM) in various European 

countries.(4)

w Highway/Commercial Vehicle Interaction: North 

America and Europe—Though more focused on EU 

member state disparities in truck design and configuration, infrastructure design and condition, and size 

and weight regulations, this report described resulting 

challenges to enforcement, infrastructure preservation, 

safety, and industry productivity.(5)

w Commercial Vehicle Safety: Technology and 

Practice in Europe—Though less directly related to 

the current investigation, this report addressed the 

interrelationship between enforcement (including 

vehicle size and weight enforcement) and safety and 

described several model enforcement programs in 

various European countries.(6)

w Emerging Models for Delivering Transportation 

Programs and Services: A Report of the 

Transportation Agency Organization and 

Management Scan Tour—With a broader focus than 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement, 

this report considered novel public-private partnerships 

in delivering and maintaining transportation facilities.(7)

Literature Review

To supplement the review of scan tour reports, a review 

of related published literature was conducted with 

particular emphasis on recent (since 1997) publications. 

10 CHAPTER ONE
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 11

To accomplish this review, researchers relied largely on 

the Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) 

Online and Transport databases. TRIS Online, the bibliographic database of transportation research information 

produced by the Transportation Research Board, provides 

useful links to full-reference texts, but lacks comprehensive references from Europe. Transport is derived from 

TRIS, but includes references from Europe contributed 

by the International Transport Research Documentation 

(ITRD) database. The larger ITRD database has transportation research from 23 countries, including most of Europe, 

Australia, Latin America, Canada, China, and Japan, and 

contains abstracts in one of four languages: English, 

French, German, or Spanish.

Nearly all of the recent findings on commercial motor 

vehicle size and weight enforcement in Europe were 

discovered and published under the auspices of two significant pan-European studies coordinated by the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussees in France: (1) COST 

323, Weigh-in-motion of Road Vehicles, conducted from 

1993 to 1998 and involving 19 European countries, and (2) 

WAVE, Weigh-in-motion of Axles and Vehicles for Europe, 

conducted from 1996 to 1999 and involving 10 European 

countries.(1,8) The scope and results of these studies are in 

the “Notable Historic Pan-European Projects” section of 

this chapter.

These seminal studies also resulted in more than 100 

conference proceedings and journal articles in publication 

venues, including the First, Second, Third, and Fourth 

International Conferences on Weigh-in-Motion; the 

National Traffic Data Acquisition Conference; the World 

Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems;

Traffic Technology International; and International Journal 

of Heavy Vehicle Systems. These more narrowly focused 

publications address WIM system topics related to user 

perspectives, bridge and pavement applications, field 

tests, technology developments, enforcement applications, data applications, calibration, standards, and 

specifications. An abbreviated list of publications is in 

the “Bibliography” section, with a focus on enforcement 

and data applications. Key findings from this review are 

described in this report.

Internet Review

The Internet proved a useful tool in selecting scanning 

study sites, supporting the review of prior scan reports 

and published literature and the identification of U.S. and 

international experts. In addition, numerous Web sites 

provided a broad range of information on Europe and the 

European Union, government and academic organizations, 

transportation-related statistics, private industry product 

vendors, and technical conferences and activities.

One Web site, the “European Weigh-in-motion pages” 

(wim.zag.si), was particularly useful. This site was 

developed to support information exchange among 

participating countries during the COST 323 Project and 

the subsequent WAVE Project. The site provides general 

Austria Belgium Denmark France Germany Italy

The

Netherlands Sweden Switzerland

United 

Kingdom

Freight Transportation: 

The European Market (2002)  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

European Traffic-Monitoring 

Programs and Technologies 

(1997)

 ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Advanced Transportation 

Technology (1994)  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Highway/Commercial Vehicle 

Interaction: North America 

and Europe (1996)

 ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Commercial Vehicle Safety: 

Technology and Practice in 

Europe (2000)

 ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Emerging Models for 

Delivering Transportation 

Programs and Services: A 

Report of the Transportation 

Agency Organization and 

Management Scan Tour (1999)

 ̊  ̊

Table 1. Prior related scan tour reports.
WIM technology information, detailed descriptions for the 

COST 323 and WAVE Projects (including links to completed deliverables and points of contact), the European 

WIM specification, a multilingual glossary of WIM terms, 

historic and forthcoming WIM events, an e-mail network 

(wimusers.free.fr) of more than 300 WIM users or experts 

from 50 countries, a list of WIM vendors, and a library of 

WIM-related documents. A drawback of the site is that it 

lacks substantive information following completion of the 

COST 323 and WAVE Projects (from 1999 to the present). 

More recent online information on WIM-based commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement in 

Europe was obtained through a review of recent International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion (ICWIM) programs 

(www.ctre.iastate.edu/ icwim/index.htm and wimusers.

free.fr/icwim4/index.htm). The 2008 conference, jointly 

organized with the Tenth International Symposium on 

Heavy Vehicle Weights and Dimensions, will be in Paris, 

France (hvparis2008.free.fr). Other information came from 

a review of various WIM vendor Web sites, including 

Golden River Traffic–EuropeTM, IRDTM, Central WeighingTM, 

ECMTM, KistlerTM, and Cestel, d.o.o. Cestel provided the 

most information on its Web site (www.siwim.com/index.

htm) about recent WIM implementations, predominantly 

in Slovenia but also in Sweden.

This information, combined with advice from U.S. 

and European experts, helped the team finalize the 

recommendations for scanning study site visits.

U.S. and European Expert Advice

U.S. and European experts in commercial motor 

vehicle size and weight enforcement in Europe were 

identified based on (1) the reporter’s knowledge, 

(2) recommendations from other noted experts in the 

field, and (3) recent publication records and participation in 

COST 323 or WAVE activities, related e-mail networks, 

related conference-organizing committees (e.g., ICWIM). 

Table 2 provides a list of individuals contacted, via e-mail, 

to support identification and selection of scanning study 

sites. Highlighted individuals provided feedback. This list 

is not comprehensive; knowledgeable individuals 

identified later in the scanning study are not listed here.

Site Selection

Table 3 assimilates the information gathered from related 

scanning study reports, published literature, Internet sites, 

and U.S. and European experts. Factors viewed favorably 

in the decision on which sites to visit in the scanning 

study included (1) active participation in pan-European 

research efforts, (2) recent related research and advancements in the topic area, (3) direct attention to one or more 

COUNTRY CONTACT EMPLOYER EMAIL

Austria Blab, Ronald TU-Wien, Technische Universitat Wien rblab@istu.tuwien.ac.at

Belgium Jehaes, Sophie BRRC, Belgian Road Research Centre crr@skypro.be

Czech Republic Doupal, Emil Transport Research Centre doupal@cdv.cz

France

Jacob, Bernard LCPC, Laboratoire Central des Ponts et 

Chaussees jacob@lcpc.fr

Dolcemascolo, 

Victor

LCPC, Laboratoire Central des Ponts et 

Chaussees victor.dolcemascolo@lcpc.fr

Germany Meschede, Ralph BASt, Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen meschede@bast.de

Ireland O’Brien, Eugene UCD, Department of Civil Engineering, 

University of Dublin eugene.obrien@ucd.ie

Slovenia Znidaric, Ales Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering 

Institute ales.znidaric@zag.si

Spain Leal, Jesús CEDEX, Centro de Estudios y Experimentación 

de Obras Públicas jleal@cedex.es

Switzerland Caprez, Markus ETH, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology caprez@igt.baug.ethz.ch

Switzerland Poulikakos, Lily Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials 

Testing and Research lily.poulikakos@empa.ch

The Netherlands Henny, Ronald DWW, Road and Hydraulic Engineering Institute r.j.henny@dww.rws.minvenw.nl

Van Loo, Hans F.J.vLoo@dww.rws.minvenw.nl

United Kingdom Newton, W. H. Transportation Research Laboratory wnewton@trl.co.uk

United States

Hallenbeck, Mark Washington State Transportation Center tracmark@u.washington.edu

McCall, Bill Center for Transportation Research and 

Education, Iowa State University billmccall@aol.com

Table 2. U.S. and international experts.

12 CHAPTER ONE
of the five topics of interest identified for the scanning 

study, (4) sufficient WIM deployments to support observation and experience, and (5) expert recommendation. 

Participation in prior scanning studies was viewed less 

favorably.

Based on these decision factors, the following sites, in 

order of preference, were recommended as part of the 

scanning tour:

w The Netherlands—Work conducted in the Netherlands 

is purported to be the most advanced in supporting 

automated VSW enforcement. The Netherlands shows 

a strong history of development using high-speed 

weigh-in-motion (HS-WIM) and video, as well as 

multiple-sensor WIM.

w France—The French have a strong history of WIM 

system research (Laboratoire Central des Ponts et 

Chaussees (LCPC) in France coordinated the COST 323 

and the WAVE European projects) and implemented the 

largest European WIM network (Système Informatisé 

de REcueil de DOnnées (SIREDO), including 150 WIM 

systems on national roads and about 50 WIM systems 

AustriaBelgiumCzechRepublicDenmarkFranceGermanyIrelandThe NetherlandsSloveniaSwedenSwitzerlandUnited Kingdom

Pan-European projects

COST 323  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

WAVE  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

TOP TRIAL  ̊  ̊  ̊

REMOVE  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Recent research

MS-WIM  ̊  ̊  ̊

Bridge WIM  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Automated enforcement  ̊  ̊

VSW scanning study topics of interest

Enforcement technologies  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Enforcement procedures  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Data applications  ̊  ̊  ̊

Public-private funding  ̊  ̊

Harmonization  ̊

WIM deployment (limited or extensive) L L L L E E L L E L L E

Expert recommendation  ̊  ̊  ̊

Prior scanning studies

Freight Transportation (2002)  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Traffic Monitoring (1997)  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Transportation Technology (1994)  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Highway/Vehicle Interaction (1996)  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Commercial Vehicle Safety (2000)  ̊  ̊  ̊  ̊

Emerging Models for Delivering Transportation 

Programs and Services (1999)  ̊  ̊

Table 3. Summary of site recommendation factors.

COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 13
on concessionary motorways). In addition, the French 

are establishing an automatic overloading control test 

site to move toward automated VSW enforcement and 

have had a strong history in multiple-sensor WIM 

(MS-WIM) research and development since 1993.

w Slovenia—Slovenia has an extensive network of portable bridge WIM systems that have achieved impressive 

accuracy results. This system may have applications in 

rural or remote areas of the United States. In addition, 

Slovenia is using WIM data to support other applications 

(e.g., planning, maintenance). Slovenia has not been a 

participant in any prior related scanning study.

w Switzerland—Switzerland is using WIM to prescreen 

overloaded commercial vehicles at border tunnels. 

Also, as a non-EU country, Switzerland may provide 

an interesting perspective on efforts to harmonize 

administrative and operational activities related to 

VSW enforcement.

w Germany—Germany was the site of the TOP TRIAL 

Project and has been involved in developing WIM 

standards for automated VSW enforcement, though 

not as actively as the Netherlands or France.

In addition to these five sites, it was recommended that 

the scan team meet with members of the European 

Union Transport and Tourism Committee in Brussels, 

Belgium, to gain additional perspective on efforts to 

harmonize VSW enforcement activities among different 

countries.

Scanning Study Site Visits

Slovenia

Slovenia, bordered by Austria, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, 

and the Adriatic Sea, is 20,273 square kilometers in size 

(slightly smaller than New Jersey) with just over 2 million 

in population. The capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, is 

geographically centered. Slovenia joined the European 

Union in 2004 and is generally governed by a prime 

minister and other ministers responsible for oversight of 

finance, the interior (home affairs), foreign affairs, justice, 

defense, labor, family and social affairs, the economy, 

agriculture, forestry and food, culture, environment and 

spatial planning, transport, education and sport, higher 

education, science and technology, health, and public 

administration. For this investigation, commercial vehicle 

size and weight enforcement is affected primarily by 

actions and activities of the Ministry of Transport and 

the Ministry of the Interior.

Despite its small size, Slovenia controls some of 

Europe’s major transportation routes (see figure 1). The 

European Transport Corridor V provides access from 

the Slovenian Port of Koper northward. The European 

Transport Corridor X provides east-west travel through 

the country. Slovenia’s national road network 

compromises 6,349 kilometers (km), of which 5,892 km 

are managed by the Directorate of the Republic of 

Slovenia for Roads (Direkcija Republike Slovenije za 

Ceste) under the Ministry of Transport and 457 km are 

managed by the Motorway Company in the Republic of 

Slovenia (Družba za avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji, 

DARS). These roadways are more specifically classified 

according to function as motorways, expressways, main 

roads (category I or II), regional roads (category I, II, or 

III), regional tourist roads, and interchanges. An additional 

32,172 km of municipal roads (local roads and public 

paths) are the responsibility of the municipalities. Most 

directly related to this investigation, the Directorate for 

Roads is responsible for overseeing the issuing of 

licenses to perform road transport and allocation of 

permits for international road transport of goods, 

ensuring adequate training and qualifications for transport 

companies and drivers, and developing relations with 

other countries in the area of road transport (the country 

has 42 bilateral agreements on road transport).

The Ministry of the Interior provides public safety and 

security, which is attained through preventive rather than 

repressive actions of the law enforcement agencies. 

The ministry is also responsible for the coordination of 

European affairs and international cooperation in the 

field of security. The police, an autonomous body within 

the Ministry of the Interior, perform tasks at three 

levels: state, regional, and local. Under the Uniformed 

Police Directorate, the Traffic Enforcement Section 

is responsible for controlling and regulating traffic 

(including commercial motor vehicles) on public roads 

and noncategorized roads used for public traffic, 

protecting the state border, and performing border 

Figure 1. Slovenia: proximity and road network. control, among other duties.

National Capitals

Cities 3,000,000+

Cities 900,000-2,999,999

International Boundaries

Highways

Primary Roads

Major Rivers

Lakes

0 210 420 Miles

0 210 420 KM

© MAP RESOURCES

14 CHAPTER ONE
Supporting the efforts of the Ministry of Transport and the 

Interior, Slovenia’s National Building and Civil Engineering 

Institute (Zavod za gradbenistvo Slovenije, ZAG) conducts 

related research and development activities, operating 

as a government-owned, nonprofit public research 

institute. Formerly the Institute for Testing and Research 

in Materials and Structures, ZAG focuses on the following 

activities:

w Certification and attestation of conformity of products, 

materials, and executed works

w Fundamental and applied research in the fields of 

materials and structures

w Precompetitive development of new materials

w Development of new methods of testing

w Tests, measurements, and monitoring of structures

w Tests, measurements, and monitoring of the external 

and internal building environment

w Research, measurements, and monitoring in the field of 

efficient use of energy and renewables

w Engineering tests and analyses

w Revisions of building, civil engineering, and technological 

designs and designs for transport devices

w Calibration and verification of measures, standards, and 

reference materials

w Control, calibration, and attestation of conformity of 

measuring devices, apparatus, testing machines, and 

individual elements of industrial systems

w Training of research and technical staff in particular 

technical fields

w Participation in the preparation of technical codes and 

standards

Related to this investigation, ZAG (in partnership with 

Cestel, a private manufacturing company) has developed 

a bridge WIM system, SiWIMTM, which is showing high 

accuracy in recent European installations. The SiWIM 

system also touts a wide range of applications, including 

(1) capture of traffic- loading data to support planning, 

maintenance, or special studies, (2) weight data to 

support preselection or automated enforcement, and (3) 

weight and volume data to support structural bridge 

analysis.

As part of this scanning study, the scan team visited the 

SiWIM production facilities at Cestel and a SiWIM installation at Postojna, southwest of Ljubljana. In addition, the 

scan team heard presentations by representatives from 

ZAG, the Ministry of Transport, the Directorate for Roads 

of the Road Maintenance Sector, and the Ministry of the 

Interior’s Traffic Police Section.

Switzerland

Switzerland, bordered by Austria, France, Italy, 

Lichtenstein, and Germany, is 41,290 square kilometers 

in size (slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey) 

with more than 7.5 million in population. Bern is the 

capital of Switzerland. While not an EU member, 

Switzerland does participate as a member of the 

European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and has recently 

brought its economic practices largely into conformity 

with the European Union’s to enhance its international 

competitiveness.

Switzerland has 71,220 km of roadways, including 1,706 

km of national roads and 2,300 km trunk roads (see 

figure 2). The roadways are classified as national roads, 

main roads, and municipal/local roads. The mountainous 

topography in Switzerland required the construction of 

2,976 bridges and 244 tunnels totaling 338 km in length. 

The main north-south and east-west routes carry up to 

75,000 vehicles per day. The Swiss philosophy is aimed 

at coordinating an optimum use of capacity for different modes of transport, seeking an appropriate balance 

between truck and rail transport of freight. For trucks, 

weight limitations, nighttime travel restrictions, and strict 

requirements on drivers’ rest periods result in reduced 

heavy vehicle traffic passing through Switzerland.

The Swiss Federal Roads Authority (FEDRO), under 

the Department of Transportation, Communication, and 

Energy (one of seven federal departments), is responsible 

for the Swiss national roadway system, although the 

actual owners and operators of the network are the 26 

cantons (equivalent to U.S. States) in which the roads are 

located.(4) Under FEDRO and related to this investigation, 

the Road Traffic Management Information System (MISTRA), in cooperation with the cantons, operates an eightstation network of WIM systems on the Swiss national 

roads. MISTRA is responsible for central data acquisition 

and processing and operational maintenance,

Figure 2. Switzerland: proximity and road network.

National Capitals

Cities 3,000,000+

Cities 900,000-2,999,999

International Boundaries

Highways

Primary Roads

Major Rivers

Lakes

0 210 420 Miles

0 210 420 KM

© MAP RESOURCES

COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 15
while the respective cantons are responsible for 

construction maintenance.

Traffic enforcement, including commercial motor vehicle 

size and weight enforcement, is the responsibility of the 

26 cantons, each of which has its own police department. Canton police are responsible for enforcing federal 

law as well as additional laws at the canton level. Canton laws cannot be more restrictive than federal laws. 

Funding for commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement is provided through general taxes directed 

to the cantons. Local communes also provide limited 

police resources. At all levels, resource constraints result 

in increased breadth and scope of officer duties (e.g., a 

single officer may be responsible for traffic safety, 

criminal investigations, etc.).

Supporting the efforts of FEDRO and the cantonal 

police, Empa conducts related research and development 

activities. Empa is one of four independent federal 

research institutions under the ETH domain (which 

also includes two Federal Institutes of Technology, ETH 

Zurich and EPF Lausanne). Empa is organized into five 

research and engineering departments, supported by 

27 laboratories, and cross-linked within five strategic 

research programs to foster interdisciplinary and 

transdisciplinary approaches. Empa focuses primarily 

on applied research, interfacing science and its real-life 

applications.

As part of the scanning study, the team visited two field 

sites: (1) a demonstration site in Schafisheim (northeast 

of Bern) for the Eureka Logchain Footprint Project, 

which aims to deliver the scientific basis for a heavy 

goods vehicle surcharge similar to that already in force 

in Switzerland and (2) an overloading enforcement center 

near Winterthur. In addition, the team heard presentations 

by representatives from FEDRO and Empa.

Germany

Germany is Europe’s largest economy and most populous 

nation, with more than 82 million people. It is 357,021 

square kilometers in size (slightly smaller than Montana) 

and is bordered by Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, 

Denmark, France, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Poland, 

and Switzerland. Germany is divided into 13 läender 

(similar to U.S. States) and three free läender. Berlin is 

the capital of Germany, which is an EU member.

The country is generally governed by a chancellor and 

various federal ministers responsible for oversight of labor 

and social affairs; foreign affairs; interior; justice; finance; 

economics and technology; food, agriculture, and consumer protection; defense; family affairs, senior citizens, 

women, and youth; health; transportation, building, and 

urban affairs; environment, nature conservation, and 

nuclear safety; education and research; and economic 

cooperation and development.

Germany has 231,581 km of roadways, including 12,037 

km of expressways (see figure 3). The roadway system 

is more specifically categorized as federal autobahns, 

nonurban federal highways, läender (state) highways, 

district roads, and local jurisdiction (municipal) roads.

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, Building, and 

Urban Affairs is responsible for the autobahn and national 

road networks, including financing, design and planning, 

and provision of legal and technical supervision of their 

construction and operation. The actual construction, operation, and administration of these roads are performed by 

the Bundeslande on behalf of and with funding from the 

national government.(4) Commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight enforcement is provided by traditional police 

forces, while the German Federal Office for Transport of 

Goods (BAG), under the Federal Ministry of Transport, 

Building, and Urban Affairs, provides enforcement for 

the Toll Collect system.

Technical support, analysis, and research are provided by 

the Federal Highway Research Institute (Bundesanstalt 

fur Strassenwesen, BASt) under the Federal Ministry of 

Transport, Building, and Urban Affairs. A focal point of 

BASt’s work results from the role it plays in formulating 

specifications and standards applying to all highwayrelated fields. These tasks are undertaken in close 

collaboration with the Road and Transportation Research 

Association (Forschungsgesellschaft für Straßen- und 

Verkehrswesen), the German Institute for Standardisation 

(Deutsches Institut für Normung, DIN), the German 

National Capitals

Cities 3,000,000+

Cities 900,000-2,999,999

International Boundaries

Highways

Primary Roads

Major Rivers

Lakes

0 210 420 Miles

0 210 420 KM

Figure 3. Germany: proximity and road network.

© MAP RESOURCES

16 CHAPTER ONE
Institute for Construction Technology (Deutsches 

Institut für Bautechnik), the German Road Safety Council, 

(Deutscher Verkehrssicherheitsrat), competent läender 

highway authorities, universities, associations, and the 

highway industry.

As part of a public-private partnership (PPP) program, 

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, Building, and 

Urban Affairs recently partnered with Toll Collect to 

initiate a distance-based tolling system for heavy vehicles. 

Toll Collect is a consortium formed by Daimler-Chrysler, 

Deutsche Telecom, and Cofiroute. As part of this scanning 

study, the team visited a gantry and downstream enforcement site that support the distance-based toll program. 

In addition, the team heard presentations by representatives from Toll Collect, the Federal Ministry of Transport, 

Building, and Urban Affairs, and BASt.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands, bordered by Belgium, Germany, and the 

North Sea, is 41,526 square kilometers in size (slightly 

less than twice the size of New Jersey) with about 16.5 

million in population. Amsterdam is the capital of the 

Netherlands, which is an EU member. The Port of 

Rotterdam is one of the busiest in the world. As such, 

the Netherlands experiences significant freight 

movement to and through the country.

The road system, comprising 104,850 km of paved 

roads, is divided into three organizational levels: national, 

provincial, and municipal (see figure 4). The national road 

network is constructed, operated, and maintained by the 

Ministry of Transport through eight regional administrations. All road miles in the national system are freeways, 

with funding provided by the national government. 

Provincial and municipal roads are the responsibility of 

local governments. The national government does not 

allocate funds to local government for construction, 

repair, or maintenance of roads.(4)

Commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 

is primarily the responsibility of the Netherlands National 

Police Agency (Korps Landelijke Politiediensten, KLPD) 

and the Inspectorate of Transport, Public Works, and 

Water Management (Inspectie Verkeer en Waterstaat, 

IVW) in the Transport Division of the Ministry of Transport, 

Public Works, and Water Management (Ministerie van 

Verkeer en Waterstaat). The Transport Inspectorate 

oversees the transport of persons and goods on the 

road and supervises the transport of dangerous goods 

in aviation, shipping, and inland shipping and over roads 

and railways. Supervision involves vehicles, cargos, 

drivers, and businesses.

Technical assistance is provided by the Ministry of 

Transport, Public Works, and Water Management’s Road 

and Hydraulic Engineering Institute (DWW) and Transport 

Research Center (AVV). Duties of the DWW and AVV 

include providing policy recommendations, acting as 

knowledge transfer points, and providing information and 

basic data on traffic and transport to the ministry.(4)

As part of the scanning study, the team visited an overloading enforcement center near Delft and observed a 

specially designed calibration vehicle capable of relating 

dynamic load measurements to true dynamic (rather than 

static) loads. In addition, the team heard presentations 

by representatives from the Dutch Ministry of Transport, 

Public Works, and Water Management; Road and 

Hydraulic Engineering Institute; and the Dutch National 

Police Agency’s Traffic Police Department.

Belgium

Belgium, bordered by France, Germany, Luxembourg, 

the Netherlands, and the North Sea, is 30,528 square 

kilometers in size (about the size of Maryland) with nearly 

10.5 million in population. Brussels is the capital of 

Belgium, which is an EU member.

The road system in Belgium comprises 150,567 km of 

paved roadways, including 1,747 km of expressways/

motorways, 12,531 km of regional roads, 1,349 km of 

provincial roads, and 134,940 km of municipal roads 

(see figure 5, next page). Seven international expressways connect the country to the French, German, and 

Dutch motorways. Because of this connectivity, 

Belgium experiences high volumes of transit traffic 

passing through the country.

Belgium is administratively divided into three regions 

(Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels), 10 provinces, and 589 

National Capitals

Cities 3,000,000+

Cities 900,000-2,999,999

International Boundaries

Highways

Primary Roads

Major Rivers

Lakes

0 210 420 Miles

0 210 420 KM

Figure 4. The Netherlands: proximity and road network.

© MAP RESOURCES

COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 17
communes. The decisionmaking power in Belgium is 

distributed between the federal and regional governments. In general, the design, construction, management, 

and maintenance of the road network, including national 

roads and motorways, are the responsibility of the 

regions. The federal government harmonizes these 

activities with the Highway Code, vehicle regulations, 

traffic safety, etc. Decisions affecting local road 

networks are made by local authorities.

Commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 

is the primary responsibility of the Belgian Federal 

Police Services and the regional road administrations. 

In 2001, the three principal police forces in Belgium—

the municipal police, the state police (Gendarmerie), 

and the judicial police (assigned to the offices of the 

public prosecutors)—gave way to an integrated police 

service structured on two levels (a federal level and a 

local level). A general commissioner heads the organization. His role is to coordinate the work of five general 

police directorates: administrative, judicial, operational 

support, logistics, and human resources. Moreover, the 

general commissioner has a number of departments 

reporting directly to him that are responsible for 

communication with the local police, international 

cooperation, integrated police operations, and the 

coordination of external communication. The Federal 

Police is basically charged with executing particular 

missions (including those overlapping more than one 

locality) of administrative and judicial police, as well as 

providing specialized support to the local police and the 

Federal Police itself. The Federal Police limits vehicle 

size and weight enforcement activities to the national 

roads and motorways.

Highway inspectors, employed by the regional road 

administrations and jointly responsible for commercial 

motor vehicle size and weight enforcement, possess the 

same judiciary powers as the Federal Police.

The efforts of the Belgian Federal Police Services and the 

regional road administrations are supported by the Belgian 

Road Research Center (BRRC), a public utility research 

institute aimed at promoting research in industry. BRRC 

provides impartial and progressive research on road 

design, construction, and maintenance and has extended 

its expertise to road safety, mobility, and environmentfriendly road construction. Recently, technical committees 

have been formed to enhance dialogue with various 

transportation industry stakeholders. Historically, the 

focus of such committees has been on construction. 

Recent committees, however, will focus on a broader 

set of topics, including traveler mobility, traffic safety, 

environmental issues and recycling, concrete and 

asphalt roads, and road asset management.

As part of the scanning study, the team heard 

presentations by representatives from the Federal 

Police Services, the Flemish (Flanders Region) Road 

Administration, and BRRC. In addition, the team met 

with representatives from the European Union and 

the Forum of European National Highway Research 

Laboratories (FEHRL).

France

France, bordered by Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, 

Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain, Switzerland, the Atlantic 

Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea, is 547,030 square 

kilometers in size (slightly less than twice the size of 

Colorado) with nearly 61 million in population. Paris is 

the capital of France, which is an EU member.

France has four levels of government: the national 

government, 22 regions, 100 departments (equivalent 

to U.S. counties), and 36,400 communities. These levels 

are generally grouped as federal and local (encompassing 

all three lower levels of government) when considering 

responsibilities. In addition, there are eight tollway 

authorities.

The road system in France comprises 891,290 km of 

paved roadways (see figure 6). French roadways fall 

under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport, which 

has seven administrations. The Surface Transportation 

Administration is the agency primarily concerned with 

freight movement, including driver hours of service, 

establishing and enforcing weight laws, and ensuring 

fair competition in freight transportation. Despite the 

Surface Transportation Administration’s interest in freight 

movement, a different administration, the Traffic and 

National Capitals

Cities 3,000,000+

Cities 900,000-2,999,999

International Boundaries

Highways

Primary Roads

Major Rivers

Lakes

0 210 420 Miles

0 210 420 KM

Figure 5. Belgium: proximity and road network.

© MAP RESOURCES

18 CHAPTER ONE
Safety Administration, is primarily responsible for heavy 

vehicle data collection.

These administrations are aided by several governmentsupported technical institutes and laboratories. The 

Central Laboratory for Bridges and Roads (Laboratoire 

Central des Ponts et Chaussees, LCPC) has been 

most involved with commercial vehicle size and 

weight enforcement-related research. The Infrastructure 

Technical Research Institute East Laboratory (Centre 

d’Etudes Techniques de l’Equipement de l’Est, 

CETE Est) has also become involved. In addition to 

research, these organizations conduct a significant 

amount of data collection, analysis, and reporting 

for the national government.(4) Efforts are also supported 

by seven governmental regional information centers 

that support not only the Ministry of Transportation, 

but also the Ministry of Police and the Ministry 

of Defense.

As part of this scanning study, the team visited overloading enforcement centers along motorway A31 near Fays, 

Lesmenil, and Autreville. In addition, the team heard 

presentations by representatives from the CETE East 

Laboratory in Metz and the LCPC in Paris.

Notable Historic Pan-European Projects

Like the United States, Europe has seen a rapid increase 

in commercial motor vehicle traffic on its roads in 

recent decades. Europe is similarly challenged in its 

efforts to efficiently enforce the size and weight 

of commercial motor vehicles. Related technology 

development has been ongoing for the past 20 years, 

with France and the United Kingdom leading early 

European research on and deployment of WIM 

systems.(3) Limited advances in WIM system accuracy, 

cost efficiency, and durability resulted in restricted 

deployment outside of France and the United Kingdom; 

only six or seven European countries were using 

WIM systems by the late 1980s. By the late 1990s, 

more than 20 European countries were using WIM 

systems. This evolution is largely attributable 

to two pan-European projects:

w COST 323, Weigh-in-Motion of Road Vehicles, 

conducted from 1993 to 1998 and involving 

19 European countries

w WAVE, Weigh-in-Motion of Axles and Vehicles for 

Europe, conducted from 1996 to 1999 and involving 

10 European countries

More recent pan-European projects, including the TOP 

TRIAL and REMOVE Projects, furthered these seminal 

efforts.

COST 323

In 1992, the Forum of National Highway Research 

Laboratories (FEHRL) proposed a program of strategic 

research—COST 323, Weigh-in-Motion of Road 

Vehicles—to the Directorate General of Transport of 

the European Commission (DGVII). The action was 

coordinated by the French LCPC (cordis.europa.eu/

cost-transport/src/cost-323.htm). The main objectives 

of this program were the following: 

w Produce an inventory of WIM needs and requirements 

in Europe.

w Collect information on and evaluate WIM systems and 

sensors.

w Develop a European technical specification for WIM 

and a companion glossary of terms.

w Agree on the mechanisms and protocols for a 

pan-European database of WIM sites and data.

w Produce state-of-the-art reports and recommendations 

on the application of WIM to traffic management, 

bridge and pavement engineering, and enforcement.

w Collect and disseminate technical information, including 

exchange with the Organisation for Economic 

Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Dynamic 

Interaction between Vehicles and Infrastructures 

Experiment (DIVINE) Project from 1993 until 1996.(9)

Nineteen countries participated in the COST 323 Project, 

including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, 

Germany, Finland, France, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, 

the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, 

Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, 

and the output of the action is reported in a 

comprehensive 538-page book.(1)

In direct response to the predefined project objectives, 

National Capitals

Cities 3,000,000+

Cities 900,000-2,999,999

International Boundaries

Highways

Primary Roads

Major Rivers

Lakes

0 210 420 Miles

0 210 420 KM

Figure 6. France: proximity and road network.

© MAP RESOURCES

COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 19
key products of the COST 323 Project included the 

following:

w A database of European WIM sites

w A glossary of WIM terms in 10 languages

w European WIM specifications

w Results from field test trials, including portable and 

multiple-sensor WIM systems trials in Trappes, France, 

in 1996; WIM system application on an urban road in 

Zurich, Switzerland, from 1993 to 1995; the Continental 

Motorway Test (CMT) conducted on a busy motorway 

in eastern France from 1997 to 1998; and the Cold 

Environment Test (CET) conducted in northern Sweden 

under cold, adverse conditions from 1997 to 1998

w The conduct of and documented proceedings from the 

First and Second International Conferences on WIM 

(ICWIM) in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1995 and Lisbon, 

Portugal, in 1998(10,11)

The European WIM specification provides comprehensive 

guidance on the following:

w Site selection

w Onsite system checks and calibration

w System approval procedures

w Accuracy class tolerances (see table 4) and appropriate 

applications (see table 5)

w Accuracy verification procedures

w Data storage, processing, and transmission 

requirements

w Vehicle classification schemes

WAVE

Concurrently with the COST 323 Project, the more 

comprehensive WAVE (Weighing-in-Motion of Axles 

and Vehicles for Europe) Project began in 1996, also 

coordinated by the LCPC, with the following objectives:

w Improve the accuracy of WIM systems.

w Improve WIM system durability, particularly in harsh 

climates.

w Develop new WIM technologies, including 

multiple-sensor, instrumented bridge and 

fiber-optic WIM.

w Develop quality assurance methods for WIM 

databases.(8)

The WAVE Project concluded with an international 

workshop in May 1999 in Paris, France.(12)

At the close of the COST 323 and WAVE Projects, WIM 

system use for commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement had high importance but required additional 

research to improve the WIM system accuracy up to 

Class A(5) in the European specification. Additional 

work was also required to solve some legal aspects of 

enforcement (e.g., to allow nonstatic weighing for this 

purpose) (wim.zag.si).

TOP TRIAL

Beginning in 2000, the 2-year TOP TRIAL Project was 

initiated under the Fifth Framework Program of the 

European Union. TOP TRIAL involved four participating 

countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, 

and Switzerland) and was intended to (1) improve 

the accuracy of weight measurement of truck loads 

to cover future regulation aspects and (2) recommend 

future European standards as a basis for enforcement. 

A test site was established along the motorway 

A9 near Bavaria using staggered multiple-sensor WIM 

systems (www.cordis.lu/data/MSS_PROJ_PT_FP5_NEW/

ACTIONeqDndSESSION eq25096200595ndDOCeq6ndT

BLeqEN_PROJ.htm).

Key recommendations from 

the TOP TRIAL Project related 

to the following:

w WIM sensor array layout (a 

minimum of six sensors per 

lane was recommended to 

achieve desired accuracy 

levels; system reliability is 

still challenging)

w Methods for achieving 

acceptance of WIM systems 

within the enforcement of 

overloading in Europe

w Test procedures for approval 

of WIM systems for 

automatic enforcement 

of overloading

CRITERIA

(Type of 

measurement)

DOMAIN 

OF USE

ACCURACY OF CLASS: Confidence interval width δ(%)

A(5) B+(7) B(10) C(15) D+(20) D(25) E

Gross weight >3.5 tonnes 5 7 10 15 20 25 >25

Axle load >1 tonnes

 Group of axles 7 10 13 18 23 28 >28

 Single axle 8 11 15 20 25 30 >30

 Axle of a group 10 14 20 25 30 35 >35

Speed >30 km/h1 2 3 4 6 8 10 >10

Interaxle distance 2 3 4 6 8 10 >10

Total flow 1 1 1 3 4 5 >5

1 This condition applies only for sensors/systems that do not work statically or at very low speed.

Table 4. Allowable tolerances by accuracy class.

SOURCE: Weigh-in-Motion of Road Vehicles—Final Report of the COST 323 Action

20 CHAPTER ONE
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 21

The project concluded with two international workshops 

in March 2002 in Delft, Netherlands, and in September 

2002 in Munich, Germany.

REMOVE

Most recently (initiated in 2004 and completed in 2006), 

the REMOVE (Requirements for Enforcement of 

Overloaded Vehicles in Europe) Project, led by a 

consortium of enforcement agencies, transportation 

agencies, technical experts from the research community, and transport industry from 15 countries, departed 

from previous studies by focusing on technology 

application rather than technology performance. The 

objective of the REMOVE Project was to provide a 

legal framework in which both new and existing WIM 

systems and technologies can operate at strategic and 

tactical levels across the European community, with 

the intention of reducing the danger and damage 

caused by overloaded vehicles.(13)

The project recognized an evolution in the use of 

technology in commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement, beginning with manual selection and the 

use of size and weight data for planning and statistical 

purposes only to preselection and problem solving to 

direct enforcement and intelligence (see figures 7 and 

8 on next page). Researchers characterized the current 

situation as controlling less than 5 percent of the trucks, 

incidental use of WIM technology, and a focus on 

enforcement. Near full evolution, the target situation 

is characterized as controlling 95 percent of the trucks, 

intelligent enforcement mix, and a focus on both prevention and enforcement. This evolutionary process will be 

challenged by various legal, technical, operational, and 

cost-benefit issues. A 12-year timeline is estimated 

for overcoming these challenges and achieving full 

implementation of direct enforcement.(13)

Specific challenges and observations noted through this 

investigation are as follows:

w Disparity exists on how overloaded vehicles are dealt 

with across the European Union.

w A vast array of weighing devices is used across the 

European Union.

w Little regard is taken of the expanding European Union 

in terms of road transport.

w WIM devices can be shown to be effective enforcement devices, but this depends on the location of 

the station.

w The level of damage to the road infrastructure and 

bridges by overloaded vehicles is significant.

w Significant benefits could be achieved in road

safety with the introduction of effective

strategies to reduce overloaded vehicles.

w Overloaded vehicles would appear to gain a significant 

fiscal advantage when compared with operators who 

operate ethically.

w A disparity exists in how each member state regards 

the issue of overloaded vehicles.

w The lack of effective cross-border enforcement is a 

significant issue.

w A wide variety of tolerances and sanctions is applied 

to overweight vehicles.

w A common and legally accepted method of vehicle 

identification needs to be established across the 

member states.

w The use-case stepwise approach and the resulting 

user requirements have drawn together a true 

Accuracy 

Class Application

A(5)

Legal purposes such as enforcement of legal weight 

limits and other particular needs; and to provide 

reference weight values for in-service checks, if the 

classes B(10), C(15), D+(20), or D(25) are required for 

all of the traffic flow vehicles (assuming that it is not 

possible to weigh in static such a large population)

B+(7)

Enforcement of legal weight limits in particular cases, 

if the class A requirements may not be satisfied and 

with a special agreement of the legal authorities; 

efficient preselection of overloaded axles or vehicles; 

and to provide reference values for in-service checks, if 

the classes C(15), D+(20) or D(25) are required for all 

the traffic flow vehicles (assuming that it is not possible 

to weigh in static such a large population)

B(10)

Accurate knowledge of weights by axles or axle groups 

and gross weights for infrastructure (pavement and 

bridge) design, maintenance, or evaluation, such as 

aggressiveness evaluation, fatigue damage and lifetime 

calculations; preselection of overloaded axles of 

vehicles; and vehicle identification based on the loads

C(15) or 

D+(20)

Detailed statistical studies, determination of load 

histograms with class width of one or two tonnes, and 

accurate classification of vehicles based on the loads; 

infrastructure studies and fatigue assessments

D(25)

Weight indications required for statistical purposes, 

economical and technical studies, and standard 

classification of vehicles according to wide weight 

classes (e.g., by 5 tonnes)

E Indications about traffic composition and the load 

distribution and frequency.

Table 5. Accuracy class requirements by application.

SOURCE: Weigh-in-Motion of Road Vehicles—

Final Report of the Cost 323 Action
22 CHAPTER ONE

representation of the requirements of the enforcement 

community. This provides a framework in which both 

new and existing weigh technology can be operated at a 

tactical and strategic level across Europe.

w The inventory of the current situation has shown a wide 

variance in fiscal penalties that could be imposed. In 

reality, however, the actual fines imposed in practice are 

very similar.

w Member states do not regard overloaded vehicles as 

a high priority.

w The issue of liability is a complex issue and not 

satisfactorily addressed by existing rules.

Current

Situation

New Technologies

Problem Solving

Incentives

Quality Control

Company Visits

Prevention &

Enforcement

Prevention

• >95% of Trucks controlled

• Intelligent Enforcement Mix

• Focus on Prevention and Enforcement

• <5% of Trucks controlled

• Incidental Use of WIM Technology

• Focus on Enforcement

Enforcement

Intelligence

Planning & Statistics

Direct Enforcement

Problem Solving

Pre-Selection

Manual Selection

Future

Situation

Figure 7. Dual enforcement/prevention approach.

Figure 8. Lego approach to enhancing enforcement

efficiency through technology.

w The road transport industry is generally in favor 

of a preventive, problem-solving approach as a 

means to achieve compliance.

w Existing methods of enforcement may involve 

additional cost to legitimate haulers where they 

are unnecessarily screened by conventional 

weighing devices.(13)

In response to these challenges and observations, 

a number of recommendations have been tasked to 

the European Commission:

w Determine the impact of heavy goods vehicles on 

the European road network.

w Identify and quantify the potential benefits from 

the increased safe usage of heavy goods 

vehicles achieved through compliance with 

legislation.

w Produce a full version of the Virtual Annex 

(i.e., cost-shared or task-shared project 

requiring support from at least two countries) 

for high-speed axle weighing to ensure a 

common approach across the European 

Union.

w Identify and promote good practice in the field of 

prevention and detection of overloaded vehicles.

w Develop detection and monitoring devices for 

heavy goods vehicles to prevent overloading and 

encourage operators to invest in such systems.

w Find effective solutions to cross-border 

enforcement.

w Adopt a legally accepted standard for vehicle 

identification that includes country identification 

across the European Union.

w Adopt the United Nations classification of vehicles 

and unify with the classification proposal from the 

TOP TRIAL project.

w Require member states to look to existing 

legislation for suitability to deal with automated 

enforcement.

w Recognize the needs of the weight enforcement 

community when promoting the development and 

standardization of weighing devices.

w Encourage member states to harmonize the fine 

levels for offenses by overloaded vehicles.

w Promote European Directive 96/53 as the 

definitive constituent of an overloaded vehicle.

w Impose sanctions in a common fashion across 

the union.

w Coordinate member state activity for overloaded 

vehicles.

w Define and promote a chain of responsibility.

w Explore collaboration with the International 

Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) and 

WIM

Level C

WIM

Level B

CameraCameraCameraCamera

Other

sensors

WIM

Level B

WIM

Level B

WIM

Level A

Other

data bases

Vehicle

data base

Vehicle

data base

Vehicle

data base

Statistics & 

Planning

Direct Intelligence

Enforcement

Problem 

Solving

Pre-Selection
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 23

European Committee for Standardization (CEN) 

working groups.

w Harmonize WIM system specifications.

w Harmonize accuracy testing for all weighing devices.

w Support understanding of the different possible 

applications of WIM technology as identified through 

the cases and user requirements in this project 

through additional project work.

w Encourage member states to set targets to reduce 

road maintenance budgets in line with an effective 

compliance strategy for overloaded vehicles.(14)

Combined, these recommendations reflect the state of 

the practice for commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement in Europe at the time of this investigation.
24 | CHAPTER ONE
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 25

Enforcement

Technologies

Chapter 2

Existing and Emerging CMV Size

Enforcement Technologies

Traditional means for capturing commercial 

motor vehicle (CMV) size include using a 

measuring tape and a measuring bar to 

manually determine and document a 

vehicle’s size in three dimensions. Several 

shortcomings have been associated with these traditional 

methods. First, the task requires an initial subjective 

assessment by an enforcement officer to determine what 

measurements are required. Second, the process of 

capturing the measurements is time consuming, keeping 

an officer from performing other enforcement-related 

duties. Third, some aspects of vehicle size are difficult for 

the enforcement officer to physically or safely determine 

(e.g., the highest point of an irregular load). Lastly, as with 

any manual measurement process, the determination 

and documentation tasks are open to errors.

Despite these known shortcomings, only two of the six 

countries the scan team visited use some form of 

technology to improve commercial motor vehicle size 

enforcement: Switzerland and Germany. Slovenia, 

Belgium, and France reported using only traditional means 

for capturing vehicle size, including a measuring tape and 

a measuring bar. Typically, enforcement officers carry 

these instruments in self-contained mobile enforcing units 

or smaller police vehicles or they are securely stored at 

common mobile enforcement sites.

Although height-detection equipment is not yet in regular 

use, the Netherlands is experimenting with it, considering 

both gantry-mounted systems and joint height-detection/

WIM systems with a focus on tunnel infrastructure. One 

early finding is that the best locations for height-detection 

systems (e.g., just preceding tunnels) do not often 

correspond to the best locations for WIM systems, 

so combined systems may not be cost effective.

Switzerland

As part of a larger system supporting an enforcement 

strategy for remote Alpine region tunnels, the Swiss 

have used infrared detectors to check vehicle height and 

variable traffic signals to provide adaptive control.(15,16) 

Height sensors are placed upstream of tunnels. If the 

sensors identify a vehicle as overheight, a red light is 

activated indicating that the driver should divert.

Most recently and in an alternate application, Swiss 

cantonal police have used dimensional measuring devices 

in conjunction with their heavy goods vehicle (HGV) 

enforcement sites, which rely on laser scan technology 

(www.ectn.com/html/pdf/Profiler.pdf) to obtain a full 

three-dimensional profile of the vehicle (see figure 9 on 

this page and figure 10 on the following page). Tested for 

2 years to ensure adequate performance, the vehicle 

profiler system is now used by cantonal police at four 

Figure 9. Switzerland: vehicle profiler system.
26 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO

HGV enforcement sites in Switzerland: two in Zurich, one 

in Erstfeld, and one in Unterrealta.

The Swiss have used the vehicle profiler system, in 

conjunction with static scales and at vehicle speeds less 

than 5 km/h (the maximum manufacturer-specified driving 

speed of the vehicle), for direct enforcement of commercial motor vehicle size since September 2005. System 

accuracy has rarely been challenged in court and has been 

readily defensible when called into question. The Swiss 

allow the following measurement tolerances when 

issuing citations from the vehicle profiler system: 5.00 

centimeters (cm) for vehicle height, 4.00 cm for width, 

and 10.00 cm for length. No tolerances are allowed when 

measurements are taken manually. Swiss enforcement 

officers report overall time savings, greater accuracies, 

higher certainty in court, and the ability to process a 

higher volume of trucks. Despite these gains in efficiency, 

two officers continue to be used per site. The vehicle 

profiler technology has simply freed up officer time for 

other enforcement duties.

The vehicle profiler system is estimated to cost $250,000 

as a stand-alone system. A facility similar to Swiss HGV 

enforcement sites, which include full gross vehicle weight 

static scales, is estimated to cost $700,000.

Germany

Germany is using a similar gantry-mounted vehicle profiler 

system as part of its Toll Collect system, but with a 

different application. Instead of using the vehicle profiler 

system at low speeds for direct enforcement of 

commercial motor vehicle size, the Germans measure 

vehicle size at high speeds to preselect potentially 

oversized vehicles from the traffic stream. If a vehicle is 

identified as potentially oversized, the driver is directed 

off of the main roadway for manual measurement and 

subsequent enforcement action.

Existing and Emerging CMV Weight 

Enforcement Technologies

The use of technology to support commercial vehicle 

weight enforcement varies among the countries visited 

on implementation and application extent (the COST 323 

Project lent consistency to deployment site selection and 

accuracy determination through development of a 

European WIM specification). A general consistency, 

however, was noted in the type of WIM sensor (i.e., 

piezoquartz or piezoceramic) used for roadway applications, and the countries are addressing previously 

observed challenges with accuracy and maintenance. 

Piezo-based systems have several advantages, including 

lower procurement, installation, and maintenance costs 

with limited disruption to traffic during installation. As 

such, these systems can be more widely implemented, 

providing greater geographic coverage for enforcement 

and data collection. Bridge WIM systems are also 

generating interest in several of the countries visited.

Emerging technologies are focused on fiber optic-based, 

high-speed WIM systems and the use of multiple-sensor 

WIM to achieve sufficient per-truck accuracy levels to 

support direct, automated enforcement of commercial 

vehicle weight limits. Existing accuracy levels attained by 

WIM systems are sufficient for preselection of vehicles to 

weigh on static scales for enforcement and for planning 

and statistical purposes, but are not sufficient for direct, 

automated enforcement.

Calibration procedures mimic those in the United States: 

(1) self- or autocalibration, (2) calibration with vehicles of a 

known weight, and (3) continuous, ongoing calibration 

(during enforcement efforts) using sample vehicles from 

the traffic stream at the enforcement site weighed both 

statically and dynamically. Recently, the Netherlands 

developed a dynamic calibration vehicle that eliminates 

traditional dynamic-to-static measurement adjustments, 

particularly for multiple-sensor WIM installations.

Slovenia

Slovenia has emerged as a leader in the development 

of bridge WIM system technology, which relies on the 

instrumentation of existing roadway structures (i.e., 

Figure 10. Switzerland: vehicle profiler system.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 27

bridges, culverts). In brief, bridge WIM systems use strain 

transducers (or strain gauges) to capture bridge deflection 

measurements under moving loads. Axle measurements 

can be captured through traditional portable or permanent 

axle sensors or through Nothing-on-the-Road (NOR)/

Free-of-Axle Detector (FAD) systems, which require 

no axle sensors on the road surface.

In the early 1990s, early prototypes of bridge WIM 

systems were developed independently in Slovenia and 

Ireland. Bridge WIM systems were considerably 

enhanced through the COST 323 and WAVE Projects, 

with bridge WIM projects concentrated in Slovenia, 

Ireland, France, and Germany. Before these efforts, 

knowledge was based on U.S. experiences with bridge 

WIM in the late 1970s, but the cost and insufficient 

sophistication of software driving those early systems 

likely contributed to their lack of popularity. More recent 

efforts, however, resulted in (1) increased accuracy of 

results, (2) extended applicability to a wide range of bridge 

types, such as short concrete slabs, box culverts, integral 

construction, and long-span bridges (including box girders 

and orthotropic decks), (3) development of NOR/FAD 

systems, and (4) development of SiWIM, a prototype of 

the next-generation bridge WIM system developed in 

Slovenia (www.siwim.com/). In 1999, the Slovenian 

National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG) 

partnered with Cestel, a private manufacturing company, 

to commercialize the SiWIM prototype. Today, more than 

60 SiWIM sites are fully operational in Slovenia, Sweden, 

France, the Netherlands, Croatia, and India. In Canada, 

Denmark, Austria, and Hungary, SiWIM is used in a 

more limited application.

The SiWIM system operates as follows: As a vehicle 

passes over the bridge, a series of strain transducers, 

mounted below the bridge and invisible to the vehicle 

driver, measures the vehicle’s “weight” as a voltage 

output from the transducer (see figures 11 and 12). 

This voltage measurement is not transformed to strain 

measurement units. The signals from each sensor 

(typically 16 sensors per two lanes of traffic) are amplified 

and converted from analog to digital. All are stored in a file 

and used to support system calculation of axle loads, axle 

spacing, gross vehicle weight, etc. The transducers are 

self-temperature compensating to enhance accuracy. 

In addition, the system includes input for up to five 

thermocouples that measure the temperature of the 

structure and compute applicable correction factors. The 

system can be equipped with a camera to capture a video 

image of each vehicle crossing the bridge (see figure 13). 

The video image and weight data can be transmitted 

to enforcement officers in support of a downstream 

Figure 11. Slovenia: bridge WIM system.

Figure 12. Slovenia: bridge WIM system.

Figure 13. Slovenia: bridge WIM system.
28 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO

enforcement site (enforcement officers use handheld 

or portable computers equipped with General Packet 

Radio Services (GPRS) for IP packet transmissions and 

Windows® CE operating systems) if mobile enforcement 

activities are underway or stored for later use.

The SiWIM data acquisition system differs from typical 

modular data acquisition systems in that custom software 

to perform the vehicle classification analysis resides on 

the system, not on the PC. Data are stored in a temporary 

queue. When a transducer meets trigger conditions, the 

system looks back in the queue a sufficient period of time 

to find a pre-event voltage reading. That reading becomes 

the “zero” reading and is subtracted from subsequent 

readings for that event. A new “zero” voltage is established for each weighing event, essentially eliminating 

concerns about gauge drift. The SiWIM-E (engine), 

developed on a Microsoft® Windows® NT platform, is 

the heart of the SiWIM system. SiWIM-F (front end) 

software is used to configure and calibrate the system, 

calculate influence lines, monitor the operation of the 

system, and transfer the data. SiWIM-D is a stand-alone 

Windows-based application that provides additional 

reporting features such as gross vehicle and axle load 

histograms and overloading summaries.

For weight accuracy, the SiWIM system achieved Class 

B(10) accuracy levels, and sometimes A(5) to B+(7) for 

some criteria, when installed on a simply supported 

reinforced concrete slab bridge 5 to 10 meters (m) long. 

Weight accuracy for the SiWIM system for other bridge 

types is under investigation inside and outside Slovenia 

(e.g., results in Canada prove that beam bridges are 

suitable for NOR installation with B(10) accuracy levels 

attained and approved). In general, bridge WIM weight 

accuracy depends on (1) the installation procedure, 

including the type of bridge, the selection of the influence 

line, and fine-tuning of the weight parameters, (2) the 

smoothness of the pavement, particularly leading up to 

the bridge deck, and (3) the accuracy of the static weighing procedure providing the “true” comparative weight. 

The optimum bridge span for WIM applications is 5 to 10 

m, although bridge spans of 2 to 20 m are acceptable.

For vehicle classification, the NOR/FAD systems capture 

more than 95 percent of all axles on stiff slab bridges, but 

misclassify some of the vehicles. A self-correcting module 

is under development to improve this accuracy. NOR/FAD 

systems show more success on beam-deck bridge types; 

ZAG reports the system classifying 261 instead of the 

true 260 vehicles classified. If reasonable accuracy can be 

achieved for additional bridge types, NOR/FAD systems 

provide several benefits, including improved durability, 

easier installation, no traffic delays, and invisibility to the 

motoring public.

The Slovenian SiWIM system is calibrated using preweighed trucks or comparative data from static scales for 

sampled trucks from the traffic stream. The COST 323 

European specification states that 60 percent of the 

calibration runs must be made at the prevailing traffic 

speed, 20 percent at higher speeds, and 20 percent at 

lower speeds.

The hardware components of the SiWIM system do not 

reflect significant advancements in technology. Instead, 

potential benefits of the SiWIM system include the ability 

to develop calibrated influence lines; the system-based, 

rather than PC-based, functionality; and the system’s 

portability and minimal impact on traffic. A drawback of 

the system is its use of noncalibrated transducers, which 

limits the value of WIM data for later structural assessments. Under the existing design, transducers must be 

calibrated to produce strain data. Minimal effort may be 

required to transform the existing voltage readings into 

strain measurements when the data are collected. This 

feature would simplify the use of WIM-generated data, 

enhancing the system’s attractiveness for structural or 

bridge engineers. An additional drawback is that bridge 

WIM systems in general require a suitable bridge located 

where weight measurements are also desired.

Switzerland

Historically, Switzerland has focused on the development 

and testing of WIM systems rather than on their deployment and use. A number of WIM systems were installed 

at the Hagenholz ETH test facility near Zurich. In a largescale COST 323 test, six WIM systems and four additional 

sensors were installed and monitored on an urban 

roadway in Zurich. Gross weights from thousands of 

statically weighed vehicles were used to determine the 

levels of accuracy for each system; the accuracy of axle 

weights was not tested.(17) The Swiss also participated in 

the TOP TRIAL Project, with test sites in Germany.

Concurrently, a Swiss company, Kistler, developed a 

quartz-based piezo sensor that demonstrated the 

following advantages:

w Insensitivity to temperature (unlike piezoelectric 

sensors)

w Ability to be statically calibrated in the field

w Insensitivity to horizontal stresses induced in the 

road surface

w Ability to function as a true pressure sensor, without 

having to account for differences in pavement strain or 

be separated from the roadway by an external frame
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 29

Initial performance results from the Hagenholz test site 

were positive and led to further implementation and 

testing in Europe, the United States, and other locations 

worldwide. Some of these initial deployments in Europe 

and the United States experienced durability problems, 

resulting in high piezoquartz sensor replacement rates 

between 1995 and 2005. Kistler reported that the new 

generation of sensors resolved the durability problem.

In all new Swiss installations of WIM facilities, piezoquartz 

technology is deployed exclusively. Typically, two sensors 

are configured 7 m (23 feet (ft)) apart in each lane, 

although the use of alternate arrays is being explored. 

While the selection of technology is consistent, the level 

of deployment within the country varies. Each canton is 

responsible for implementing and using WIM systems. 

The Swiss Federal Roads Authority (FEDRO) does not 

and will not mandate their use.

Despite the reported higher accuracy and increased 

reliability of the Kistler WIM sensors, cantonal police 

continue to use traditional static scales (e.g., platform 

scales, weigh bridges, axle load scales, and wheel load 

scales) to enforce commercial motor vehicle weight and 

WIM systems only for preselection. The dynamics of the 

vehicle (i.e., suspension, load, acceleration, wind) lead to 

higher-than-desired standard deviations of measurements 

from WIM systems. In addition, frequent snowfall 

challenges the accurate capture of data from WIM 

systems because vehicles cannot distinguish 

designated lanes during snowfall.

The Swiss report low maintenance with their WIM 

facilities. The sensors must be inspected periodically 

(annually) for wear. Calibration is also performed annually, 

using about 15 staff members for 1 to 2 days per year 

(i.e., about 120 to 240 person-hours). Calibration assessment and analysis are conducted in accordance with 

the COST 323 European specifications. About 40 to 50 

vehicles in excess of 3.5 metric tons are diverted from 

the local traffic stream to be statically weighed. Data 

measured at the static site include number of axles, 

distance between all axles, distance from front of vehicle 

to first axle, distance from last axle to rear of vehicle, 

overall length, individual axle load, and overall weight. 

In addition, a photo is taken of the vehicle. Static 

measurements are relayed to personnel at the WIM 

site using unique vehicle identification information 

to allow for immediate adjustments.

Germany

Historically, Germany has conducted and participated in 

research to improve the accuracy of WIM systems, 

participating in both the COST 323 and WAVE Projects. In 

the early 1990s, the German Federal Highway Research 

Institute (BASt) conducted studies to investigate the 

performance of various systems, including a Golden River 

capacitance strip sensor, an ECM piezoelectric sensor, 

and a PAT bending plate system. During this same time, 

the TOP TRIAL Project, with four participating countries 

(Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland), 

was initiated to (1) improve the accuracy of weight 

measurement of truck loads to cover future regulations 

and (2) recommend future European standards as a basis 

for enforcement. The test site was established along the 

motorway A9 near Bavaria using staggered multiplesensor WIM systems. Most recently, Germany has been 

investigating the performance of an integrated matrix (IM) 

WIM sensor.(18)

Based on the results of these early tests, Germany 

began installing bending plate WIM technology in the 

Rhein-Main area.(19) By 1999, more than 15 WIM systems 

were installed. In 2000, Germany commissioned a 

Swiss-based company, Kistler, to install its piezoquartz 

WIM sensors at 13 WIM stations. Today, Germany has a 

network of about 40 WIM systems, using both bending 

plate and piezoquartz sensor technology.

The current WIM sites are used for both preselection for 

weight enforcement and statistical data gathering. WIM 

systems are commonly installed in the right lane or right 

two lanes only with traffic sensors (i.e., electronic loops) 

installed across all lanes. This layout strategy significantly 

reduces capital installation costs while still capturing 

weight data for an estimated 80 percent of the 

heavy traffic. 

BASt researchers concluded in earlier investigations 

that WIM systems, regardless of sensor design, needed 

periodic, independent calibration and recommended 

calibration at least twice per year. The calibration of WIM 

systems can be maintained by monitoring the axle load 

distribution for each site, although the distribution varies 

from site to site. Additional calibration checks were 

recommended whenever axle-weight distributions at a 

site change.(19) Current calibration procedures use two 

trucks of known weight—half loaded and fully loaded—

performing 15 runs each.

The recent Toll Collect system includes 300 “toll checker” 

gantries strategically located throughout the country and 

equipped with infrared (IR) detection equipment and 

high-resolution cameras able to profile trucks and record 

number plates. These gantries do not include any weight 

capture capabilities (e.g., WIM). WIM installation would 
30 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO

have greatly increased the cost of the system and was 

not required to support the German toll schedule, which 

relies on a truck’s weight capacity rather than observed 

weight. Integration of WIM would allow real-time 

weight-distance tolling, but is not currently being 

used in Germany.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, WIM systems began to generate 

significant interest only when groups other than the 

pavement design and maintenance community became 

interested in the information available from these 

systems. As recently as 1996, no operational WIM 

systems were in use, although several systems had 

been purchased from various vendors for testing. At that 

time, plans were to install 40 to 60 WIM sites, with the 

first five installations occurring in 1997.(3)

Funded through the Ministry of Transport, WIM 

installations are prioritized and must compete with other 

transportation needs of the nation. As of 2006, the Dutch 

reported only six WIM system installations nationwide, 

concentrated around the Port of Rotterdam along the 

major motorways. Two WIM system sites were under 

construction. Like many of the other countries visited, the 

Netherlands uses Kistler piezoquartz sensors, but has 

experienced some problems with durability, attributable 

partly to the porous asphalt design of its roads.

Despite their limited deployment of WIM systems, 

the Dutch have made significant advancements in 

technology performance and its use in automated 

enforcement, participating in the COST 323, WAVE, 

and TOP TRIAL Projects. In recent studies, including 

the WIM-HAND and WIM-HAND2 Projects (described 

in the “Fully Automating CMV Size and Weight 

Enforcement” section of Chapter Three), the Dutch 

have focused on the use of high-speed, multiple-sensor 

WIM systems to achieve the required accuracy levels 

to support automatic enforcement of overloading. 

In addition, these efforts have focused on defining 

procedures for acceptance of WIM systems intended 

for use in automatic enforcement. Key issues are 

accuracy, certainty of the measurements from the WIM 

system, reliability of the acceptance test, and use 

of static axle loads as an accepted reference.(20,21)

As part of these latter efforts (i.e., WIM-HAND and 

WIM-HAND2), the Dutch constructed a specially designed 

calibration vehicle (see figures 14, 15, and 16). Because 

metrological laws and specifications are based on static 

weight, typical calibration methods for WIM convert 

dynamic loading to a static measure. Ideally, every sensor 

should be reading the most accurate dynamic load 

possible rather than correcting to an average static value. 

No such vehicle was available to calibrate the dynamic 

measure to the true dynamic load. The newly designed 

Dutch calibration vehicle measures, while driving, the 

dynamic forces exerted on the WIM system by the 

measurement axle. The calibration vehicle compares 

its own measurements with those of the WIM system 

integrated into the road. During the design phase, the 

most important requirements for the calibrating vehicle 

were the following: 

w The ability to measure at speeds of 10 to 100 km/h

w The ability to measure axle loads varying between 

5 and 15 tons

w A measuring accuracy of plus or minus 5 percent

Figure 14. The Netherlands: dynamic calibration vehicle. Figure 15. The Netherlands: dynamic calibration vehicle.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 31

The calibration vehicle was commissioned by the Road 

and Hydraulic Engineering Institute of the Dutch Ministry 

of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management. 

Kalibra International built the vehicle, while TNO 

Automotive provided the measuring technology.

The calibration vehicle has a special exemption allowing 

it to travel with higher axle loads and at higher speeds. 

Since WIM systems are not calibrated more than a few 

times per year, the calibrating vehicle is used to calibrate 

traditional static weigh bridges the rest of the year.

The Slovenian bridge WIM system (SiWIM) is being 

tested in the Dutch highway environment. A bridge WIM 

system was recently installed along the A-4 highway 

from Amsterdam to Den Haag. The purpose is to test 

equipment performance under severe Dutch highway 

conditions. Measurements from the bridge WIM system 

will be compared to WIM system measurements from 

a conventional installation a few kilometers upstream 

from the bridge site and, when possible, static measurements resulting from control activity performed by the 

National Police.

Belgium

Belgium participated in both the COST 323 and WAVE 

Projects, though to a lesser extent than some other 

project partners. The Belgian Road Research Center 

(BRRC) conducted the analysis for the Continental Motorway Test (CMT) and the Cold Environment Test (CET), 

which were intended to determine the reliability and 

accuracy of marketed high-speed WIM systems under 

variable traffic and climatic conditions. The test sites were 

near Metz, France (CMT), and Lulea, Sweden (CET).

Belgium relies predominantly on the use of static or 

low-speed WIM systems for enforcement. The Walloon 

Region is the only region in Belgium actively deploying 

high-speed WIM systems. At the time of the scanning 

study, six Electronic Control Measure (ECM)TM piezoceramic WIM systems were in operation. These systems 

are used predominantly to collect data for statistical 

planning purposes rather than for preselection for weight 

enforcement. Although some systems attained A(5), 

B+(7), or B(10) accuracy levels using the COST 323 

procedures, other systems were only able to attain 

between C(15) and D(25) accuracy levels for gross vehicle 

weight. These latter accuracy classes show sufficiency 

for statistical planning purposes only. Site conditions (i.e., 

less-than-ideal road environments) at these locations 

were thought to affect the accuracies observed.

Other challenges associated with these systems were 

reported as follows:

w Maintenance of the stations is quite laborious.

w Calibration is required at least once per year.

w Reliance on automatic calibration leads to a progressive 

drift at some stations. 

w At one site, the automatic calibration feature stopped 

working because of a serious rutting condition and 

manual calibration was required.

The initial manual calibration was performed using three 

preweighed test vehicles typical of the local traffic stream. 

At least 10 passes per vehicle were performed, with at 

least five passes per vehicle performed a minimum of 2 

weeks later for validation purposes. The systems (including devices and communications) are maintained annually. 

Calibration is performed using preweighed test vehicles.

France

Nationwide, France uses 170 WIM systems to collect 

weight data and provide statistical planning support 

through the SIREDO (Système Informatisé de REcueil 

de DOnnées) Network.(22) These systems rely largely on 

automatic self-calibration and a comparative review of 

static weight data (captured during enforcement activities) 

to meet data quality requirements. The combination of 

autocalibration and static weight data comparative 

procedures has eliminated the need for resource-intensive 

manual calibration conducted typically on an annual basis.

Historically, the French have been actively involved in 

advancing the accuracy of WIM equipment (since the late 

1970s) and have conducted several notable field studies 

as part of the COST 323 and WAVE Projects:

w Portable and multiple-sensor WIM test near 

Trappes—In June 1996, a trial of four portable piezoFigure 16. The Netherlands: dynamic calibration vehicle.
32 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO

ceramic WIM systems, set in a multiple-sensor weighin-motion (MS-WIM) array, was performed on a heavily 

trafficked highway near Trappes. During the 3-day 

experiment, 116 runs were made with two preweighed 

test vehicles, 92 trucks in the traffic stream were 

stopped randomly and statically weighed upstream of 

the test site, and the axle loads and gross weights of 

almost 4,000 trucks were recorded in the traffic stream 

by the MS-WIM system. This sample of data was used 

to assess the accuracy of the portable WIM systems.(23)

w Continental Motorway Test on Motorway A31 near 

Metz—In March 1997, the Continental Motorway 

Test (CMT) was initiated to determine the reliability 

and accuracy of six WIM systems from four European 

manufacturers. Five systems used piezoceramic 

bars and the sixth used a capacitive mat. The WIM 

systems were installed in the slow lane of a busy 

motorway in northeast France and monitored over 

a 17-month period. Findings were based on a sample 

of 700 trucks, weighed both statically and by each 

of the systems.(24)

w Continental Motorway Test on Motorway A31 near 

L’Obrion, Phase II—As a follow-on study, CMT Phase 

II was initiated in October 1998 and allowed the testing 

of the same WIM systems, following manufacturers’ 

improvements, as well as additional systems. The test 

took place at L’Obrion on the Motorway A31 between 

Metz and Nancy in northeast France and allowed performance checking of seven different WIM systems.(24)

As part of the WAVE Project, the French examined 

fiber-optic strip sensors to improve WIM technology at 

two separate test sites: along RN 10 near Trappes and at 

the Alcatel plant in Saintes. Fiber-optic cable technology 

was proven to have several advantages, including good 

metrological accuracy and low temperature dependence, 

operation capabilities in both static and high-speed 

conditions, electromagnetic immunity, timesaving installation, near real-time processing, and future capabilities of 

capturing tire pressure, vehicle acceleration, and other 

dynamic effects.(8)

Historically, the French have focused on the use of 

high-speed, multiple-sensor WIM systems to achieve the 

required accuracy levels to support automated enforcement of overloading. Using a multiple-sensor WIM site 

on A31, French researchers are investigating the effects 

of individual axle sensor accuracy, static weight estimation algorithms (SAve, SR, or ML1/2), and array design 

(~ 5–15 piezoelectric bars) on overall system 

performance.(25) The minimum required accuracy to 

achieve automated enforcement is estimated at A(5), 

according to COST 323 European specifications.

In addition to continued testing of multiple-sensor WIM 

systems, two prototype VIDEO-WIM systems were 

installed and are being used for (1) real-time preselection 

of overloaded vehicles from the traffic stream for 

enforcement, (2) prevention of overloading behavior 

through targeted company contacts, and (3) forecasting 

problematic locations to support scheduling of mobile 

enforcement patrols. Direct enforcement occurs at 

various fixed static enforcement sites or through mobile 

enforcement activities, although the final objective of 

these prototype systems is aimed at fully automated 

enforcement.

As part of the VIDEO-WIM system evaluation, two 

different WIM systems provided by ECM and STERELA 

were tested.(26) The ECM system is located along RN83 in 

the south-north direction about 6 km away from a static 

weighing area. The STERELA system is located along A31 

in the north-south direction. In each case, only one lane 

was equipped with piezoceramic sensors. Other system 

components included electromagnetic loops for vehicle 

detection, monochromatic high-definition video camera 

and license plate recognition software, a local processing 

unit, and communications to transmit data. Neither 

system performed initially to the accuracy levels 

expected. The ECM system achieved C(15) accuracy for 

single axles and D+(20) accuracy for axle groups, using 

the COST 323 European specifications. For the STERELA 

system, the accuracy for axles in a group reached B(10) 

accuracy, while single axles and axle groups achieved 

C(15). Gross vehicle weight accuracy reached only 

D+(20). This underperformance on accuracy was 

attributed to the poor road structure at each site. Despite 

the compromised accuracy, the efficiency of the systems 

was proved, resulting in significant benefits for preselection. A total of 81 percent and 100 percent of the trucks 

stopped for static measurement were confirmed as 

overloaded, respectively, and 64 percent and 67 percent 

of these overweight trucks were fined based on the 

degree of overload, respectively (a 5 percent tolerance 

is allowed before a fine is implemented).

The success of these two prototype VIDEO-WIM 

systems has resulted in a call for tender, won by 

STERELA, to implement 10 to 40 similar systems 

throughout France. The final number of sites implemented will be determined by available funds. Any less 

than 10 sites results in system development costs that 

are too high. The systems will use high-speed WIM for 

preselection and either static or low-speed WIM

for enforcement. Other specifications include the use of 

two strip sensors of unspecified technology but capable 

of achieving a minimum of Class C(15) accuracy; 1.6- to 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 33

4-m spacing between sensors (France typically uses 1.8 

m), depending on pavement quality, sensor type, etc.; a 

communication link between the prescreen site and 

enforcement area; and a second video camera a minimum 

of 200 m downstream of the WIM video to allow for 

vehicle speed measurement and calculation.

Unique to France is its focus on low-speed WIM as an 

opportunity to move toward automated enforcement (in 

both Belgium and Switzerland, vehicles are allowed to 

roll over static scales at very low speeds (5 km/h), but it 

is unclear whether any adjustments have been made to 

the weight capture algorithms to reflect this “dynamic” 

weight measure or what legal or metrological changes 

were required to support this practice). The accuracy of 

these systems is typically A(3) to A(5), according to 

COST 323 European specifications, which complies with 

enforcement requirements. France has recently received 

approval for legal metrology of low-speed WIM and is 

now working to change the law allowing direct citation 

issuance based on low-speed WIM measurements. Until 

the law is changed, portable static scales must be used 

for citation issuance. The use of low-speed WIM will 

allow enforcement officers to process up to 10 times 

more vehicles, even with vehicle speeds constrained 

to less than 10 km/h. A tolerance of 5 percent is now 

provided for portable static measurements. The same 

tolerance will be used for low-speed WIM measurements.

To bring together these three technology applications—

video-based preselection systems, multiple-sensor WIM, 

and low-speed WIM—a test site is being developed to 

perform efficient overloading controls while developing 

future automatic systems for enforcement. The 

automatic overloading control test site will be located 

along the RN4 between Nancy and Paris (Maulan and 

Rupt-aux-Nonains). The preselection system will be 

modeled after the two prototype systems described 

previously along RN83 and A31. The multiple-sensor 

WIM system (to be located in Maulan) will consist of 

a 16 piezoceramic sensor array, two wheel transverse 

location detection systems (to account for wheels 

passing too closely to the WIM sensor edge and to apply 

correction factors due to the transverse sensitivity of the 

sensors), and a temperature sensor. The low-speed WIM 

system will be installed at a newly constructed rest area 

at Rupt-aux-Nonains. Variable message signs (VMS) and 

bicolored (red and green) lights will direct approaching 

and onsite drivers, depending on their status (i.e., 

suspected overloaded, confirmed overloaded, etc.). A 

video camera with license plate recognition capabilities 

will allow for complete automated enforcement of 

commercial motor vehicle weight.

France is also testing the Slovenian bridge WIM system 

(SiWIM) on alternative bridge structures. Previous tests 

determined that the SiWIM system could achieve C(15) 

accuracy for a short-span integral concrete bridge (along 

RN4, Rosay-en-Brie) and B(10) accuracy for another shortspan integral concrete bridge (along RN19, Nogentsur-Seine) with better road smoothness. France is now 

testing this system on orthotropic steel bridge structures 

(see figures 17 and 18 on this page and figure 19 on the 

following page). Unlike concrete bridge behavior, orthotropic structure behavior is locally independent of span 

length. Early challenges relate to installation; the strain 

transducers used in the SiWIM system do not adequately 

Figure 18. France: bridge WIM system test site.

Figure 17. France: bridge WIM system test site.
34 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO

adhere to steel. The transducers were initially glued 

directly to the steel. Instead, the transducers could be 

secured to metal plates using screws, which are then 

affixed to the steel structure. The use of strain 

gauges could also overcome this issue.

Technology’s Role in CMV Size

and Weight Enforcement

In general, the use of technology for enforcing both 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight was viewed as 

beneficial in enhancing effectiveness and efficiency. For 

vehicle size enforcement, technology was also purported 

to improve the accuracy of dimensional measurements. 

Motivated by a desire to ease the burden of enforcement 

officers, representatives in many of the countries visited 

expressed a desire to see the use of technology for 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 

increase.

Comparison/Contrast with the United States

Few wholly new technologies for commercial motor 

vehicle size and weight enforcement were observed in 

the countries visited. One exception is the automated 

vehicle profile measuring device used in Switzerland 

and Germany. No such technology is known to be in 

use in the United States for commercial motor vehicle 

size enforcement.

Many technologies observed for weight enforcement, 

while not wholly novel to the United States, offer 

enhancements in application that are new to this country. 

For example, software enhancements available through 

the SiWIM system, particularly the ability to develop 

calibrated influence lines, may make bridge WIM 

systems a more attractive tool than when first introduced 

in the late 1970s. Also, using multiple WIM sensors 

instead of a single sensor to achieve sufficient per-truck 

accuracy levels has not been widely pursued in the United 

States. Low-speed WIM, used in early preselection 

efforts in the United States, is seeing renewed application 

in the countries visited as a step toward automated 

enforcement.

Figure 19. France: bridge WIM system test site.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 35

Enforcement

Procedures

A greater use of mobile enforcement activities 

and few fixed roadside weigh facilities were 

consistently observed in the countries visited. 

This strategy results in a lower volume of 

trucks being processed and geographically 

and geometrically constrained inspection and offloading 

areas, but it provides more flexibility to respond to 

industry loading and routing patterns and more efficient 

and effective enforcement action.

Many European enforcement entities have dedicated 

personnel for size and weight enforcement. Often, size 

and weight enforcement personnel are not authorized to 

perform duties beyond size and weight enforcement (i.e., 

not authorized to stop vehicles, carry firearms, perform 

arrests). If an obvious safety, credential, or criminal 

problem is noted, personnel authorized to address these 

issues are called to assist. A high level of collaboration in 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 

activities was observed in several of the countries visited 

between similar agencies of different jurisdictional levels 

(e.g., national and regional law enforcement agencies) and 

between different agencies (e.g., transportation and law 

enforcement agencies). It was also observed that private 

sector entities work closely with government and 

research bodies to refine and enhance product 

performance and accuracy.

Citation issuance procedures and fine amounts differed 

between and within the countries visited, varying by 

the assumed violator (i.e., driver, carrier, or both), unique 

procedures for foreign drivers and carriers, and the time 

allowed for establishing and responding to the fine (in 

many instance, the fine was immediate). In general, the 

citation amounts were reported to be sufficient as a 

deterrent.

Integrating Technology in CMV Size and 

Weight Enforcement

In the countries visited, WIM technology is used 

predominately to support commercial vehicle size and 

weight enforcement through (1) real-time preselection for 

mobile enforcement, (2) scheduling time and location (to 

the extent possible) of enforcement activities, and (3) 

directing carrier/company advisory notices of noncompliance (i.e., warning letter) and preventive visits (this 

information is shared with enforcement personnel).

Slovenia

Slovenia uses several roving enforcement vehicles 

operated by the Traffic Enforcement Section, under the 

Uniformed Police Directorate of the Ministry of the 

Interior, to provide commercial motor vehicle size and 

weight enforcement. The country has no fixed weigh 

facilities. In addition to size and weight measuring capabilities, the vehicles have equipment to check emissions, 

perform a full safety check, and communicate with the 

central office for credential checks (see figure 20 on this 

page and figure 21 on the following page). These vehicles 

patrol the motorways and, when appropriate, the secondary roads, targeting areas where violations are observed 

or suspected. The Traffic Enforcement Section is 

supported by CESTEL personnel who install, maintain, 

and process data for the bridge WIM systems.

In recent years, these roving enforcement vehicles have 

integrated technology, including bridge WIM systems 

(SiWIM), into their operations in two ways: (1) to support 

Chapter 3

Figure 20. Slovenia: mobile enforcement vehicle.
36 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER THREE

real-time preselection for mobile enforcement and (2) to 

support scheduling time and location (to the extent 

possible) of mobile enforcement activities.

Preselection. To preselect an overloaded vehicle from the 

traffic stream, the SiWIM systems are used in conjunction 

with a video camera and a handheld or portable computer 

capable of receiving both the weight data and the vehicle 

image. Vehicle information—including vehicle class, gross 

weight, axle loads, overloading status, time of arrival, 

lane, and speed—and a video image of the vehicle allow 

enforcement officers to escort suspected noncompliant 

vehicles off the main roadway to the mobile enforcement 

site for static weighing and additional inspection (see 

figures 22 and 23). This preselection method reportedly 

results in high efficiencies; more than 80 percent of 

vehicles preselected for inspection by the SiWIM system 

are confirmed as overweight and are ticketed. The SiWIM 

system is used only as a prescreening tool to select 

vehicles for further inspection and evaluation. No citations 

are directly issued using SiWIM system data.

Scheduling of enforcement activities. To support 

scheduling of mobile enforcement patrols, historical 

SiWIM data are used. Mobile enforcement units, working 

closely with the Directorate of the Republic of Slovenia 

for Roads and Cestel (for SiWIM system data analysis 

and installations), determine a location and time for 

enforcement one month in advance. Three groups, 

composed of enforcement and Cestel personnel, are 

at different locations each day, controlling the main roads 

and the borders. Well-informed truck drivers limit the 

amount of time that can be effectively spent at each 

mobile enforcement site. Nonetheless, these three teams 

controlled more than 6,200 trucks in 2005. Fifty-six 

percent of captured trucks were overloaded in 2005, 

up from 18 percent in 1998.

Particular industries in Slovenia, such as quarries, gravel 

pits, and construction areas, pose special problems and 

need to be enforced more often. At one observed site, 

73.9 percent of overweight vehicles were attributable to 

these. Slovenian officials reported that the low fines for 

overloaded travel are relatively ineffective deterrents and 

recommend the use of SiWIM data to support development of an inversely exponentially increasing fine structure ranging from €200 to €3,000 for gross offenders. 

SiWIM data suggest that the majority of vehicles (nearly 

60 percent) modestly exceed (by less than 10 percent) 

axle load limits. About 5 percent of the vehicles, however, 

exceed axle load limits by more than 40 percent.

Switzerland

Several formal sets of guidelines support traditional 

commercial vehicle size and weight enforcement:

w Section 132 Traffic Registration Act (Verkehrszulassungsverordnung, www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c741_51.html)

w Calibration Act of December 12, 1984 (Eichverordnung, 

www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c941_210.html)

w Regulation of Non-Automatic Scales of April 16, 2004 

(Verordnung über nichtselbständige Waagen, 

www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c941_213.html)

w Directives Regarding Police Weight Checks 

(Weisungen über polizeiliche Gewichtskontrollen, www.

astra.admin.ch/media/pdfpub/2004-07-15_2339_d.pdf)

Directives on the recently implemented vehicle profile 

measurement devices are under development.

Preselection. More informally, relying on the performance 

achieved by piezoquartz sensors and multiple-sensor 

arrays to further enhance accuracy, the Swiss have 

developed an enforcement strategy for remote Alpine 

region tunnels.(15,16) The system consists of multiple 

quartz-based WIM sensors, infrared height detectors, 

video cameras, and variable traffic signals for adaptive 

control. Weight, height, and video data are transmitted to 

a central traffic control center, enabling identification of 

overloaded or excessive height vehicles. These data are 

simultaneously transferred to the next police enforcement 

Figure 21. Slovenia: mobile enforcement vehicle.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 37

site downstream, equipped with a weighing system 

certified for enforcement.

A similar process is followed at routine enforcement 

locations. Swiss cantonal police use WIM systems for 

preselection along the main roadways. If suspected as 

overweight, a vehicle is escorted by police to an offsite 

but nearby fixed weigh facility where it is statically 

weighed and measured either manually or with a vehicle 

profiler system (see figure 24). If a vehicle is confirmed to 

be overweight or oversize, the driver and/or company is 

issued a citation accordingly or required to offload the 

vehicle before proceeding.

The use of WIM for preselection is reported to increase 

Swiss cantonal police enforcement effectiveness and 

efficiency for commercial motor vehicle size and weight. 

The Swiss do not define specific numeric metrics to 

ensure that a sufficient number of vehicle checks are 

conducted. As police continue to spread their time over 

many activities, truck weight enforcement will continue 

to decline in importance. For this reason, the Swiss 

would like to see the use of technology for this 

application increase.

Germany

Preselection. For day-to-day operations, Germany uses 

a system of about 40 WIM sites that support mobile 

enforcement efforts, as well as statistical data gathering. 

The WIM sites commonly use sensors in the right lane 

or right two lanes only with traffic sensors (i.e., electronic 

loops) installed across all lanes. This layout plan 

significantly reduces capital installation costs while still 

capturing weight data for an estimated 80 percent of 

the heavy traffic.

As part of the Toll Collect system, the German autobahn 

system has 300 “toll checker” gantries strategically 

located throughout the country and equipped with IR 

detection equipment and high-resolution cameras able to 

profile trucks and record number plates. These gantries 

do not include any weight capture capabilities (e.g., WIM), 

but are capable of prescreening for potentially oversized 

vehicles.

In addition to the gantries, Toll Collect also relies on 

specially assigned mobile patrols consisting of a fleet of 

300 vehicles with 540 officers from the German Federal 

Office for Transport of Goods (BAG) (see figure 25 on next 

page). Video and license plate information captured at the 

gantries can be sent to downstream mobile enforcement 

units. The officers patrol the autobahns, checking vehicles 

and drivers to see if they have paid the toll or have 

Figure 22. Slovenia: mobile enforcement.

Figure 23. Slovenia: mobile enforcement.

Figure 24. Switzerland: fixed weight-size facility.
38 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER THREE

onboard units (OBUs) installed (these enforcement 

vehicles are equipped with infrared dedicated short-range 

communications (DSRC) systems that can be used to 

scan and monitor trucks in motion).

While BAG officers have police powers to request trucks 

to stop for examination any time during their journey, 

they are not authorized to conduct size or weight 

enforcement. If a truck is stopped for a toll violation and 

an oversize or overweight violation is suspected, alternative mobile police units must be dispatched for enforcement of size and weight. These alternative mobile police 

units similarly do not have authority to enforce tolling. 

Political motivations separated toll enforcement from 

regular police forces. As reported by German officials, 

enforcement efforts are not well coordinated. A vehicle 

driver may experience a special or classical (full) control 

by enforcement officials and toll control within a few 

kilometers.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the National Police Agency (KLPD), 

the Inspectorate of Transport, Public Works, and Water 

Management (Transport Inspectorate), the Public 

Prosecution Service, and the Ministry of Transport, Public 

Works, and Water Management (Ministry of Transport) 

are partners in enforcing commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight regulations. To ensure that commercial motor 

vehicle size and weight enforcement is a continued 

priority, particularly among police agencies, the Ministry 

of Transport funds additional police officers who focus 

about 40 percent of their time on weight enforcement 

and 60 percent on anticongestion and incident-management activities. This special project detail has about 100 

officers who are trained in 80 percent of full police officer 

duties. They do not carry firearms or drive motorcycles, 

which require a special permit. These officers are always 

paired with a fully trained police officer for safety, which 

increases the overall cost of the program. The Transport 

Inspectorate is an independent inspection entity of the 

Dutch Ministry of Transport tasked with promoting 

safety in transport. Inspectorate personnel can perform 

commercial vehicle size and weight enforcement duties, 

but are also tasked with monitoring and enforcing 

regulations on vehicle insurance, fleet maintenance, 

vehicle safety, and environmental conditions. This partnership supports commercial motor vehicle enforcement 

activities related to (1) real-time preselection for mobile 

enforcement, (2) scheduling time and location (to the 

extent possible) of enforcement activities, and (3) directing carrier/company advisory notices of noncompliance 

(i.e., warning letter) and preventive visits (this information 

is shared with enforcement personnel).

Preselection. In the late 1990s the Dutch developed an 

innovative WIM and video system (WIM/VID) at a test 

site on the highway between Antwerp and Rotterdam 

to support preselection of overweight vehicles from the 

traffic stream.(27) Technologies and procedures developed 

at the initial WIM/VID test site have been integrated 

into routine commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement activities. Each WIM/VID site is equipped 

with piezoquartz WIM sensors in the right two lanes, two 

cameras on each side of the road to capture the vehicle 

image, and cameras above each lane to capture license 

plates. Electronic loops and cameras in the third lane and 

right shoulder detect bypassing vehicles. Enforcement 

officers from the National Police Agency use laptops 

in their mobile units to receive information (data and 

video) from the upstream WIM site (see figures 26, 27, 

and 28). Overweight determination is processed within 

15 seconds. The officer at the mobile enforcement site 

contacts onroad colleagues to intercept the overloaded 

vehicle and escort it for further inspection and evaluation. At the mobile enforcement site, static axle loads are 

captured (see figure 29 on page 40). Modest checks for 

registration and safety are also conducted as part of the 

weight enforcement effort.

If a vehicle is confirmed to be overweight, the appropriate 

citation is issued to the company.

w Vehicles determined to be less than 10 percent axle/axle 

group or 5 percent gross vehicle weight overweight are 

issued a warning.

w Vehicles determined to be 10 to 20 percent axle/axle 

group or 5 to 10 percent gross vehicle weight 

overweight are issued an official citation report. 

w Vehicles determined to be greater than 20 percent 

axle/axle group or 10 percent gross vehicle weight overweight are issued an official citation report and required 

Figure 25. Germany: mobile enforcement

vehicle for Toll Collect system.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 39

to transfer the load until full compliance is achieved 

(vehicle must be brought into full compliance, not 

just less than 20 percent or 10 percent overweight, 

respectively).

If the fine goes unpaid, the company owner is required 

to appear before the prosecutor. Enforcement officials try 

to balance enforcement activities with the prosecution 

system. If enforcement officials are highly productive 

but the prosecution system is not, the effort may be 

wasted. Revenue from commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight enforcement efforts is deposited in the 

general government budget.

This preselection process has been credited with increasing officer efficiency (i.e., the number of citations issued 

compared to the number of vehicles stopped) from about 

40 percent to more than 80 percent. The trucking industry 

is reacting to these preselection controls by using bypass 

routes or, more positively, by investing in new vehicle 

configurations (e.g., with additional lightweight axles) and 

in-vehicle weighing systems to better self-monitor loading behavior. These actions are limited, however, since 

outside of the six enforcement control points, the odds of 

being detected when traveling overweight are minimal.

Scheduling enforcement activities. In addition to using 

technology to support preselection activities, the Dutch 

use historical WIM data to support the scheduling of the 

time and location (to the extent possible) of enforcement 

activities. Using the most recent week and the past 6 

weeks of WIM data, the time of day, day of the week, 

and location of high overweight vehicle activity are determined. For example, just before the morning rush hour 

(i.e., 5 to 7 a.m.) is commonly the worst period for overloading at one site in the Netherlands. In the near future, 

the enforcement activities of the National Police and the 

Transport Inspectorate will be coordinated. National 

Police officers will focus on the highway network (at 

preselection sites) and the Inspectorate officers will focus 

on the secondary road network with particular focus on 

bypass routes for the preselection sites.

Directing preventive company contacts. While officials 

from both the Dutch National Police Agency and the 

Transport Inspectorate have the authority to conduct 

roadside commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement, the advent of the WIM/VID systems has 

allowed the Transport Inspectorate to shift its focus from 

performing roadside inspections to conducting carrier/ 

company advisory notices of noncompliance and/or 

preventive visits. In the Transport Inspectorate’s view, 

preventive company contacts are more efficient than 

Figure 26. The Netherlands: mobile enforcement.

Figure 27. The Netherlands: mobile enforcement.

Figure 28. The Netherlands: mobile enforcement.
40 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER THREE

roadside inspections because a single contact can reach 

companywide rather than a single driver. In addition, 

application of the WIM/VID system for company contacts 

allows for 100 percent capture and review of overloads 

(i.e., 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week monitoring). Roadside 

inspections are effective only when enforcement officials 

are present.

The general process is as follows:

w Using data from the WIM/VID systems, the Inspectorate 

reviews information on a monthly basis to determine the 

offending vehicles and their companies. WIM sensors 

provide the weight-related information and the video 

image of the license plate/truck provides the company 

identifier.

w Using the license plate number, the Inspectorate can 

access additional information about permits, the vehicle, 

maintenance, etc. Actual permitted axle weights for a 

particular vehicle are more valuable than assumed 

average axle weights.

w Transport companies with the highest monthly offenses 

are added to the “black list” and categorized as Code 

Red. They are sent a written notice of the violations with 

a summary of observed violations for the prior three 

months.

w Once the company receives a written notice, the 

Inspectorate arranges an onsite visit to review the 

violation history, describe the WIM/VID system, review 

how overloads may be caused, and make an agreement 

to work cooperatively to prevent future overloading.

w Following the onsite visit, the transport company begins 

a 2-month compliance monitoring period, during which 

overloading offenses are monitored with the intent of 

observing a positive change in loading behavior.

w If a positive change in loading behavior is observed, 

the company is removed from the black list and 

recategorized from Code Red to Code Yellow, indicating that the company will still be monitored but not as 

intensely as before. If the behavior remains positive, 

the company is categorized as Code Green with other 

compliant companies.

w A list of companies with no positive change in 

loading behavior is sent to both Inspectorate and Police 

personnel, who will stop all company vehicles, loaded 

or empty, for further inspection through the roadside 

inspection process.

w For particularly problematic companies, scales may be 

placed at the company’s entrance or exit to ensure that 

no overloaded vehicles are released from the facility. 

Ultimately, the company may be put out of business.

The company contact procedure is only effective for 

Dutch companies. No mechanism exists to conduct 

preventive contacts with foreign companies. The program is well received by industry, although noncompliant 

companies are less receptive as the latter phases of the 

process are implemented.

Belgium

The Walloon Region is the only one in Belgium actively 

deploying WIM systems, with six piezoceramic WIM 

systems in operation. These systems are used predominantly to collect data for statistical planning purposes, 

not enforcement. The Belgian Federal Police Services 

recognize the potential for benefit from the use of WIM 

systems for preselection and hope to move toward 

this application. A test site modeled after the WIM/VID 

systems in the Netherlands is under development in the 

Flemish Region.

Under current operations, enforcement officials, from the 

Federal Police Services to the regional road administrations, rely only on fixed and mobile enforcement, using 

shared public or private static weigh bridges or low-speed 

WIM systems. Enforcement officials allow vehicles to 

roll at very low speeds (less than 5 km/h) over the WIM 

systems for weight capture using load cell technology. 

Vehicles carrying liquids or shifting loads are required 

to come to a complete stop on the scales for accurate 

measurement. A 3 percent tolerance is allowed for 

citation issuance.

Currently, a citation is issued to the driver, although 

pending regulations will allow both the driver and the 

company to be cited. Fines range from €55 to €55,000. 

Enforcement officers cannot collect the fee at the 

enforcement site, except in the case of foreign vehicles. 

Figure 29. The Netherlands: mobile enforcement.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 41

A prosecutor must determine the fine amount for 

noncompliant domestic vehicles. Grossly overloaded 

vehicles (more than 20 percent overloaded) can be 

required to be fully unloaded to allow the vehicle to 

undergo a complete inspection of brakes, suspension, 

etc. The driver may also go to jail.

Unlike the countries visited that have specially trained 

personnel dedicated primarily to commercial motor 

vehicle size and weight enforcement, the Belgian Federal 

Police Services perform a more complete inspection for 

every vehicle stopped, checking driving and resting hours, 

vehicle tachograph readings, criminal use, etc. Priorities 

for enforcement in Belgium include driving and resting 

time, in-between distance, and weight. Vehicle size limits 

are not usually checked unless a recognized problem 

exists.

France

Similar to the Netherlands, technology is being used 

to broadly support commercial vehicle size and weight 

enforcement through (1) real-time preselection for mobile 

enforcement, (2) scheduling time and location (to the 

extent possible) of enforcement activities, and (3) directing carrier/company advisory notices of noncompliance 

(i.e., warning letter) and preventive visits (this information 

is shared with enforcement personnel).

Preselection. France has two prototype VIDEO-WIM 

systems, with plans for expanded implementation at 10 

to 40 sites. Using these systems, a picture of a suspected 

overloaded vehicle (as determined by the WIM sensors) 

is immediately transmitted by radio waves or telephone 

lines to enforcement officials (either transport inspectors from the Ministry of Transportation or police officers 

from the Ministry of Police) at a static weighing area (see 

figure 30). Once identified, enforcement officials escort 

the vehicle to the static site for further inspection and 

evaluation (see figure 31). Vehicles that are confirmed to 

be overloaded using the static scales are fined accordingly. The prescreening system is set to flag (i.e., image is 

captured and a record is made) every vehicle suspected 

as over legal limits. The enforcement officer still uses 

discretion to determine whether to pull the vehicle in, 

based on the available storage space of the facility, 

knowledge of the company, etc.

Static weighing can be accomplished at any of the country’s fixed static enforcement sites, located most commonly near toll areas and along national roads. In addition, 

219 mobile enforcement units (vans, light vans, etc.) can 

set up temporary sites for static weighing wherever sufficient space exists using portable static scales. Mobile 

enforcement requires a space 30 meters long with nearby 

parking lots or rest areas for vehicle storage 

(see figure 32 on following page).

The use of low-speed WIM systems in place of static 

scales for citation issuance was recently approved in 

France, allowing up to 10 times more vehicles to be 

processed. Following extensive testing to prove system 

acceptability, enforcement officials received approval 

from the National Metrological Organization and the 

two first systems are being installed along the RN4 at 

Rupt-aux-Nonains and nearby Châlon-sur-Saône.

Directing preventive company contacts. In addition to 

using the two prototype VIDEO-WIM systems to support preselection activities, the French use them to direct 

carrier/company advisory notices of noncompliance and 

Figure 30. France: mobile enforcement.

Figure 31. France: mobile enforcement.
42 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER THREE

preventive visits. Using data from the prototype WIM 

systems, enforcement officials can determine common 

offending vehicles and their companies. WIM sensors 

provide the weight-related information and the video 

image of the license plate/truck provides the company 

identifier. Warning letters are issued regularly to the top 

10 offending companies. While no citation is issued based 

on the WIM system data, companies are made aware 

that their loading behavior is being monitored. France has 

initiated a 3-year study to determine the effect of these 

preventive company contacts on loading behavior.

Scheduling enforcement activities. The French also use 

historical WIM data to support the scheduling of the time 

and location (to the extent possible) of enforcement 

activities, relying not only on the two prototype sites, but 

also on the full network of 170 WIM systems. Overweight 

commercial motor vehicle characteristics are summarized 

and reported to police officials through SIREDO by 

month, day of the week, and hour of the day to support 

scheduling of mobile enforcement efforts.

Fully Automating CMV Size and 

Weight Enforcement

Fully automated commercial motor vehicle size and 

weight enforcement using high-speed WIM is estimated 

to be 5 to 20 years in the future, according to officials 

in France and the Netherlands, the emergent leaders in 

automating enforcement efforts. Primary challenges 

for high-speed WIM applications include (1) attaining 

sufficient accuracy levels for the WIM systems, (2) gaining certification approval from the national metrological 

bodies, and (3) modifying existing laws that require static 

weight measurements (or low-speed weight measurements in high-speed applications). In addition, the 

complexity of high-speed WIM system technology 

requires development of new test procedures for 

certification.

France (as well as Germany and the United Kingdom) 

has obtained approval from the national metrology 

authority to certify low-speed WIM for use in enforcement. Belgium is also using low-speed WIM systems 

for direct enforcement, although it is unclear what legal 

or metrological changes were required to support 

this practice. Low-speed WIM systems differ from 

high-speed systems in technology, certification, and 

application. The test procedure required for certification 

of a low-speed WIM system is similar to that of a static 

weigh system, making it relatively simple for and 

familiar to the National Metrology Institute.

Slovenia’s legislature does not yet allow use of WIM data 

for direct enforcement of overloaded vehicles. The 

Swiss report concerns about high standard deviations 

for accuracy from high-speed WIM systems that would 

require sizable tolerances for enforcement. According to 

the Swiss, high tolerances in size and weight limits would 

not act as a sufficient deterrent for ensuring compliant 

commercial vehicle behavior. The Germans cited the 

costs associated with multiple-sensor WIM, continued 

challenges with reliability, and remaining legal roadblocks 

as reasons for not pursuing automated enforcement of 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight. Further, if 

a truck is detected as overweight or overloaded, facilities are still required downstream from the automated 

enforcement site to allow for offloading or other action.

Despite these shortcomings, the use of high-speed 

WIM systems for automated commercial motor vehicle 

enforcement would greatly increase the number of 

vehicles monitored (i.e., to 100 percent along an 

instrumented route), the proportion of overloaded 

vehicles detected in the traffic stream, and the number 

of overloaded vehicles appropriately cited. High-speed 

WIM systems also support identification of habitual 

noncompliant carriers for whom compliance can be further encouraged through preventive company contacts. 

If a grossly overloaded vehicle (i.e., requiring offloading) 

is detected, manual enforcement action is still required. 

If manual enforcement methods were used exclusively 

in this instance, the vehicle may have gone undetected 

unless active patrols were in place along the route and 

officers were already checking other vehicles, or if 

officers did not perceive the vehicle to be overloaded.

The Netherlands

The success of the WIM/VID system for improved 

Figure 32. France: mobile enforcement.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 43

targeting of overloaded vehicles motivated the initiation 

of the Overbelading (Overloading) Project, consisting of a 

number of smaller projects. One of these projects, WIMHAND, sought to achieve true automated enforcement 

of overloaded vehicles. WIM/VID enhanced targeting of 

overloaded vehicles, but required static weighing for citation issuance. Automatic enforcement means that when 

the WIM system detects an overloaded vehicle (or axle), 

prosecution of the vehicle owner is directly based on the 

measured axle loads combined with the recorded video 

images of the vehicle (including the license plate).(28)

The WIM-HAND Project focused only on the technical 

measurement process. Data processing or integration of 

the systems into the operational process of the enforcing 

authorities was not part of this project. However, preparation of the metrological certification for the developed 

measuring system for use in direct enforcement was 

considered part of the project’s scope.

At the onset of the WIM-HAND Project, the following 

WIM system general minimum accuracy requirements 

for automated enforcement were defined:

A WIM system with an inaccuracy of less than 

10 percent and a degree of certainty of more than 

99 percent is deemed feasible from a technical 

viewpoint and deemed employable for use in 

automatic enforcement.

To achieve these accuracy levels, researchers focused 

on the development of a multiple-sensor WIM system 

using piezoquartz sensor technology at a single test site 

along the northern carriageway of the A12/A50 highway 

near Arnhem. For such a system, determining the proper 

layout of the sensor array is essential. The objective is 

to maximize accuracy and reliability while minimizing the 

number of sensors used. In this case, the number of 

sensors was limited by the available budget, so 16 rows 

of WIM sensors were used. Because the WIM system 

was used for research and not enforcement, the system 

was installed in the right lane only.

The test site was divided over three locations: (1) the 

dynamic weighing location where the WIM sensors and 

the video cameras were installed, (2) the static weighing 

location where vehicles are escorted for static reference 

measurement, and (3) the data analysis location where all 

measurement data are stored for further analysis.

During the WIM-HAND Project, unfortunately, initial 

problems with the WIM sensors precluded any practical 

tests of the system. Hence, the study objective shifted 

to focus on national and international acceptance of WIM 

for direct enforcement of commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight. According to the Dutch, before WIM systems 

can be used for automatic enforcement of overloading, 

the following technical and nontechnical issues must be 

addressed:

w Vehicle classifications are not accurate and not detailed 

enough to directly correspond to overloading laws of 

trucks and axles.

w Some vehicles have lower limits for axle load and gross 

weight, denoted only in the vehicle’s registration 

documents. These lower legal limits are not denoted 

by a unique license plate or other readily visible cue 

detectable by an automated enforcement system.

w WIM systems require metrological certification for direct 

enforcement applications. To date, the requirement for 

certification of this type of equipment does not exist in 

the Netherlands.

w It is unclear which government organization will 

be made responsible for automatically enforcing 

overloading.

w No significant international exchange of information 

occurs in the European Union on procedures or 

standardization of laws on overloading.

The calibration, testing, and processing of measurement 

results from the WIM-HAND test site are being 

investigated in a follow-up project, WIM-HAND2.

France

Historically, France has focused on achieving automation 

in commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement. These efforts have been challenged by the ability to 

define required accuracy levels to provide defensibility in 

court and determine the legal weight for a vehicle. Factors 

other than axle configuration are used to determine the 

allowable load on a vehicle (e.g., the French have three 

different legal gross vehicle weights (GVWs) for a 

two-axle truck).

Recently, France established an automatic overloading 

control test site to advance the use of WIM systems 

for automated enforcement.(29) The site, located along 

the RN4 between Nancy and Paris, will bring together 

video-based preselection systems, multiple-sensor WIM 

systems, and low-speed WIM systems. The preselection 

system will be modeled after the two prototype systems 

described previously along RN83 and A31. The multiplesensor WIM system will consist of a 16 piezoceramic 

sensor array, two wheel transverse location detection 

systems (to account for wheels passing too closely to 

the WIM sensor edge and to apply correction factors 

due to the transverse sensitivity of the sensors), and a 
44 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER THREE

temperature sensor. The low-speed WIM system, to be 

installed at a newly constructed rest area, will be used for 

direct enforcement (France has recently received approval 

for legal metrology of low-speed WIM). Variable message 

signs (VMS) and bicolored (red and green) lights will direct 

approaching and onsite drivers, depending on their status 

(i.e., suspected overloaded, confirmed overloaded). A 

video camera with license plate recognition capabilities 

would allow complete automated enforcement.

The certification of low-speed WIM systems for direct 

enforcement by the National Metrology Institute 

represents a significant advancement toward automated 

enforcement in France. Until now, the metrological community was unwilling to recognize dynamically captured 

measurements as true measurements. The use of lowspeed WIM will allow enforcement officers to process 

up to 10 times more vehicles, even with vehicle speeds 

constrained to 10 km/h, greatly enhancing the efficiency 

of commercial motor vehicle weight enforcement.

Preventing Weigh Station Bypass

In many of the countries visited, bypass of enforcement 

activities was discussed as a concern. Mobile enforcement activities, by their nature, are generally able to 

address any bypass-related challenges. As the Swiss 

continue to expand their permanent enforcement centers on the motorways, one future operational strategy 

may be to use mobile enforcement on secondary parallel 

routes. Both France and the Netherlands have integrated 

bypass considerations as part of their WIM site selection 

process, locating WIM systems to discourage obvious or 

convenient bypass (e.g., near river crossings or mountain 

passes). 

Accommodating Legally Permitted Oversize/

Overweight CMVs

Unique procedures for addressing OS/OW permitting in 

the countries visited focused on (1) the development and 

provision of Web sites allowing truck drivers to self-route 

based on origin, destination, and route restrictions 

(Switzerland), (2) the use of calibrated influence lines 

derived from bridge WIM to calculate safety of the bridge 

under the special transport using the exact axle loadings 

and spacing (Slovenia), and (3) the remote field verification capabilities for OS/OW movements (Slovenia).

Ensuring that intended legally permitted OS/OW vehicles 

are in fact legal poses a bigger challenge. In the 

Netherlands, it is estimated that 40 percent of special 

transport (e.g., OS/OW) trucks do not operate with 

proper credentials. Officials opted for the public relations 

approach (e.g., company profiling and educational 

contacts) rather than the enforcement approach to 

educate this sector of the industry. Slovenia experiences 

similar challenges with special transport vehicles. When 

observed in the field, more than 70 percent of special 

transports had at least one violation. When observed 

before transport, more than 50 percent had at least one 

violation. Of these movements, 47 percent of special 

transports were found to be overweight. The remaining 

percent had permit issuance or other violations.

Benefits Resulting from Technology Use

Benefits from the technologies or procedures used were 

largely anecdotal, and only limited quantified benefits 

were provided. Anecdotal benefits related to increased 

enforcement efficiency through the use of technology 

(i.e., providing greater enforcement effort with fewer 

human resources) were provided by Swiss, Dutch, and 

French representatives. The most common quantified 

benefit reported related to onsite enforcement efficiency—the number of overweight penalties issued (i.e., 

warning, citation) per total number of trucks inspected.

In Slovenia, an analysis of WIM data conducted in 2003 

revealed that current static weight enforcement methods 

capture less than 0.5 percent of all overloaded vehicles 

(www.siwim.com). With appropriate WIM system 

tolerances, the sum of overloading fines could exceed 

€300 million, which is about 30 times more than is 

collected now from static weight controls. These 

findings, combined with reported enhancements to 

enforcement efficiency, suggest significant benefits 

from WIM systems for preselection applications.

Comparison/Contrast with the United States

A greater use of mobile enforcement activities and few 

fixed roadside weigh facilities were consistently observed 

in the countries visited. This strategy results in a lower 

volume of trucks being processed and geographically and 

geometrically constrained inspection and offloading areas, 

but it provides more flexibility to respond to industry loading and routing patterns. The United States, on the other 

hand, relies heavily on its network of fixed facilities and 

less on mobile enforcement activities, although the trend 

is moving toward a greater use of mobile enforcement.

As in the United States, WIM system technology is 

commonly used in the European countries visited for 

real-time preselection of overloaded vehicles from the 

traffic stream for enforcement. In addition, many of the 

countries use WIM systems to (1) support scheduling of 

the time and location (to the extent possible) of enforcement activities (i.e., when fixed facilities should be open 

or when and where mobile enforcement units should 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 45

be dispatched), and (2) direct carrier/company advisory 

notices of noncompliance (i.e., warning letter) and 

preventive visits. This latter application mimics the 

compliance reviews performed by the Federal Motor 

Carrier Safety Administration in the United States to 

enhance motor carrier safety through prevention. The 

use of WIM data for enforcement scheduling applications 

varies throughout the United States.

In many of the countries visited, bypass of enforcement 

activities was discussed as a concern. Mobile 

enforcement activities, by their nature, are generally 

able to address any bypass-related challenges. Hence, 

the countries visited may be better positioned to address 

bypass than the United States with its network of fixed 

facilities.

Unique procedures for addressing OS/OW permitting 

in the countries visited focused on (1) the development 

and provision of Web sites allowing truck drivers to selfroute based on origin, destination, and route restrictions 

(Switzerland), and (2) the use of calibrated influence lines 

derived from bridge WIM to calculate safety of the bridge 

under the special transport using the exact axle loadings 

and spacing (Slovenia). In the United States, some States 

have developed similar routing Web sites with a focus on 

intrastate travel.

The primary performance metric related to commercial 

motor vehicle size and weight enforcement was 

enforcement efficiency—the number of overweight 

penalties issued per total number of trucks inspected. 

It was not uncommon to have efficiencies of more than 

80 percent with WIM systems used for preselection. In 

the United States, the fixed-scale facilities are able to 

process a high volume of trucks, but few are found to 

be in violation (limitations to U.S. fixed-scale enforcement efficiencies include restricted hours of operation, 

bypassing, and storage limitations at the facility). The 

Netherlands is focused on achieving aggregate overload 

reductions through both prevention and enforcement 

measures.
46 | CHAPTER ONE
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 47

Unique Data

Applications

Chapter 4

Real-time WIM data are used most often for 

preselection during mobile enforcement 

operations and, to a lesser extent, for scheduling the best days, times, and locations for 

optimum enforcement. The use of these 

data to support planning, historical trend analysis, policy 

and pricing decisions, design, structure analysis, permitting, etc., was observed to be more limited. Data quality 

was reported to be largely sufficient for each of the 

various applications (i.e., preselection, planning). The 

most common shortcoming noted was geographic 

coverage.

Data exchange and sharing within the countries visited 

vary, and limited data are exchanged and shared with 

the European Union under special efforts such as the 

European Control Route (ECR), an international review 

panel dedicated to improving commercial motor vehicle 

size and weight enforcement. Implementation of a 

European WIM database, as envisioned in the COST 323 

and WAVE Projects, has not been fully realized.

CMV Size and Weight Data Collection and Use

Slovenia

Over the last 3 years and with the advent of the SiWIM 

system, a network of 30 data collection sites has been 

established to cover all major routes of the state road 

network in Slovenia with portable bridge WIM systems. 

Five SiWIM systems are used to collect data at these 

sites twice per year for 1 week (the same approach 

is used Sweden and Croatia). This network coverage 

has allowed Slovenia to better monitor traffic and apply 

this knowledge to improve roadway planning and 

maintenance activities.(30) 

More specifically, SiWIM data—including axle loads, 

gross vehicle weights, axle spacing, speed, vehicle 

class, lane of travel, and time and date of passage—

have been or are now being used to support the 

following activities:

w Bridge structural assessments

w Bridge safety assessments

w Aggregate and site-specific traffic loading

w Dynamic loading

w Load testing

w Road planning

w Special transport applications

Bridge structural assessments. For bridge structural 

assessment, three questions are of interest:

1. What is the carrying capacity of the bridge 

 (i.e., age, condition)?

2. How does the bridge really behave (i.e., influence lines,

 traffic load distribution)?

3. What is the real loading (i.e., dynamic amplifications)?

Using traditional procedures, new bridges are designed 

very conservatively because of uncertainties about future 

traffic loading conditions and the expense of adding 

capacity after construction (i.e., adding capacity during 

the initial construction process is relatively inexpensive). 

Proper assessment and monitoring can prove that many 

existing bridges are safe in their current condition for their 

current loading, justify optimal rehabilitation measures, 

and save significant money on unnecessary or premature 

rehabilitation.

For existing bridges, capacity and loading can be 

measured and monitored directly using bridge WIM to 

avoid unnecessary or premature rehabilitations. Bridge 

WIM can provide both improved traffic loading data and 

improved structural data (to support the determination 

of influence lines, load distribution factors, and dynamic 

amplification factors). The use of SiWIM systems is 

being investigated as a tool for optimized assessment in 

a larger project, Sustainable and Advanced Materials for 

Road Infrastructure (SAMARIS), involving 23 partners 

and 16 countries.

Bridge safety assessments. Bridge safety assessments 

verify that a structure has adequate capacity to safely 

carry or resist specific loading. SiWIM system data have 

been used to determine current bridge capacity and 

safety under specific loading conditions.

Aggregate and site-specific traffic loading. SiWIM has 
48 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER FOUR

been used to demonstrate different aggregate traffic 

loading patterns in various countries in Europe.

Dynamic loading. Historically, the dynamic amplification 

factor (DAF)—the ratio between maximum dynamic and 

static loadings—has been conservatively assumed in 

bridge structural design. The use of models to improve 

the accuracy of these factors is time consuming and 

difficult because of many unknowns. Bridge WIM can 

be used to improve the estimation of DAFs. In initial 

investigations, the DAFs using SiWIM data for extreme 

load cases are considerably lower than those specified 

in the design codes.

Load testing. Load testing of bridges is required when 

(1) seemingly sufficient bridges fail to pass assessment 

calculations, (2) bridge models do not adequately match 

the behavior of the real bridge (i.e., optimization of the 

structural model), or (3) data about the bridge structure 

are insufficient. Load testing can optimize bridge assessment by finding reserves in load-carrying capacity, often 

resulting in less severe rehabilitation measures, fewer 

traffic delays, and significant cost savings. Traditional load 

testing, using preloaded vehicles, is costly to perform and 

may result in damage to the structure. SiWIM systems 

can support “soft” load testing using normal traffic data 

and the observable structural behavior of the bridge.

Road planning. Traffic loading calculations to support 

road planning typically rely on the use of expansion 

factors applied to finite traffic count samples. These 

factors are often obsolete and do not account for overloading. In Slovenia, traffic loading estimates using SiWIM 

system data compared to estimates using traditional 

traffic loading calculation methods differ in the range of 

minus 10 percent to plus 278 percent (e.g., in the worst 

case, the pavement carried almost three time heavier 

traffic loading than was planned during its design).

Special transport applications. SiWIM systems are 

being used to calculate the safety of a particular bridge 

or bridges under special transport loading using the exact 

axle loading and axle spacing. In addition, these systems 

are being used to field verify OS/OW movements 

remotely.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, commercial motor vehicle weight and size 

data are collected at the national level and compiled in 

FEDRO’s Road Traffic Management Information System 

(MISTRA) database. The WIM-system data include axle 

configuration, vehicle type, individual axle load, and gross 

vehicle weight. Only vehicles weighing in excess of 3.0 

metric tons are stored (calibration is limited to vehicles 

over 3.5 metric tons). These data are voluntarily shared 

with internal customers, research institutes, contracted 

engineer offices, and domestic and international 

customers. There are no regulation-based data-sharing 

obligations.

Historically, these data have been used to support the 

following:

w Preselecting overweight vehicles during enforcement 

activities

w Determining the need for enforcement of overloaded 

vehicles

w Determining damage factors and road usage for 

dimensioning roads and bridges, with a particular focus 

on trans-Alpine goods traffic

w Renovating engineering structures 

w Attaining the Swiss Transitioning Policy (i.e., Goods 

from Road to Rail)

w Related research efforts

The sufficiency of data quantity (i.e., geographic coverage, 

sample sizes) and level of detail are the topics of 

investigations as part of WIM Concept Switzerland. With 

these investigations still underway, no formal guidance or 

standards exist on commercial motor vehicle size and 

weight enforcement data collection and quality.

Germany

WIM system data, available from 40 sites in Germany, are 

largely used to support statistical reporting and special 

scientific investigations. Aggregate data include axle and 

gross vehicle weight frequencies in several load classes 

and the number of overloaded vehicles, in addition to 

more routine traffic data.

Data collected from the Toll Collect system in Germany 

are largely underused. This newly introduced system 

has significant potential to provide systemwide, routespecific, or segment-level commercial motor vehicle 

data. When asked if the data were being used for any 

purpose other than administering tolls, Toll Collect 

representatives indicated that the government owned 

and would determine the future of the data. Data 

are being captured and stored, however, with the 

understanding that there may be a potential future 

application outside of toll collection.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, commercial motor vehicle size and 

weight data from six sites are collected in a central 

database maintained by the Ministry of Transport. These 

data are provided, by request, in a variety of formats 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 49

(Microsoft® Excel®, Adobe® PDF, XML, HTML) and 

unfiltered or filtered according to vehicle size, vehicle 

weight, vehicle status (e.g., overweight), vehicle class, 

etc., depending on need.

At least weekly, the quality of the data is reviewed. A data 

quality statement is issued each week to police officials, 

who use the data to schedule their mobile enforcement 

efforts. These quality statements include the number of 

axles measured and compared to static weights, the 

period of measure, and the inaccuracy for every weigh 

point. If any unusual change in data quality is observed, 

the problem can be quickly remedied. In general, vehicle 

classification data have error rates ranging from 2 to 4 

percent. Error rates for the WIM system cannot exceed 

plus or minus 2 percent for speed and plus or minus 15 

percent for axle load for 95 percent of the vehicles 

measured (in aggregate).

While the data quality is carefully monitored, the limited 

geographic coverage precludes a wider application of the 

data. Example applications, should more WIM systems be 

installed nationally, include monitoring of the following:

w Overloaded heavy freight vehicles on the national level

w Goods traffic on the national level (not just overloaded 

vehicles)

w Transportation of dangerous goods on the national level 

(WIM can be used to identify hazardous material transporters and pull them in for either further inspection or 

identification)

The Dutch recently used the data from the WIM/VID 

systems to monitor special transports via desk research. 

Nearly 40 percent of the special transports observed did 

not, in fact, possess the appropriate paperwork. In this 

application, these observations were viewed as an 

educational opportunity.

Recently, Rijkswaterstaat (part of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management) started to 

more actively monitor the effectiveness of commercial 

motor vehicle size and weight enforcement efforts, 

identify any related problems and needs, and work with 

partner agencies to resolve issues. This effort, entitled the 

Business Intelligence Monitoring WIM (MoWIM) Project, 

provides a mechanism for assimilating, monitoring, and 

mining WIM data and generating guiding reports to help 

achieve the project’s objectives of reducing overloads by 

20 percent per year on the national highway network 

(in the proximity of WIM systems only).

As part of this project, monthly reports from the National 

Police Agency, the Transport Inspectorate, and the 

Ministry of Transport are entered into the MoWIM 

database. Reports include the following:

w Total GVW and axle overloads by month, WIM site, and 

type of vehicle (used to direct officer-based selection 

procedures)

w Number of static measurements per employee per 

week, month, and location (used more to evaluate 

enforcement site functionality (i.e., how far do 

trucks have to travel to reach the site?) than officer 

performance).

A reduction over time in the amount and frequency of 

weight overages suggests benefits from enforcement 

efforts.

Belgium

In the Walloon Region, the Ministry of Infrastructure and 

Transport has developed a long-term policy for collecting 

detailed traffic data on roadways under its jurisdiction. 

This data collection activity is being largely accomplished 

by the six WIM systems now in operation. These systems 

provide reliable statistics on heavy goods vehicle traffic 

and the weights transported, supporting roadway design 

and maintenance efforts in the region.

France

France has an extensive national traffic monitoring 

system, SIREDO (Systeme Informatise de REcueil de 

DOnnées), that collects data to support both real-time 

traffic monitoring and non real-time transportation 

planning. SIREDO includes a national network of 1,830 

data collection stations, 170 of which include WIM 

systems for weight capture. Loops and pressure cells are 

used to count vehicles and axles and to record speed, 

vehicle length, headway, and mean speed. Some stations 

also collect weather information and axle weights. The 

geographic coverage and the level of data available from 

SIREDO are unparalleled in the other countries visited.

For statistical planning purposes, the Ministry of Transport 

receives summary reports annually or more frequently by 

request. Other data applications require more frequent 

reports, and data are transmitted to traffic management 

centers every 6 minutes for near real-time display. 

France has also explored alternative uses of WIM data. 

Jacob explored the use of WIM data to (1) support the 

calculation of fatigue damage and bridge lifetimes, 

(2) calibrate the conventional fatigue load models in the 

codes (and Eurocodes), and (3) check existing bridge 

reliability.(31,32,33)

Altogether, most of the motorway concessionary 

companies installed about 50 WIM systems on the 
50 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER FOUR

network to collect weight data throughout the year. The 

data are used to assess heavy vehicle traffic intensity and 

loads and to plan pavement maintenance or replacement 

operations. Moreover, these data provide useful tools for 

the motorway operation.

Comparison/Contrast with the United States

Similar to the United States, European countries use 

real-time WIM data most often for preselection during 

enforcement operations. With few exceptions, however, 

the United States has not fully realized the potential of 

using WIM data to schedule the best days, times, and 

locations for optimum mobile enforcement. One concern 

in the United States is that widespread use of WIM data 

for enforcement could disturb the integrity of the planning 

data (because truckers will bypass). This application was 

widespread in the countries visited, and this practice has 

only been experimentally studied in a limited fashion in 

the United States.

The accuracy and portability of bridge WIM systems have 

the potential to cost effectively generate significantly 

more field-based weight and load data for pavement, 

bridge, and asset management than is now generated in 

the United States. In addition, the unique data applications 

(i.e., special transport certification and verification) 

demonstrated in Europe may have merit.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 51

Public-Private

Funding

Motivation for investment in commercial 

vehicle size and weight enforcement is 

often justifiable through environmental 

(e.g., noise, emissions, vibration) and 

safety (e.g., braking and stopping 

distances) impact considerations. Emerging user fees 

(being investigated and developed as part of the 

European EUREKA Logchain Footprint Project) consider 

environmental impacts (e.g., noise, vibration, emissions) 

as well as infrastructure impacts for both road and rail. 

In the United States, primary motivators include 

infrastructure preservation and safety, although the 

basis for safety benefits is not well quantified.

Investment is also driven by a desire to maintain fair 

competition among industry. A noted sensitivity for fair 

competition among trucking companies exists in both 

industry and government. Industry is largely supportive 

of enforcement approaches, tools, and techniques that 

will help ensure fair competition.

A strong focus on modal shift to rail was also observed 

in the countries visited. Low commercial motor vehicle 

weight limitations, nighttime travel restrictions, and strict 

requirements on drivers’ rest periods in Switzerland result 

in significant movements by rail. Rail industry unions 

appear to have an equal or, in some instances, stronger 

voice than trucking industry unions.

Unique Funding Sources

Much of the available funding to support commercial 

motor vehicle size and weight enforcement activities 

in the countries visited comes from traditional funding 

sources, including fuel-, heavy vehicle-, and mileagerelated taxes and overweight or oversize citations and 

fines. Significant variability was observed in the penalty 

structure and fine amounts among the countries visited. 

Consistently, however, heavy vehicle taxes were 

assessed according to weight capacity rather than actual 

observed weight. Additional sources of more general 

transportation funding include a motorway vignette—

a ticket purchased when a vehicle enters the country—

and tolling revenues. Each of the countries visited uses 

some form of tolling or pricing, although the extent and 

nature of tolling systems varies from country to country.

The countries visited use some form of tolling or pricing 

to help finance roadway operation, maintenance, or 

improvement, with a focus on heavy goods movement. 

The extent and nature (i.e., public-private system operation, weight- or size-based for heavy vehicle movements) 

of tolling systems vary from country to country, however. 

None of the tolling schedules observed is based 

on actual or real-time weights. More often, toll schedules 

reflect a fixed registered weight capacity (e.g., trucks 

greater than 12 metric tons) and do not distinguish 

between fully loaded or empty transports. This latter 

trait encourages the trucking industry to operate more 

efficiently to avoid paying tolls for empty transports. 

Similarly, the fee structure for special permits generally 

is not based on actual or real-time weights, but instead 

reflects a flat-fee structure. Germany has recently 

implemented an extensive and advanced tolling system, 

Toll Collect, which has demonstrated significant success 

in generating revenue to support transportation systems. 

This system is detailed below. 

In addition, emerging user fees, being investigated and 

developed as part of the EUREKA Logchain Footprint 

Project, uniquely consider environmental impacts 

(e.g., noise, vibration, emissions) as well as infrastructure 

impacts for both road and rail. More accurately assessing 

a user fee based on environmental impact and across 

different modes has the potential to recover transportation costs equitably. This effort is also described in 

more detail below.

Switzerland

In its White Book Mobility 2001, the European Union 

set clear targets to establish a Europe-wide road toll for 

vehicles weighing more than 3.5 metric tons by 2015 to 

encourage a mode shift to rail. Currently, only 15 percent 

of goods moved in Switzerland travel by rail. The technical 

basis for this process is to be supplied by the Eureka 

Logchain Footprint Project. More specifically, the Footprint project aims to deliver the scientific basis for a heavy 

Chapter 5
52 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER FIVE

goods vehicle (HGV) surcharge similar to that in force in 

Switzerland since 1998 (i.e., the Swiss Heavy Vehicle Fee, 

LSVA). The Footprint surcharge will consider the dynamic 

load of the vehicle captured through WIM, tire pressure, 

audible noise, ground-borne vibration, and gaseous 

emissions. The LSVA considers a vehicle’s weight 

capacity rather than observed weight, distance traveled, 

and the European emissions rating of the engine and 

does not consider noise or vibration effects.(34) A similar 

analysis will be conducted for rail, with comparable 

impact measures.

Several road and rail Footprint Monitoring Sites (FMS) 

have been established throughout Europe. On the A1 

motorway toward Bern near Lenzburg, Empa is operating 

a barely visible measuring station, which records the 

footprint of each vehicle that passes over it. The 

measurement station in Lenzburg is limited to heavy 

vehicles (more than 3.5 tonnes) only. The parameters 

recorded include not only dynamic load, ground vibration, 

and noise, but also the deformation, humidity, and 

temperature in various layers of the road surface. 

New technologies used at this measuring station include 

a stress-in-motion (SIM) sensor developed by Kistler 

that measures the tire pressure distribution over the 

road surface using two sensors, each consisting of 32 

individual channels positioned parallel to the roadway 

(see figure 33). In addition, Empa developed a novel 

sensor that detects deformation within the road surface 

(see figure 34). Operated by Baas Engineering, a measuring station for rail has been installed in Zevenhuizen, 

Netherlands, to systematically measure the environmental 

footprint of rail vehicles, based on the same criteria as 

those to be applied by Empa in Switzerland. This allows 

road and rail transport to be compared on an equal basis.

With a focus on heavy trucks, preliminary observations 

from the Footprint Project at the A1 motorway site 

include the following:

w Maximum axle load, gross vehicle weight, vibration, 

and noise do not occur simultaneously (i.e., the noisiest 

vehicles are not the heaviest vehicles).

w For road vehicles, axle load, European gas emissions 

rating, and noise should be used as environmental 

friendliness criteria (vibration effects will continue to 

be investigated at alternate sites but did not exceed 

problematic thresholds at this site).

w Axle load is the preferred dynamic load metric for determining environmental effect rather than gross vehicle 

weights because high gross vehicle weights do not 

coincide with high axle loads. Maximum axle loads are 

caused by four-axle vehicles.

w Axle loads less than 10 metric tons are considered 

environmentally friendly. Further investigation will be 

conducted for axle loads in excess of 10 metric tons to 

determine the extent of damage.

w Even at the most conservative limits for vibration effects 

(ranging from perception to architectural damage), 

ground-borne vibrations were not problematic.

w Noise levels, however, have been observed to be 

problematic. No trend was observed between either 

axle load or gross vehicle weight and noise. Hence, it 

was recommended that noise from road vehicles be 

considered as a separate factor from WIM, vibration, 

and gas emissions. Noise emission is primarily caused 

by Swiss Class 8 and 9 vehicles.

Figure 33. Switzerland: Eureka Logchain

Footprint Project test site.

Figure 34. Switzerland: Eureka Logchain

Footprint Project test site. 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 53

Research institutions, governmental bodies, and 

companies from eight European Union countries are 

also participating in the overall project, with the United 

Kingdom acting as project coordinator. Data from the 

Swiss and Dutch measurement stations and other 

sources will be used to develop cost evaluation models. 

At the close of the 3-year study, data will be provided to 

support development of a pan-European heavy goods 

vehicle surcharge, with its value determined by the 

unique environmental effects of a particular vehicle.

Germany

In January 2005, a new toll system was introduced on 

12,000 kilometers of German autobahn for all trucks with 

a maximum weight capacity of 12 metric tons and above. 

Previously, Germany had only a few bridges or tunnels 

that were tolled. Before the implementation of this toll 

system, toll roads totaled 24,000 kilometers in Europe. 

An increase of 50 percent in tolled road kilometers was 

accomplished through the addition of a single additional 

toll operator. The system is operated by Toll Collect, 

a consortium formed by DaimlerChrysler, Deutsche 

Telecom, and Cofiroute. Toll Collect levies tolls on behalf 

of the government through a public-private partnership. 

Toll Collect is contracted for services to the Federal 

Ministry of Transport, Building, and Housing’s Federal 

Office of Goods Transport. Toll Collect returns toll revenue 

to the government each night before midnight for more 

than 800,000 trucks in the system. Private industry, which 

provided funding to establish Toll Collect, obtains returns 

on investment.

Tolls, based on the distance driven in kilometers, the 

number of axles, and the emission category of the truck, 

vary from 9 to 14 eurocents (10 to 16 U.S. cents) per 

kilometer, with higher tolls during congested traffic 

conditions to encourage truckers to avoid congested 

highways. The tax is levied for all trucks with a weight 

capacity of 12 metric tons and above using German 

autobahns, whether they are traveling full or empty. 

This latter policy—charging the same toll rate for both 

empty and full runs—encourages the trucking industry 

to become more efficient in its operations by reducing the 

number of empty runs. Toll Collect estimates a 15 percent 

reduction in empty runs and a 7 percent jump in container 

traffic on the nation’s railroads.

Some discussion is underway on the tolling of lighter 

trucks (7.5 to 12 metric tons). While European law allows 

tolls for truck with a weight capacity of less than 12 

metric tons, Germany is concerned about a greater 

volume of heavy trucks using bypass routes (secondary 

roads, design, congestion, etc.) to avoid tolls.

The German system is the first to use advanced Global 

Positioning System (GPS) technology to collect tolls 

depending on the weight of a truck and the route it uses. 

The toll system operates via several methods:

w Onboard units (OBUs)

w Manual payment terminals 

w Internet

OBUs work via GPS and the onboard odometer or 

tachograph as a backup to determine how far the trucks 

have traveled by reference to a digital map and the Global 

System for Mobile Communications (GSM) to authorize 

the payment of the toll via a wireless link. The GPS 

system is supplemented with mobile beacons in a few 

locations (e.g., tunnel locations, locations where parallel 

routes exist) for real-time differential correction for travel 

distance. Trucks on a nontoll parallel route may be 

incorrectly detected because of GPS inaccuracies.

The GSM network provides cellular communication 

with the vehicle that is not necessarily in real time. If 

communication fails initially because of black areas, 

another attempt is made later. Communication with the 

trucks occurs over the cellular network, resulting in costs 

associated with roaming and communication activities. It 

is not clear, at this time, who should pay for these costs—

the user or the government.

As of January 2005, more than 300,000 vehicles had been 

fitted with OBUs. The target for the end of the year is 

more than 500,000. The user does not pay for the OBU, 

but does pay for installation. Service providers do not 

charge a fixed fee for installation, so users can negotiate 

an installation rate. Toll Collect defined an appropriate 

timeframe for installation as 3 to 4 hours, and the average 

cost for installation is €50 to €70 per hour. Because the 

installation of OBUs has a dramatic effect on the accuracy 

and success of the system, Toll Collect selected 1,900 

service partners and trained them in proper OBU installation. Only these service partners are certified and allowed 

to install the Toll Collect OBUs. The number of service 

partners will go down as truck manufacturers include 

OBUs in new truck designs. About two-thirds of the 

vehicles obtaining OBUs are German and the remaining 

one-third are foreign. The OBU will also be able to work 

with the new Galileo satellite system, which is being 

developed in Europe as a more accurate alternative to 

GPS and is expected to be fully operational in 2008.

Manual payment is available for vehicles not equipped 

with an OBU. There are more than 3,500 toll payment 

terminals at motorway service stations or rest areas 

where drivers can enter the details of their journey, pay 
54 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER FIVE

the toll in advance (in euros only if it is cash, or with a 

credit card or oil company/fuel card), and receive a ticket 

receipt. Drivers who would like to pay the toll well in 

advance have the option of paying via the Internet. 

Toll operators report that the manual payment terminals 

and Internet access were important for the interim 

implementation of the program. As confidence in the 

system grew, more trucking industry representatives 

were willing to use OBUs. Since inception, the use of 

OBUs among the trucking industry has gradually 

increased from 72 percent to more than 99 percent. 

The use of other methods, including manual payment 

terminals or the Internet, has decreased comparatively.

Toll Collect’s first-year toll revenue was U.S.$3.5 billion. 

Comparatively, the project’s reported development and 

implementation costs were $9.8 billion, with an expected 

service life of 12 years. Annual program operating costs 

are estimated at $944 million. Many of the development 

and maintenance activities result from the need for an 

accurate digital roadway network map. Toll Collect 

surveyed and digitized the entire network of 24,000 km of 

roadway, 2,600 junctions, 600 parking areas and service 

facilities, and all parallel roads in a corridor 250 meters to 

the right and left of the motorway. Toll Collect personnel 

regularly drive and survey the motorway network to 

ensure accuracy.

With this level of effort, Germany reports a high system 

accuracy (i.e., the system correctly identifies the vehicle 

and assesses a toll) of 99.2 percent. A 0.1 percent change 

in accuracy (e.g., 99.2 to 99.3 percent) results in a €2.5 

million increase for government. Toll Collect receives a 

bonus for improved accuracy. Of the 1.4 billion toll 

statements processed, about 9,000 resulted in claims. 

None of these claims, however, has been successful. 

The tolls collected are used by the government on road 

improvements and new road construction, 51 percent to 

fund road infrastructure projects and 49 percent to fund 

improvements on the rails and inland waterways. 

Private Sector’s Role in CMV Size and Weight 

Enforcement

Commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 

is almost always the responsibility of the public agencies 

(either police or transportation) with few exceptions (the 

Netherlands, Slovenia, and Germany use some limitedauthority enforcement personnel). Tolling activities have a 

higher involvement of private management partners.

Several countries visited demonstrated a higher reliance 

on private contractors to set up commercial motor vehicle 

size and weight enforcement systems, maintain software, 

process, etc. For example, public enforcement officials in 

Slovenia rely heavily on private CESTEL personnel to 

transfer, install, and operate the portable bridge WIM 

systems, process data for mobile enforcement scheduling 

and dispatch, perform remote field verifications for OS/

OW movements, and more. This involvement of private 

agencies frees up public personnel to focus on enforcement activities. In the United States, private industry is 

more often involved through supply contracts than 

service contracts.

Trucking Industry’s Role in CMV Size and 

Weight Enforcement

A noted sensitivity for fair competition among trucking 

companies exists in both industry and government. 

Industry is largely supportive of enforcement approaches, 

tools, and techniques that will help ensure fair competition. Despite industry support of enforcement efforts in 

the interest of fair competition, direct participation from 

the trucking industry to address commercial vehicle size 

and weight enforcement challenges was observed to be 

minimal. The Netherlands actively sought solutions from 

the trucking industry for size and weight enforcement 

challenges without any initial actionable feedback. Over 

time, the Dutch trucking industry has responded to 

enhanced commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

controls (e.g., through the use of WIM and WIM/VID 

systems) by developing new or adapting existing vehicle 

configurations (e.g., including additional axles) to increase 

compliance.

Unlike in the United States, where qualifying members of 

the commercial motor vehicle industry can pay a voluntary 

fee to participate in a weigh station bypass program, the 

commercial motor vehicle industry in the countries visited 

does not have an opportunity to participate in a similar 

program. A strong focus on modal shift to rail was 

observed in the countries visited, so programs that would 

benefit movement by truck would be counter to efforts to 

encourage rail transport. Rail industry unions appear to 

have an equal or, in some instances, stronger voice than 

trucking industry unions. European rail infrastructure 

is largely government owned and operated. The 

Netherlands also reported a heavy reliance on inland 

waterways for moving freight.

Comparison/Contrast with the United States

More than the United States, the countries visited use 

some form of tolling or pricing to help finance roadway 

operation, maintenance, or improvement, with a focus on 

heavy goods movement. The extent and nature of tolling 

systems vary from country to country, however. None of 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 55

the tolling schedules observed is based on actual or 

real-time weights. More often, toll schedules reflect a 

fixed registered weight capacity and do not distinguish 

between fully loaded or empty transports. This latter 

trait encourages the trucking industry to operate more 

efficiently to avoid paying tolls for empty transports. 

Similarly, the fee structure for special permits generally 

is not based on actual or real-time weights, but instead 

reflects a flat fee structure.

Motivation for investment in commercial vehicle size 

and weight enforcement is often justifiable through 

environmental (e.g., noise, emissions, vibration) and 

safety (e.g., braking and stopping distances) impact 

considerations. In the United States, primary motivators 

include infrastructure preservation and safety, although 

the basis for safety benefits is not well quantified. 

Like in the United States, European industry and government are sensitive to fair competition among trucking 

companies. Industry is largely supportive of enforcement 

approaches, tools, and techniques that will help ensure 

fair competition. Despite support of enforcement efforts 

in the interest of fair competition, trucking industry 

participation in addressing commercial vehicle size and 

weight enforcement challenges was observed to be 

minimal.

A strong focus on modal shift to rail was observed in the 

countries visited. Rail industry unions appear to have an 

equal or, in some instances, stronger voice than trucking 

industry unions. Unlike in the United States, European rail 

infrastructure is largely government owned and operated.

Several countries visited demonstrated a high reliance on 

private contractors in a service capacity (e.g., setting up 

systems, maintaining software, processing data). In the 

United States, private industry is more often involved 

through supply contracts than service contracts.
56 | CHAPTER ONE
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 57

Harmonization Approaches

Chapter 6

Acommon goal or priority in decisionmaking 

among the countries visited is consistency 

within the European Union while maintaining 

each country’s economic interests. This goal 

applies not only to commercial motor vehicle 

size and weight enforcement activities, but also to tolling.

European Union’s Role in CMV Size and 

Weight Enforcement

The major focus of initial related EU efforts was on 

developing free competition and interoperability 

of transportation systems, including promoting the 

development of necessary infrastructure and consistency 

in member nation laws. In addition, the European Union 

identified priority investment projects that would best 

enhance the connectivity and interoperability of the 

European transportation system. These projects originally 

focused on infrastructure development, but more recently 

included system management and intelligent transportation system (ITS) integration. The European Union has 

also supported research efforts, including the COST 323, 

WAVE, and REMOVE Projects. Perhaps most important, 

however, the European Union has been advantageous 

for transportation in its collective efforts to reduce 

cross-border obstacles and raise transportation issues 

to international and national political levels.(2)

EU directives are developed by a codecision process 

involving the European Parliament (EP) and the European 

Commission (EC) or through a single commission agreement. When developed, the directives are communicated 

to member states, who must implement the directives in 

their operations. Member states are required to inform 

the EC of compliance and implementation. If a directive 

is not implemented effectively within the allotted time, 

a member state may be brought before the European 

Court of Justice.

A key directive related to commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight enforcement is Council Directive 96/53/EC, 

which defined the maximum authorized weights and 

dimensions for commercial motor vehicles traveling 

between EU member states. This directive was 

amended by Directive 2002/7/EC, but the amendment 

only affected the authorized bus dimensions and made 

no changes to truck dimensional limits. These directives 

apply to Class M2 and M3 vehicles (i.e., passenger 

transport with more than nine seats, including the driver) 

and Class N2 and N3 vehicles (i.e., trucks in excess of 

12 metric tons). These directives provide maximum length 

(for various vehicle types and combinations), width, 

and height. Noncompliant vehicles registered before 

September 1997 are allowed to operate under a 

grandfather clause, but no new vehicles registered after 

2006 (a transition period was allowed) will be allowed to 

operate without meeting the length, width, and height 

requirements.

In addition, these directives define the maximum gross 

vehicle and axle or axle group weights for international 

travel. Country limits for national (intrastate) travel can 

be higher. For example, international traffic is limited to 

40 metric tons, while Belgium allows legal gross vehicle 

weights of 43 or 44 metric tons, based on the type of 

suspension. Member states may also limit the weight or 

dimensions of vehicles on certain roads or civil structures 

in a nondiscriminatory way (e.g., because of construction, 

weather, bridge structural constraints). Abnormal 

transports are allowed only for indivisible loads and 

through a special permit process.

Member states may allow vehicle or vehicle combinations 

used for goods transport to exceed the maximum authorized dimensions for certain national transport operations 

that do not significantly affect international competition. 

For example, the Nordic countries pushed for special 

national transport for logging operations. Had logging 

companies in other countries been adversely affected, 

this could have been problematic.

The European Union does not actively monitor the 

application of directives. Once implemented, the member 

states are required to enforce the directives within their 

countries. No monitoring or reporting obligations to the 

European Union on day-to-day operations exist. Usually, 

the European Union is notified of a problem through the 
58 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER SIX

complaint process. When a complaint is filed, the 

appropriate European Commission notifies the 

member state involved, requests an explanation, and, 

if appropriate, initiates an infringement procedure for 

nonapplication of an EU directive. This process follows 

a judicial procedure through the EU Court of Justice.

State of Harmonization Within and 

Among EU Members

Commercial vehicle size and weight limits are largely 

harmonized between member countries for cross-border 

travel. Country-imposed limits for national travel vary 

for each country, but must not be lower than EU 

requirements except in cases where the infrastructure 

along secondary roads cannot support the load. Each 

country is obligated to enforce both its own and EC 

commercial motor vehicle regulations. The Committee 

on Transport and Tourism (XI) under the European Parliament has made significant strides in establishing a legal 

framework for uniformity. In general, the Transport and 

Tourism Committee is responsible for matters relating to 

the development of a common policy for rail, road, inland 

waterway, maritime, and air transport and in particular 

for (1) common rules applicable to transport within the 

European Union, (2) the establishment and development 

of trans-European networks in the area of transport 

infrastructure, (3) the provision of transport services 

and relations in the field of transport with third countries, 

(4) transport safety, and (5) relations with international 

transport bodies and organizations (www.europarl.eu.int/

activities/expert/committees/presentation.do?committee=

1242&language =EN).

Harmonizing citation rates was reportedly not feasible 

because of the unique economic status and structure in 

each member country. Each country’s fee and fine 

structure and resulting revenue generated by commercial 

motor vehicle size and weight violations are inextricably 

related to the country’s reliance on this revenue to 

support transportation developments, operation, and 

maintenance. If the fee and fine structure could be 

empirically related to some metric, such as pavement 

damage, potential was thought to exist for harmonization. 

Differences in pavement designs and consequent 

damage were reportedly less variable than economic 

status and structure.

Notable Harmonization Measures

Historically, a landmark effort by the Transport and 

Tourism Committee included the International Convention 

on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods,

which was signed at Geneva, Switzerland, on October 21, 

1982; approved on behalf of the European Community by 

Council Regulation (EEC) on April 10, 1984; and entered 

into force on September 12, 1987. The Harmonization 

Convention introduced measures designed to facilitate 

and develop international trade through harmonization 

(where appropriate) of various frontier controls and 

the removal of technical obstacles to the movement 

of goods.(35)

An example in this convention is the International Vehicle 

Weight Certificate (IVWC). The objective of the IVWC is 

to facilitate border-crossing procedures and, in particular, 

to avoid repetitive weight measurements of motor 

vehicles en route. If a vehicle is weighed in a certifiable 

fashion at the start of a trip, presentation of the IVWC 

would eliminate additional weight check stops for the 

duration of the trip. Authorities may still perform random 

checks and controls in the case of supposed irregularities. 

The use of the IVWC by transport operators is optional. 

As drafted in 1982, the weighing instruments must 

conform to one of the following to be certifiable:

w OIML Recommendation R 76 “Non-automatic weighing 

instruments,” accuracy class III or better.

w OIML Draft Recommendation “Automatic instruments 

for weighing road vehicles in motion,” accuracy classes 

0.5, 1, 2, or better, resulting in maximum permissible 

errors of plus or minus 2 percent, 1 percent, and 0.5 

percent or less. Higher error values may apply in the 

case of individual axle weight measurements.(35)

More recently, the COST 323 action provided the 

European WIM system specification calling for tender 

and test-based acceptance procedures. This prestandard 

provides common and widely accepted procedures used 

by all parties since its inception in the late 1990s. Some 

efforts are underway through the EUREKA Logchain 

Footprint Project and FEHRL to move toward a process 

of WIM standardization in Europe.

A single additional noteworthy example of harmonization 

was uncovered. Historically, legal truck weights in 

Switzerland were lower than weight limits in most of 

the rest of Europe. Until 2000, Switzerland did not allow 

truck weights over 28 metric tons, while in Europe the 

weight limit was 40 metric tons. Switzerland is not an 

EU member, but the Swiss truck weight limit was 

made consistent with the European standard through a 

negotiated agreement. In return, the Swiss raised the 

heavy vehicle tax (LSVA) from $90 to $200 per truck to 

compensate for additional road damage. Even with this 

increased cost, it is cheaper for German and Italian truck 

freight movement to go through Switzerland.(2)

The Swiss continue to deemphasize road travel by 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 59

encouraging the piggybacking of heavy vehicles on rail 

cars for transit through the country. Trucks moved in this 

fashion carry loads that are by Swiss law too heavy but 

are legal outside of Switzerland. Such vehicles are placed 

on trains to traverse the country and continue their 

movement by road.(2)

Coordination/Communication Procedures 

and Challenges

Coordination and communication among EU member 

states is facilitated through multinational organizations 

such as the Forum of European National Highway 

Research Laboratories (FEHRL), the European Traffic 

Police Network (TIPSOL), and the European Control 

Route (ECR).

Forum of European National Highway 

Research Laboratories

FEHRL is a consortium of national highway research 

institutes focused primarily on Europe, with interest in 

increased partnership and information exchange with 

the United States and China. FEHRL is the primary 

conduit to European programs. The Sixth Framework 

Program research budget is €20 billion. In the Seventh 

Framework Program, the budget will increase to €50 

billion, with €6 billion dedicated to transport research.

FEHRL is funded through a membership fee. Advantages 

for member states include access to technical expertise, 

available dedicated research personnel, enhanced 

efficiency through cooperative research, and enhanced 

collaboration with other nations. In all, 29 research 

centers participate with the intent of cooperating while 

maintaining identity (i.e., languages, political climates). 

Because of its multinational involvement, FEHRL can 

maintain a holistic approach that extends beyond the EU 

member states to all of Europe and elsewhere in the 

world. FEHRL recently developed SERRP IV, a plan that 

defines a strategic direction for research for 2006 to 2011. 

The road directorates in each country are FEHRL’s most 

important customers. The challenge in working with road 

directorate partners is that they feel significant pressure 

to react to current situations and are afforded less time 

to plan for the future. To work effectively with these 

customers, FEHRL must simultaneously address 

immediate concerns while helping them plan and 

prepare for the future. FEHRL is also looking to 

increase partnerships with industry.

Research related to commercial motor vehicles makes 

up about 10 percent of FEHRL’s research efforts. This 

proportion is expected to increase to 25 percent in the 

future. In SERPP IV, commercial motor vehicle research 

will focus on the development of network-level systems 

capable of supporting heavy vehicles (i.e., in excess of 60 

metric tons), considering issues of restrictions for bridges, 

tunnels, steep grades, and congested or environmentally 

sensitive environmental areas. In a related effort, the 

recently initiated Heavy Route Project focuses on 

intelligent route guidance for heavy vehicles. FEHRL’s 

role in the project, slated for completion in 2009, is to 

demonstrate the value of the research and product, while 

NAVTEQ will develop a route guidance/mapping product. 

Road directorates may remain skeptical until proof of 

concept is achieved.

European Traffic Police Network

Eight member countries and three observing countries 

are represented in the European Traffic Police Network 

(TISPOL, www.tispol.org). TISPOL’s mission is to improve 

traffic safety in Europe by arranging continuous exchange 

of knowledge, experience, and best-practice information 

among European police departments. TISPOL coordinates 

several annual European traffic controls and vehicle spot 

checks. In 2006, for example, two heavy truck spot-check 

events and two bus spot-check events were conducted:

w Operation Mermaid (www.tispol.org/news/articles/

mermaid2006/)

w Operation Bus (www.tispol.org/news/articles/

operationbus2006/)

European Control Route

The European Control Route (ECR, (webcomite.com/ecr/) 

is an international review panel or working group dedicated to improving commercial motor vehicle size and 

weight enforcement. ECR is composed of representatives 

of the transport ministries or inspection bodies from the 

Benelux countries, France, and Germany. The United 

Kingdom, Spain, and Ireland are observing countries. 

ECR consists of a steering committee and a number 

of working groups focused on particular aspects of 

commercial vehicle operation (e.g., driving and resting 

periods, transport of hazardous substances, overloading). 

The ECR objectives are the following:

w Exchange information (e.g., the number and methods 

of surveillances or violations, potential for national 

legislation).

w Cooperate in enforecment activities (e.g., joint 

surveillances in the field of driving and resting 

periods of buses).

w Share information about national organizations, 

procedures, rules, and regulations in the various 

countries.

Comparison/Contrast with the United States

A common goal or priority in decisionmaking for the 
60 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER SIX

countries visited is consistency within the European 

Union while maintaining each country’s economic 

interests. In the United States, States operate more 

independently and with less regard for harmonization 

with bordering States or countries.

Similar to the National Association of Chiefs of Police or 

other law enforcement organizations in the United States, 

the European Traffic Police Network (TIPSOL) provides a 

framework for multinational, coordinated highway 

enforcement actions.

In general, a greater focus on coordinated research efforts 

exists among EU member countries than among U.S. 

States. The European Union and FEHRL provide the 

framework for administration of large-scale, multiyear 

coordinated research efforts.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 61

Recommendations

Chapter 7

Team Recommendations

Based on its general findings and observations, 

the scan team ranked a preliminary list of 

European commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight enforcement technologies and 

procedures as having “high,” “medium,” or 

“low” interest levels for implementation consideration 

in the United States. These relative rankings did not 

recommend implementation of the various technologies 

or procedures, but instead provided an indication of the 

interest in further investigation.

After the scan, the scan tour implementation team (STIT) 

focused on implementation opportunities assigned a 

high interest level and worked further with scan team 

members to prioritize the 17 initial opportunities included 

in this category. Some opportunities were later combined 

because of perceived overlap. Through this process, 

the STIT identified seven specific implementation 

opportunities as having the greatest potential benefit 

to U.S. commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement procedures:

w Slovenia bridge weigh-in-motion (Slovenia, France)

w Swiss heavy goods vehicle control facility (Switzerland)

w Prescreening for mobile enforcement (Slovenia, 

Switzerland, the Netherlands, France)

w Applying WIM for direct enforcement: a template for 

implementation and certification (France)

w Behavior-based enforcement activities (the Netherlands, 

France)

w Synthesis of safety implications of oversize/overweight 

commercial vehicles (Belgium)

w Effective use of WIM data: the Dutch case study 

(the Netherlands)

Specific strategies for advancing these implementation 

opportunities were also identified, with various scan 

team members assigned supporting action items. These 

implementation opportunities and strategies are detailed 

below.

Slovenia Bridge Weigh-in-Motion (Slovenia, France)

B-WIM was initially identified in the late 1970s in the 

United States and developed in the WAVE Project. 

European researchers continued to advance field testing 

and applied research of the concept, leading to its 

widespread deployment in Slovenia. B-WIM is a vital 

component of Slovenia’s commercial motor vehicle 

weight monitoring system and is used to prescreen 

commercial vehicles for weight enforcement purposes. 

SiWIM in Slovenia was developed and implemented 

through a partnership between staff at the National 

Building and Civil Engineering Institute’s (ZAG) Research 

Department and a private engineering firm, CESTEL. 

Deployment of Slovenian SiWIM targets short-deck 

(5- to 10-meter) orthotropic bridges. Extensive research 

into the bridge deck’s reaction to weights has led to the 

ability to estimate, within acceptable levels of accuracy 

for prescreening, a vehicle’s static weight. Analysis and 

data collection leading to this capability centered on the 

behavior of the “influence line” when truck weights 

are applied to the bridge’s deck. Weight-detection 

instrumentation is applied at the under-deck location of 

the structure, eliminating the need to disrupt traffic flow 

during installation. Multiple sensors are used to monitor 

travel lanes, and a sensor data hub or cabinet feature 

draws readings from the individual sensors and generates 

a composite of the deck loading readings. Axle weights, 

gross vehicle weights, axle spacing, vehicle speed, and 

vehicle class are captured through this data collection 

approach. 

The Netherlands is analyzing its inventory of structures 

to determine the number and location of bridges where 

B-WIM could be deployed. Recently, one bridge WIM 

system was installed for testing under Dutch highway 

conditions. In France, significant applied research 

efforts are concentrated on advancing the use of B-WIM 

on multiple-span, multiple-lane structures and steel 

orthotropic deck bridges. The target of research is the 

filtering of sensor readings from several vehicles on 

the bridge deck simultaneously. The scan team visited 

the Autreville orthotropic steel bridge site on the A31 

motorway outside of Nancy, France. French hosts 

provided a tour of the site layout and demonstrated 

the SiWIM under testing.
62 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER SEVEN

Because it eliminates the need to disrupt traffic flow and 

minimizes the worker risk involved in installing traditional 

roadway telemetry, B-WIM was seen to possess major 

benefits over U.S. practices. Also, as seen in Slovenia, 

the time required for installation is not significant and, 

once bridge deck superstructures are instrumented, BWIM is highly portable. In Slovenia, five SiWIM devices 

are used to collect data for 1 week at 30 locations twice 

a year. Applications of B-WIM in the United States would 

enhance prescreening capabilities for commercial motor 

vehicle weight enforcement, as well as provide important 

information to bridge management systems. The 

choice of a suitable bridge and the development of an 

appropriate instrumentation plan and related calibration 

procedures may be challenging and require a high 

expertise level.

Implementation Strategy (George Conner, Pam Thurber, 

and Randy Woolley)

w Obtain detailed site layout specifications from Slovenian 

contacts.

w Synthesize the French experience and analyze the 

accuracy and performance results.

w Prepare and deploy a one-page information sheet 

presenting a compelling case for pursuing B-WIM 

implementation in the United States.

w Present findings at AASHTO’s Bridge Conference.

Deliverables

w One-page information sheet detailing B-WIM 

requirements and benefits

w Summary of the French experience, including accuracy 

and performance results

w Transportation Pooled Fund Program study focusing 

on deployment opportunities in the United States

w Implementation of a pilot B-WIM system (i.e., potential 

bypass route adjacent to enforcement location)

Swiss Heavy Goods Vehicle Control Facility 

(Switzerland)

In an effort to protect highway tunnel facilities and 

roadway infrastructure from the impacts of heavy trucks, 

Switzerland has developed and implemented an efficient 

and effective approach to simultaneously measuring 

commercial vehicle size and weight at stationary enforcement locations. The system also includes a high-speed 

WIM (HS-WIM) and video (VID) technology component 

used to prescreen strategically selected trucks requiring 

additional measurements.

The scan team had the opportunity to observe 

enforcement procedures at the control facility outside 

of Bern, Switzerland. Mobile enforcement details 

escorted vehicles into the facility for additional 

measurements using the HS-WIM/VID prescreening 

capability. Vehicles were directed onto a weigh bridge 

(i.e., static scale pad instrumented with several load 

cell scales) that provided simultaneous axle and gross 

vehicle weight measurements. An overhead gantry 

fitted with laser scanners capable of capturing commercial 

vehicle length, height, and width measurements is used 

simultaneously.

An attractive element of the Swiss heavy goods control 

facility operation is the user-friendly presentation of 

data to enforcement officers operating the system. 

A horizontal line on the computer screen represents legal 

axle and gross vehicle weight allowances with violations 

clearly shown as exceeding this allowance line. Size 

dimensions exceeding legal allowances are highlighted 

in red on a three-dimensional model of the vehicle. Sizeand weight-related citations are generated automatically 

for issuance to the vehicle operator and submission to 

the appropriate judiciary officials. Swiss enforcement 

personnel described the advantages of this system over 

the traditional portable scale and manual measurements 

efforts. More accurate measurements are achieved with 

less manpower, resulting in more effective enforcement 

in considerably less time. The Swiss operate three control 

centers, with additional centers in the planning and 

development stages. The scan team believes that 

U.S. deployment of such an enforcement station at key 

high-volume domestic or international land-crossing 

locations would be beneficial.

Implementation Strategy (Jeff Honefanger and 

Tom Kearney)

w Obtain control facility weigh bridge and laser scanner 

gantry specifications from Swiss contacts (i.e., number 

and type of load cell scales, number and type of laser 

scanners).

w Evaluate domestic or international land-crossing 

locations as possible candidates for a model 

deployment pilot site.

Deliverables

w List of locations viable for model deployment

w Implementation of a control facility in the United States

w Documentation of timesaving benefits realized through 

pilot deployment

Prescreening for Mobile Enforcement 

(Slovenia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and France)

A significant level of interest exists in the United States in 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 63

the use of automation tools and technology to improve 

the conduct of commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement. The scan team witnessed similar mobile 

enforcement activities in four of the six countries visited: 

Slovenia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and France. 

Common features and elements were identified in each. 

High-speed WIM technology was used in each case 

for mainline prescreening of suspected overweight 

commercial motor vehicles. Video capture (i.e., digital 

photo images) of the vehicle was triggered by overweight 

detections. Both weight and image data were transmitted 

via short-range communications to enforcement personnel, allowing them to identify appropriate commercial 

vehicles in the traffic stream and escort them off of the 

mainline for further investigation. Such systems are 

referred to as WIM/VID in Europe. Such approaches were 

embraced by the COST 323 action and are used widely by 

EU member nations.

U.S. States use elements of this approach to varying 

degrees. The scan team identified the need for a 

comparative analysis to measure the differences between 

the state of the practice for mobile enforcement in the 

United States and that observed in European countries. 

The team believes that advancement of the most effective mobile enforcement practices could be supported and 

delivered most expeditiously once State-level variations 

are identified and compared to practices used in Europe.

Implementation Strategy (Ric Athey and John Nicholas)

w Survey U.S. States on mobile enforcement program 

components and aspects.

w Obtain specific detail on mobile enforcement tools and 

techniques in use from European contacts.

w Identify demonstration site(s) for a European mobile 

enforcement approach (may be combined with B-WIM 

deployment).

Deliverables

w One-page information sheet on U.S.-versus-European 

state of the practice

w Implementation of a pilot demonstration of the 

European mobile enforcement approach

Applying WIM for Direct Enforcement: 

A Template for Implementation and Certification 

(France and the Netherlands)

In many cases, the difficulty in deploying advanced 

technologies stems from institutional barriers. The 

widespread deployment and use of technologies for 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 

require support from both the metrological bodies 

responsible for equipment certification and judicial bodies 

responsible for related legal actions. Low-speed WIM 

systems can be tested and certified using similar 

methods as static weighing equipment, making their use 

a logical first step toward direct enforcement. The testing 

and certification process for high-speed WIM systems is 

more complex and requires the development of new 

acceptance methods.

French officials are leading the effort to overcome 

institutional challenges to the use of low-speed WIM 

systems for direct enforcement (i.e., gaining acceptance 

from the national metrology and judiciary communities). 

While the French are focused on the initial acceptance 

of low-speed WIM systems for direct enforcement, the 

Dutch are focused on gaining acceptance of high-speed 

WIM for direct enforcement.

Because a similar development process would be 

required in the United States, the scan team 

recommended an indepth review of the French and 

Dutch evolutionary process for acceptance of WIM 

systems for direct enforcement, with a concurrent review 

of the U.S. direct enforcement climate and requirements.

Implementation Strategy (Jodi Carson)

w Characterize the U.S. climate toward the use of WIM 

for direct enforcement.

w Identify issues that must be addressed to gain 

metrological and judicial acceptance in the United 

States.

w Identify and review successful European practices on 

direct weight enforcement using WIM technology.

w Establish a legal basis and gain judicial support for citing 

overweight trucks directly from low-speed WIM initially 

and later from high-speed WIM.

Deliverable

w Modeled after the French and Dutch process, an outline 

of the required steps leading to legal acceptance of 

WIM technology for use in direct weight enforcement 

in the United States

Behavior-Based Enforcement Activities 

(the Netherlands and France)

Using the European WIM/VID (photo) approach of 

simultaneously capturing a digital image of the vehicle 

when an overweight condition is detected, officials in the 

Netherlands and France have gained additional knowledge 

of the trucking firms most frequently operating in an 

overweight condition. This information is captured continuously (i.e., 24 hours a day, 7 days a week), regardless 

of whether a mobile enforcement activity is taking place. 

Historical WIM information is reviewed, typically on a 
64 | CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER SEVEN

monthly basis, to determine trucking firms that most 

frequently engage in overloading practices. Enforcement 

officials contact the most frequently offending firms to 

encourage compliant loading behavior. Following this 

contact, the trucking firm then begins a probationary 

period. If no positive change is observed through 

continued monitoring by the WIM/VID systems, 

graduated enforcement actions are taken. France is 

just beginning a 3-year study to determine the 

effectiveness of this process.

The scan team observed that this general process is 

similar to the safety inspection steps routinely followed 

by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 

(FMCSA) in its oversight of trucking firms operating 

commercial vehicle fleets. The application of this process 

to commercial motor vehicle weight enforcement in the 

United States shows promise for firms that could have 

reasonably brought their loading practices into legal 

compliance with relevant laws.

Implementation Strategy 

(Julie Strawhorn and Mike Onder)

w Obtain specific details on the behavior-based enforcement approach from Dutch and French contacts.

w Obtain estimates of approach effectiveness (i.e., 

percentage of reduction in the proportion of overweight 

trucks) from Dutch and French contacts.

w Coordinate with FMCSA officials to gain understanding 

of their behavior-based approach to commercial vehicle 

safety enforcement.

Deliverable

w One-page information sheet on the behavior-based 

approach to commercial motor vehicle weight 

enforcement in the Netherlands and France.

Synthesis of Safety Implications of Oversize/

Overweight Commercial Vehicles (Belgium)

In the United States, justification and authority for the 

conduct of commercial vehicle weight enforcement are 

vested in the public’s interest in preserving highway 

infrastructure and promoting a climate of equity and 

fairness among trucking firms (e.g., not allowing violators 

to be rewarded at the expense of law-abiding firms). 

These same principles and interests were reported in 

each of the European countries the scan team visited. 

In addition, several countries visited identified safety as a 

primary motivator for commercial vehicle size and weight 

enforcement. In Belgium, officials have linked weight 

enforcement activities to the public’s interest in safe 

operating conditions on the highways. After years of 

weight and speed data collection and analysis, Belgium 

officials noted direct relationships between excessive 

speed by overweight vehicles involved in highway 

accidents and the frequency of fatalities occurring in 

accidents including such vehicles. As such, they were 

able to build the case to their legislative leaders that 

weight and speed needed to be aggressively regulated. 

To control speed, governors, or speed-monitoring 

devices, are installed on trucks to control their 

maximum speed. Speed violations are treated as criminal 

offenses because excessive speeds can be achieved 

only as a result of tampering with the speed-control 

devices.

The scan team indicated a desire to better understand the 

relationship between commercial motor vehicle weight 

condition and safety in the United States. While public 

concerns about overweight vehicles impacting bridge and 

pavement conditions and undermining equitable trade 

practices are valid, the safety benefits tied to commercial 

vehicle weight enforcement activities need to be better 

defined. The scan team proposes that an assimilation of 

existing safety studies and research be undertaken to 

improve understanding.

Implementation Strategy 

(George Conner and Mike Onder)

w Invite university research communities, via the 

University Transportation Research Consortium (UTRC) 

initiative, to conduct a synthesis effort on the linkages 

of overweight commercial motor vehicles and safety.

w Obtain detailed information on the use of safety as a 

compelling case for commercial motor vehicle weight 

enforcement from Belgium contacts.

Deliverables

w One-page information sheet describing the basis for 

Belgium’s regulations

w Synthesis of existing research describing relationships 

between commercial motor vehicle weight condition 

and safety in the United States

Effective Use of WIM Data: The Dutch Case Study 

(the Netherlands)

In the Netherlands, every Wednesday morning at 7 a.m., 

an e-mail with an attachment detailing the frequency of 

truck weight violations by location, time of day, and 

day of the week is distributed to enforcement personnel 

responsible for scheduling enforcement actions and 

transportation personnel charged with infrastructure 

condition monitoring and multimodal freight planning and 

forecasting. The data report is a product of an extensive 

database management operation constructed by Dutch 

officials. Extensive quality control and quality assurance 
protocols have been built into the operation of this data 

management system.

In the United States, State-level officials operate data 

management systems to manage their highway and 

bridge programs and to monitor travel to support program 

and policy development. The scan team determined that 

documentation of the Dutch database management 

system could assist States in extracting greater value 

from the database systems in operation.

Implementation Strategy (David Jones and Tom Kearney)

w Obtain detailed information on the architecture and 

system specifications for the data model used in the 

Netherlands from Dutch contacts.

w Conduct a comparative scan of data management 

operations employed in the United States.

w Propose a National Cooperative Highway Research 

Program synthesis topic on WIM database management 

and potential enhancements.

Deliverables

w Case study report on WIM data processing, reporting, 

and distribution opportunities based on findings from 

the Netherlands

w Presentation of case study report findings at the next 

scheduled North American Travel Monitoring Exhibition 

and Conference (NATMEC)

Next Steps

Next steps include defining specific timeframes and 

funding requirements for implementation. Once defined, 

specific funding sources can be identified and secured.

COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 65
66 | CHAPTER ONE
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 67

References

 1. Jacob, B., E.J. O’Brien, and S. Jehaes, Weigh-inMotion of Road Vehicles—Final report of the COST 

323 Action, LCPC, Paris, France, 2004.

 2. Caldwell, H., et al., Freight Transportation: 

The European Market, FHWA-PL-02-009, Federal 

Highway Administration, Washington, DC, 2002.

 3. Jarema, F., et al., European Traffic-Monitoring 

Programs and Technologies, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC, 1997.

 4. Dougan, C., et al., Advanced Transportation 

Technology, Federal Highway Administration, 

Washington, DC, 1994.

 5. Lord, B., et al., Highway/Commercial Vehicle 

Interaction: North America and Europe, Federal 

Highway Administration, Washington, DC, 1996.

 6. Hartman, K., et al., Commercial Vehicle Safety: 

Technology and Practice in Europe, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC, 2000.

 7. Transportation Research Board, “Emerging Models 

for Delivering Transportation Programs and Services: 

A Report of the Transportation Agency Organization 

and Management Scan Tour,” Research Results 

Digest, Number 236, 1999.

 8. Jacob, B., Weigh-in-Motion of Axles and Vehicles for 

Europe, Final Report of the Project WAVE, LCPC, 

Paris, France, 2002.

 9. Jacob, B., and V. Dolcemascolo, “Spatial Repeatability 

of Dynamic Loading on a Pavement,” in PreProceedings of the Second European Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, eds. B. Jacob and E.J. O’Brien, 

Lisbon, Sept. 14–16, 1998, 291–302.

10. COST 323, Pre- and Post-Proceedings of the First 

European Conference on Weigh-In-Motion of Road 

Vehicles, ed. B. Jacob, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland, 

March 1995.

11. COST 323, Pre- and Post-Proceedings of the Second 

European Conference on Weigh-In-Motion, eds. E. 

O’Brien and B. Jacob, Lisbon, Portugal, September 

1998.

12. Jacob, B., Proceedings of the Final Symposium of 

the Project WAVE (1996–99), Paris, France, May 6–7, 

1999, Hermes Science Publications, Paris, France, 

1999.

13. Van Loo, F., and R. Henny, “REMOVE, Requirements 

for Enforcement of Overloaded Vehicles in Europe,” 

Fourth International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, 

Taipei, Taiwan, 2005.

14. Rooke, A., Project Remove Work Packages 1–4, Final 

Report, 2002.

15. Doupal, E., and R. Calrerara, “Remote WIM Systems 

in Alpine Tunnels,” First International Conference 

on Virtual and Remote Weigh Stations, Orlando, FL, 

2004.

16. Calderara, R., D. Barz, and E. Doupal, “ITS and Overload Enforcement, Advanced Solutions for New WIM 

Applications,” www.kistler.com/mediaaccess/en/

920-337e-01.05.pdf, 2005.

17. Caprez, M., E. Doupal, B. Jacob, A. O’Conner, and E. 

O’Brien, “Test of WIM Sensors and Systems on an 

Urban Road,” International Journal of Heavy Vehicle 

Systems, Volume 7, Issue 2/3, 2000.

18. Opitz, R., and R. Kühne, “IM (Integrated Matrix) 

WIM Sensor and First Trials,” Fourth International 

Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, Taiwan, 2005.

19. Kühnelt, G., “Development of an Axle Load 

Monitoring Network on the Federal Motorways in 

Germany,” Second International Conference on 

Weigh-in-Motion, Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

20. Henny, R., “Procedures For Acceptance of WIM 

Systems for Automatic Enforcement of Overloading,” 

Third International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, 

Orlando, FL, 2002.

21. Van Loo, F., and R. Henny, “Acceptance of WIM 

Systems for Automatic Enforcement of Overloading,” 

Ninth World Congress on Intelligent Transportation 

Systems, Chicago, IL, 2002.

22. Rambeau, S., C. Follin, and D. Stanczyk, “The 

French National WIM Network ‘SIREDO,’” in 
68 | CHAPTER ONE REFERENCES

Pre-Proceedings of the Second European Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, eds. E.J. O’Brien and B. Jacob, 

Lisbon, Portugal, Sept. 14–16, 1998, COST 323, 

Luxembourg, 47–54.

23. Blab, R., and B. Jacob, “Test of Multiple Sensor and 

Four Portable WIM Systems,” International Journal of 

Heavy Vehicle Systems, Volume 7, Issue 2/3, 2000.

24. Stanczyk, D., S. Jehaes, B. Jacob, B. McCall, and 

E. O’Brien, “European Test of WIM Systems—

Continental Motorway Test (CMT II) on the 

Motorway A31,” Third International Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, Orlando, FL, 2002.

25. Labry, D., V. Dolcemascolo, and B. Jacob, 

“MS-WIM Arrays Design Optimisation,” in 

Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, Taiwan, Feb. 20–23, 2005.

26. Stanczyk, D., and Y. Marchadour, “Overloaded 

Vehicles Screening,” in Proceedings of the Fourth 

International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, 

Taiwan, Feb. 20–23, 2005.

27. Henny, R.J., “Experimental Use of WIM with Video to 

Control Overloading,” Second International Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

28. Van Loo, F., “WIM-HAND, The Development of a 

Weigh-in-Motion System for Automatic Enforcement 

of Overloading,” Eighth World Congress on Intelligent 

Transportation Systems, Sydney, Australia, 2001.

29. Stanczyk, D., and D. Labry, “Automatic Overloading 

Control Test Site in France,” Fourth International 

Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, Taiwan, 2005.

30. Brozovic, R., V. Vodopivec, and A. Žnidaric, “Slovenian 

Experience in Using WIM Data For Road Planning and 

Maintenance,” Fourth International Conference on 

Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, Taiwan, 2005.

31. Jacob, B., “WAVE Weighs In: Europe’s WIM Research 

Project,” Traffic Technology International.

32. Jacob, B., and D. Labry, “Evaluation of Dynamic 

Effects of Heavy Vehicles on Bridge Fatigue,” 

Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium 

on Heavy Vehicle Weights and Dimensions, Delft, 

Netherlands, June 16–20, 2002.

33. Jacob, B., and T. Kretz, “Calibration of bridge fatigue 

loads under real traffic conditions,” Proceedings of 

the IABSE Colloquium Basis of Design and Actions on 

Structures, International Association for Bridge and 

Structural Engineering, Delft, Netherlands, 

1996, 479–487.

34. Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), 

Fair and Efficient: The Distance-Related Heavy Vehicle 

Fee (HVF) in Switzerland, www.are.admin.ch/

imperia/md/content/are/are2/publikationen/englisch/

1.pdf?PHPSESSID=8d2e30e36a7234f365, Department 

of the Environment, Transport, Energy, and 

Communications, Bern, Switzerland, 2004.

35. Economic Commission for Europe, The International 

Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls 

of Goods, Geneva, Switzerland, 1982.
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 69

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Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, Taiwan, 2005.

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Urban Road,” International Journal of Heavy Vehicle 

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We Going to Stay at the Back?” and “Part 2—WIM in 

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are/are2/publikationen/englisch/1.pdf?PHPSESSID=8d

2e30e36a7234f365, Department of the Environment, 

Transport, Energy, and Communications, Bern, 

Switzerland, 2004.

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Technology and Practice in Europe, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC, 2000.

Henny, R., “Procedures For Acceptance of WIM 

Systems for Automatic Enforcement of Overloading,” 

Third International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, 

Orlando, FL, 2002.

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Control Overloading,” Second International Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

Henny, R.J., R. Nieuwsma, and C.B.W. Drouen, Proposal 

for Acquisition of Locations, Weigh-In-Motion with 

Video, DWW-Publication: W-DWW-99-014, Ministry of 

Transport, Public Works, and Water Management, The 

Hague, Netherlands, 1999.
70 | CHAPTER ONE BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jacob B. and V. Dolcemascolo, “Spatial Repeatability 

of Dynamic Loading on a Pavement,” in 

Pre-Proceedings of the Second European Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, eds. B. Jacob and E.J. O’Brien, 

Lisbon, Sept. 14–16, 1998, 291–302.

Jacob, B., and T. Kretz, “Calibration of bridge fatigue loads 

under real traffic conditions,” Proceedings of the IABSE 

Colloquium Basis of Design and Actions on Structures,

International Association for Bridge and Structural 

Engineering, Delft, Netherlands, 1996, 479–487.

Jacob, B., and D. Labry, “Evaluation of Dynamic Effects 

of Heavy Vehicles on Bridge Fatigue,” Proceedings of 

the Seventh International Symposium on Heavy Vehicle 

Weights & Dimensions, Delft, Netherlands, June 16–20, 

2002.

Jacob, B., Proceedings of the Final Symposium of the 

Project WAVE (1996–99), Paris, France, May 6–7, 1999, 

Hermes Science Publications, Paris, France, 1999.

Jacob, B., “WAVE Weighs In: Europe’s WIM Research 

Project,” Traffic Technology International.

Jacob, B., Weigh-in-Motion of Axles and Vehicles for 

Europe, Final Report of the Project WAVE, LCPC, Paris, 

France, 2002.

Jacob, B., and E. O’Brien, “WAVE, A European Research 

Project on Weigh-in-Motion,” National Traffic Data 

Acquisition Conference, 1996.

Jacob, B., E. O’Brien, and B. McCall, “Output and 

Follow-up of the European Research Project ‘WAVE,’” 

Third International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, 

Orlando, FL, 2002.

Jacob, B., E.J. O’Brien, and S. Jehaes, Weigh-in-Motion 

of Road Vehicles—Final report of the COST 323 Action, 

LCPC, Paris, France, 2004.

Jacob, B., “Application of Weigh-in-Motion Data to 

Fatigue of Road Bridges,” Second International 

Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

Jacob, B., “Assessment of the Accuracy and 

Classification of Weigh-in-Motion Systems: Part 1—

Statistical Background, Heavy Vehicle Systems,” 

International Journal of Vehicle Design, Volume 7, 

Number 2, 2000.

Jacob, B., E. O’Brien, and W. Newton, “Assessment of 

the Accuracy and Classification of Weigh-in-Motion 

Systems: Part 2— European Specification, Heavy 

Vehicle Systems,” International Journal of Vehicle 

Design, Volume 7, Number 2, 2000.

Jacob, B., B. McCall, and E.J. O’Brien, eds.., 

Pre-Proceedings of the Third International Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, Orlando, FL, published by Iowa 

State University, Ames, IA, May 2002.

Jacob, B., and E.J. O’Brien, “Weigh-in-Motion: Recent 

Developments in Europe,” Fourth International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, Taiwan, 2005.

Jarema, F., et al., European Traffic-Monitoring Programs 

and Technologies, Federal Highway Administration, 

Washington, DC, 1997.

Jehaes, S., B. Hallstrom, B. Jacob, B. McCall, and E. 

O’Brien, “Accuracy Analysis of WIM Systems for the 

Cold Environment Test,” Third International Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, Orlando, FL, 2002.

Kühnelt, G., “Development of an Axle Load Monitoring Network on the Federal Motorways in Germany,” 

Second International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, 

Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

Labry, D., V. Dolcemascolo, and B. Jacob, “MS-WIM 

Arrays Design Optimisation,” in Proceedings of the 

Fourth International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion,

Taipei, Taiwan, Feb. 20–23, 2005.

Lord, B., et al., Highway/Commercial Vehicle Interaction: 

North America and Europe, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC, 1996.

Marchadour, Y., “Weighing of Road Vehicles in France 

for Enforcement,” Second International Conference on 

Weigh-in-Motion, Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

Newton, W.H., “Enforcement Applications of Weigh-inMotion,” Second International Conference on Weigh-inMotion, Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

O’Brien, E., A. Gonzales, A. Znidaric, P. McNulty, B. Jacob, 

and B. McCall, “Testing of a Bridge Weigh-in-Motion 

System in Cold Environment Conditions,” Third International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Orlando, FL, 

2002.

O’Brien, E., B. Jacob, and A. DeHenau, “European Test 

Programme of WIM Systems: Cold Environment Test 

and Continental Motorway Test,” Second International 

Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

O’Brien, E., B. Jacob, A. Znidaric, and W. Baumgartner, 

“Bridge Weigh-in-Motion Systems—An Overview,” 

Second International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, 

Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

Opitz, R., and R. Kühne, “IM (Integrated Matrix) WIM 

Sensor and First Trials,” Fourth International Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, Taiwan, 2005.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 

Development, Dynamic Interaction between Vehicles 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 71

and Infrastructure Experiment (DIVINE), Technical 

report, DSTI/DOT/RTR/IR6(98)1FINAL, OECD, www.

oecd.org/dataoecd/8/57/2754406.pdf, 1998.

Rambeau, S., C. Follin, and D. Stanczyk, “The French 

National WIM Network ‘SIREDO,’” in Pre-Proceedings of the Second European Conference on Weighin-Motion, eds. E.J. O’Brien and B. Jacob, Lisbon, 

Portugal, Sept. 14–16, 1998, COST323, Luxembourg, 

47–54.

Rooke, A. Project Remove Work Packages 1–4, 

Final Report, 2002.

Siffert, M., V. Dolcemascolo, and R. Henny, “European 

Databases for WIM,” Second International Conference 

on Weigh-in-Motion, Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

Stanczyk, D., and D. Labry, “Automatic Overloading 

Control Test Site in France,” Fourth International 

Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, Taiwan, 2005.

Stanczyk, D., and Y. Marchadour, “Overloaded Vehicles 

Screening,” in Proceedings of the Fourth International 

Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, Taiwan, 

Feb. 20–23, 2005.

Stanczyk, D., and Y. Marchadour, “Overloaded Vehicles 

Screening,” Fourth International Conference on 

Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, Taiwan, 2005.

Stanczyk, D., “Overloaded Vehicle Screening for 

Enforcement,” Third International Conference on 

Weigh-in-Motion, Orlando, FL, 2002.

Stanczyk, D., S. Jehaes, B. Jacob, B. McCall, and E. 

O’Brien, “European Test of WIM Systems—Continental 

Motorway Test (CMT II) on The Motorway A31,” Third 

International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Orlando, 

FL, 2002.

Stergioulas, L., D. Cebon, and M. Macleod, “Enhancing 

Multiple-Sensor WIM Systems,” Second International 

Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

Štor, D., “The Control of Axle Weight and Gross Vehicle 

Weight on Slovene Roads,” Second International 

Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Lisbon, Portugal, 1999.

Transportation Research Board, “Emerging Models for 

Delivering Transportation Programs and Services: A 

Report of the Transportation Agency Organization and 

Management Scan Tour,” Research Results Digest, 

Number 236, 1999.

Van Lieshout, R.A., and M.H.M. Zoutenbier, Onderzoek 

naar Optimale Sensor Lay-out voor een 

MS-WIM-systeem, CQM report, E1687-01, 2000.

Van Loo, F., and R. Henny, “REMOVE, Requirements for 

Enforcement of Overloaded Vehicles in Europe,” Fourth 

International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, 

Taiwan, 2005.

Van Loo, F., and R. Henny, “Acceptance of WIM Systems 

for Automatic Enforcement of Overloading,” Ninth 

World Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 

Chicago, IL, 2002.

Van Loo, F., “‘WIM-HAND,’ The Development of a 

Weigh-in-Motion System for Automatic Enforcement 

of Overloading,” Eighth World Congress on Intelligent 

Transportation Systems, Sydney, Australia, 2001.

Van Loo, H., and G. Visser, “Vehicle for Dynamic 

Calibration of a Multiple-Sensor WIM System,” Fourth 

International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Taipei, 

Taiwan, 2005.

Van Loo, H., “WIM Projects in The Netherlands,” Third 

International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, Orlando, 

Florida, 2002.

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Test Site, TNO Automotive Report, 00.OR.VD.033.1/

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72 | CHAPTER ONE
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 73

Scan

Itinerary

SLOVENIA

EVENT SLO-1: Arrivals/Flights in Ljubljana; Saturday, June 17

EVENT SLO-2: Panel Meeting; Sunday, June 18/09:00-11:30; Place: Hotel Conference Room

EVENT SLO-3: Meetings/Site Visit; Monday, June 19/09:00-18:30; Place: Slovenian National Building and Civil 

Engineering Institute (ZAG) Offices, Dimiceva 12, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; POC: Ales Znidaric, ZAG

Program:

9:00 to 10:30 ZAG (Dr. Andraž Legat, Director), SiWIM Technology/Applications (Ales Znidaric, Robert Brozovi), 

AASHTO, FHWA, and CMV Size/Weight Enforcement Panel

10:30 to 10:45 Coffee Break

10:45 to 12:15 Amplifying Question Discussion 

12:15 to 13:30 Cestel/SiWIM Production Facilities Site Visit

13:30 to 15:00 Lunch

15:00 to 18:00 Postojna SiWIM Site Visit

EVENT SLO-4: Working Dinner; Monday, June 19/20:00-TBD; Place: Restaurant Stara Ljubljana

EVENT SLO-5: Meetings/Discussions; Tuesday, June 20/09:00-15:00; Place: Slovenian National Building and Civil 

Engineering Institute (ZAG) Offices, Dimiceva 12, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; POC: Ales Znidaric, ZAG

Program:

9:00 to 12:30 Dean Herenda, State Undersecretary, Ministry of Transportation; Robert Sušanj, Head, 

Traffic Police, Ministry of Interior Affairs; Ljiljana Herga, Head, Sector for Road Maintenance, Directorate of the 

Republic of Slovenia for Roads

12:30 to 14:00 Lunch

14:00 to 15:00 Conclusions

EVENT SLO-6: Air Travel to Switzerland; Tuesday, June 20/18:05

SWITZERLAND

EVENT SWI-1: Meetings/Discussions; Wednesday, June 21/09:00-16:00; Place: Swiss Federal Road Administration 

Offices, Worblenstr 68, Ittigen, CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland; POC: Christoph Kaeser, Swiss Federal Road Administration

Program:

9:30 to 10:00 Welcome, Coffee

10:00 to 11:00 Information about FEDRO, Christoph Käser

11:00 to 12:00 Heavy Vehicle Control, Amplifying Questions, Christoph Käser

12:00 to 13:30 Lunch

13:30 to 14:30 Heavy Vehicle Control Enforcement, R. Aellen

14:30 to 15:00 Break

15:00 to 16:00 Amplifying Questions (continued), R. Aellen

Appendix A
74 | CHAPTER ONE APPENDIX A

EVENT SWI-2: Site Visits/Discussions; Thursday, June 22/08:30-16:00; Place: Schafisheim and Winterthur Areas; 

POC: Christoph Kaeser, Swiss Federal Road Administration

Program:

8:30 to 09:30 Transfer to Schafisheim (Canton of Aargau)

9:30 to 09:45 Welcome and Coffee in Schafisheim

9:45 to 11:15 R+D Project “Footprint” (L. Poulikakos), Footprint Monitoring Site Visit

11:15 to 12:00 Travel towards Winterthur

12:00 to 13:00 Lunch at Movenpick Restaurant

13:00 to 13:15 Travel to Winterthur

13:15 to 15:15 Winterthur Board of Control Site Visit 

EVENT SWI-3: Air Travel to Berlin, Germany; Thursday, June 22/17:30

GERMANY

EVENT GE-1: Meetings/Discussion; Friday, June 23/09:00-12:00; Place: Offices of Toll-Collect, Linkstr 4, D-10875 

Berlin, Germany; POC: Martin Rickmann, Director of Communications

Program:

9:00 to 10:00 Martin Rickmann, Status of New Toll System

10:00 to 11:00 Harald Lindlar, Satellic

11:00 to 12:30 Demonstration Tour

12:30 to 13:15 Lunch

13:15 to 14:00 Siegried Klar, Enforcement

14:00 to 15:00 Ralf Meschede, BASt—Federal Highway Research Institute

15:00 to 15:30 Q + As

EVENT GE-2: Mid-Tour Panel Meeting; Saturday, June 24/09:00-11:30; Place: Hotel Conference Room

EVENT GE-3: Train Travel to the Netherlands; Sunday, June 25/08:38

THE NETHERLANDS

EVENT NL-1: Meetings/Discussions; Monday, June 26/09:00–16:30; Place: Offices of the Dutch Ministry, Utrecht 

(Mobilion); POC: Hans van Loo, Road and Hydraulic Engineering Institute (DWW)

Program:

9:00 to 9:15 Hans van Saan (DWW), Welcome and Opening of the Visit

9:15 to 9:45 Jeff Honefanger (AASHTO), Julie Strawhorn (FHWA), U.S. Commercial Motor 

Vehicle Size and Weight Enforcement

9:45 to 10:30 Hans van Saan (DWW), Introduction to the Project Overloading and Dutch 

Weigh-in-Motion and Discussion

10:30 to 11:00 Coffee/Tea Break, MOBILION Exhibition Area

11:00 to 11:45 Danny van Grondelle (Dutch National Police Agency), Experience with Enforcement of 

Overloading using WIM as a Preselection Tool and Discussion

11:45 to 12:30 Kees Hersbach (Dutch Ministry of Transport, Freight Transport Inspectorate), Prevention of 

Overloading using WIM Data as a part of e-Government and Discussion

12:30 to 14:15 Lunch

14:15 to 15:15 Police Overloading Enforcement Operation Site Visit

15:15 to 16:00 Jan Kramer (National Traffic Management Centre), The Project Overloading: Cooperation among 

Partners to Fight Overloading and Methods for Monitoring the Results

EVENT NL-2: Working Dinner; Monday, June 26/19:00-21:00; Place: Café Diner Vlaanderen
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 75

EVENT NL-3: Meetings/Discussions; Tuesday, June 27/09:00-15:00; Place: Road and Hydraulic Engineering Institute 

(DWW) Offices, Van der Burghweg 1, 2628 CS Delft; POC: Hans van Loo, DWW

Program:

9:00 to 9:10 Pieter Stienstra (DWW), Welcome

9:10 to 9:45 Hans van Saan (DWW), The Use of WIM to data for Statistics and Planning, QC and 

Results and Discussion

9:45 to 10:30 Hans van Loo (DWW), Development of Weigh-in-Motion System for Direct 

Enforcement of Overloading including Calibration Vehicle and Discussion

10:30 to 11:30 Calibration Vehicle Demonstration, Coffee/Tea Break

11:30 to 12:15 Hans van Loo, Developments in the European Union; the REMOVE project and Discussion

12:15 to 13:15 Lunch

13:15 to 14:00 U.S. Cochairs, U.S. projects on WIM, Overload Enforcement and International 

Cooperation and Discussion

14:00 to 14:30 Govert Sweere (DWW), DWW to Experience with Participation in International (EU) Projects

14:30 to 15:00 Bert de Wit (DWW) and Mr. Jeff Honefanger (AASHTO), Julie Strawhorn (FHWA), 

Summary and Closing

EVENT NL-4: Ground Travel to Belgium; Tuesday, June 27/16:30-TBD

BELGIUM

EVENT BE-1: Meetings/Discussion; Wednesday, June 28/09:00-16:00; Place: Belgian Road Research Centre (BRRC), 

Blvd. de la Woluwe, 42, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium; POC: Xavier Cocu, BRRC

Program:

9:30 Introduction and Tour de Table

9:35 Country, Road Network, Administrative Structure (Xavier Cocu, BRRC)

Belgian Vehicles Size and Weight Rules 

9:50 Goods Transportation Policies in Belgium and EU (Davy Decock, BRRC)

10:10 Weight/Size Enforcement by Federal Police: Procedure and Legislative Background 

(Eddy Greif, Federal Police)

10:30 Weight Enforcement by Road Inspectors in the Flemish Region: Procedure and Legislative Background

 (Jo Goossens, Flemish Road Administration)

10:50 Technologies in Use in Walloon Region (Xavier Cocu, BRRC); Static weighting systems; WIM System

Statistical Analysis Applications

11:15 FEHRL Offices

12:00 Lunch

14:00 FEHRL Joint Research Programmes (Steve Phillips, FEHRL)

14:20 Open Discussion

16:00 Conclusion

EVENT BE-2: Ground Travel to Metz, France; Wednesday, June 28/TBD

FRANCE

EVENT FR-1: Meetings/Site Visit; Thursday, June 28/09:00–15:00; Place: Centre d’Etudes Techniques de 

l’Equipement de l’Est (CETE de l’Est), 1, Boulevard Solidarité BP 85230 57076 METZ Cedex; POC: Bernard Jacob, 

Technical Director for Road Operation and Safety, Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussees (LCPC),

Victor Dolcemascolo, Head of Road Operations and Equipment Section, Laboratoire Central des Ponts et 

Chaussees (LCPC)
76 | CHAPTER ONE APPENDIX A

Program:

10:00 to 10:15 Welcome—Presentation of the CETE Est

10:15 to 11:00 SIREDO Network—Discussions

11:00 to 11:15 Coffee Break

11:15 to 11:45 Preselection Results—Discussion

11:45 to 12:00 Multiple-sensor Weigh-in-Motion Planned Testing

12:00 to 13:30 Lunch

Afternoon: A 31 Motorway Site Visits (Fays, Lesménil, Autreville)

EVENT FR-2: Meetings/Discussions; Friday, June 30/09:00–16:00; Place: Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées 

(LCPC), 58 boulevard Lefebvre 75732 PARIS Cedex 15; POC: Bernard Jacob and Victor Dolcemascolo, LCPC

Program:

9:30 to 9:45 Welcome—Tour de Table

9:45 to 10:00 LCPC

10:00 to 10:30 DGMT, Political Aspects of Overloading in France and Control Organization

10:30 to 10:50 Control Overloading in U.S.

10:50 to 11:00 Discussion and Possible Cooperation on Overloading Controls

11:00 to 11:45 European Specification COST 323, ASTM 1318

11:45 to 12:30 Low-speed WIM for Enforcement and Model Agreement

12:30 to 14:00 Lunch

14:00 to 15:00 Bridge WIM: Tools and Testing - Discussion

15:00 to 15:30 Multiple-sensor WIM: Algorithms and Grid Design - Discussion

15:30 to 16:00 Conclusions and Prospects

EVENT FR-3: Final Panel Meeting; Saturday, July 1/09:00-16:30; Place: Hotel Conference Room

EVENT FR-4: Departures/Flights to U.S.; Sunday, July 2
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 77

Amplifying

Questions

Each Country

Enforcement Technologies

1. What technologies are currently used to enforce 

commercial motor vehicle size?

a. Describe any problems encountered with these 

technologies.

b. Describe the accuracy and reliability of these 

technologies.

c. Describe any factors (e.g., inclement weather) 

affecting the performance of these technologies. 

How are these performance effects accounted for?

d. Describe any associated maintenance requirements 

(including calibration) for these technologies. 

What guidance or standards exist for technology 

maintenance and calibration?

e. Describe the manpower needed/saved by using 

these technologies.

2. What are some of the emerging technologies for 

enforcing commercial motor vehicle size?

a. What benefits are anticipated from these emerging 

technologies?

b. Have nonintrusive technologies (e.g., micro loop 

systems, roadside acoustic devices) been 

investigated or deployed? If yes, describe your 

experiences.

3. What technologies are currently used to enforce 

commercial motor vehicle weight?

a. Describe any problems encountered with these 

technologies.

b. Describe the accuracy and reliability of these 

technologies.

c. Describe any factors (e.g., inclement weather) 

affecting the performance of these technologies. 

How are these performance effects accounted for?

d. Describe any associated maintenance requirements 

(including calibration) for these technologies. 

What guidance or standards exist for technology 

maintenance and calibration?

e. Describe the manpower needed/saved by using 

these technologies.

4. What are some of the emerging technologies for 

enforcing commercial motor vehicle weight?

a. Is a favored weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensor type 

(e.g., quartz, fiber optic) emerging? Describe 

when each might be used.

b. Is a favored WIM system type (e.g., multiple sensor, 

bridge, portable) emerging? Describe when each 

might be used.

c. What benefits are anticipated from these emerging 

technologies?

5. In general, is technology playing a large or small 

role in commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement? Would you like to see the use of 

technology increase?

Enforcement Procedures

6. Describe how technology is currently being used in 

day-to-day operations to enforce commercial motor 

vehicle size and weight. Is technology used in place 

of or in unison with traditional procedures?

a. What guidance or standards exist for integrating 

technology into enforcement procedures?

b. Describe any positive or negative impacts 

resulting from the use of technology in day-to-day 

operations to enforce commercial motor vehicle 

size and weight.

c. How does the use of technology and related commercial motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 

procedures differ for high (urban) and low (rural, 

intercity) traffic volume roads?

d. Are technology-equipped, unmanned weigh stations 

being used to identify noncompliant commercial 

motor vehicles for downstream enforcement in 

(i) remote areas? (ii) urban areas?

7. Technology can be used to identify (i) noncompliant 

vehicles in real-time, (ii) consistently noncompliant 

vehicle types for targeted enforcement, or (iii) consistently noncompliant carriers for preventive measures. 

What is the more prevalent practice or combination of 

practices in your country? Describe your experiences.

a. What concurrent measures (e.g., increased fines) 

are required for these practices to be successful?

8. Is technology currently being used for fully 

automated commercial motor vehicle size and 

Appendix B
78 | CHAPTER ONE APPENDIX B

weight enforcement (to automatically identify 

noncompliant vehicles and issue citations)? If yes, 

describe your experiences.

a. If yes, who is the citation issued to and who is 

responsible for paying the fine (e.g., driver, carrier)?

b. If no, describe any impediments (e.g., technological 

limitations, legal or legislative constraints) to 

achieving fully automated enforcement and any 

plans to overcome these impediments.

c. Have any privacy issues been encountered regarding 

the use of photographs for enforcement?

d. Are technology performance standards to allow 

automated enforcement (e.g., minimum accuracy 

levels) well defined? If yes, please describe.

9. Describe how current commercial motor vehicle 

size and weight enforcement procedures and/or 

technologies are being used to prevent weigh station 

bypass.

a. Has portable technology been used for enforcement 

along bypass routes? If yes, describe your 

experiences.

10. Describe how current commercial motor vehicle 

size and weight enforcement procedures and/or 

technologies accommodate legally permitted 

oversize/overweight (OS/OW) commercial motor 

vehicles.

a.To what degree is technology used in the issuance 

and procurement of OS/OW permits (i.e., selfissuing permits)?

11. Describe any benefits (e.g., cost savings, increased 

productivity) resulting from the use of technology 

for commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement.

a. How is commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement performance measured (e.g., number 

of citations issued, magnitude of size or weight 

exceedance in citations, aggregate reduction in 

average loads)?

b. Do commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement personnel view technology as 

beneficial? Why or why not?

Unique Data Applications

12. What data related to commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight enforcement are currently collected?

a. Who collects these data?

b. Are these data routinely shared (i) within your 

country, (ii) with other nations, or (iii) with the 

European Union (EU)? If yes, who are the specific 

recipients?

c. Is this data sharing optional or mandatory?

d. Is national, county, or local funding dependent on 

the data results?

13. How are data related to commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight enforcement currently being used (e.g., 

to support enforcement, roadway design and 

construction, planning, safety, bridge analysis, permit 

approval, establishment of legal loads, distance-based 

tolling activities)?

a. Is the data quality sufficient for these purposes?

b. Is the data quantity (i.e., geographic coverage, 

sample sizes, etc.) sufficient for these purposes?

c. Is the level of detail in the data sufficient for these 

purposes?

d. What guidance or standards exist related to 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement data collection and quality?

Public-Private Funding

14. Are emerging technologies primarily developed in the 

public sector (by government), by the private sector, 

or though joint public-private partnerships? Describe 

your experiences and any notable developments.

15. Describe any ongoing roles for private sector involvement in commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement (e.g., collecting and processing data, 

calibrating and maintaining technology).

a. What typically motivates ongoing private sector 

involvement in commercial motor vehicle size and 

weight enforcement? How is this involvement 

initiated and coordinated over time?

b. Describe any positive or negative impacts resulting 

from ongoing private sector involvement.

c. With respect to private sector data collection and 

processing, have you encountered any challenges 

related to data ownership or the quality of the data 

being collected and reported?

d. Is ongoing private sector involvement in commercial 

motor vehicle size and weight enforcement cost 

effective?

16. In the United States, qualifying members of the 

commercial motor vehicle industry can pay a 

voluntary fee to participate in a weigh station bypass 

program. Does the commercial motor vehicle industry 

similarly invest or participate in commercial vehicle 

size and weight enforcement in your country? 

Describe your experiences.

Harmonization Approaches

17. Who determines the commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight limits for your country? Is commercial 

motor vehicle size and weight enforcement 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 79

considered a local-, national-, or international-level 

issue?

18. Are the commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

limits/regulations/laws harmonized (i) within your 

country or (ii) with other EU members?

a. If no, describe the nature and source of the 

differences.

b. Describe the primary challenges in achieving 

harmonization (e.g., physical limitations such as 

low-clearance bridges, narrow lane widths, 

narrow roadway widths; political differences 

focused on infrastructure preservation versus 

economic productivity).

c. What notable measures has your country taken to 

move toward harmonization (e.g., increasing road 

taxes to compensate for higher weight limits)? 

Describe the implementation process for such 

measures.

d. If yes, are associated permit processes, fine 

structures, electronic data transfer procedures, 

etc., also harmonized?

19. Describe the nature and frequency of coordination/

communication among EU members and the 

European Union regarding commercial motor vehicle 

size and weight enforcement.

a. What are recurring challenges with such 

coordination/communication?

b. Are any international review panels or working 

groups dedicated to improving commercial 

motor vehicle size and weight enforcement? 

If yes, what legal authority is vested in such 

panels/groups?

20. What notable measures has the European Union 

taken to accommodate inconsistencies among 

member nations?

a. Does the European Union set commercial vehicle 

size and weight standards that national governments must adopt or otherwise be in compliance? 

If yes, what actions does the European Union take 

when a sovereign state is not in compliance with a 

standard?

b. Describe the market/supply chain pressures that 

the European Union and EU members are facing 

with regard to heavier and larger vehicles.

European Union

21. Is commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement considered a local-, national-, or 

international-level issue?

22. Are the commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

limits/regulations/laws harmonized among EU

members?

a. If no, describe the nature and source of the 

differences.

b. Describe the primary challenges in achieving 

harmonization (e.g., physical limitations such as 

low-clearance bridges, narrow lane widths, 

narrow roadway widths; political differences 

focused on infrastructure preservation verses 

economic productivity).

c. If yes, are associated permit processes, fine 

structures, electronic data transfer procedures, 

etc., also harmonized?

23. Describe the nature and frequency of coordination/

communication among the European Union and EU 

members regarding commercial motor vehicle size 

and weight enforcement.

a. What are recurring challenges with such 

coordination/communication?

b. Are any international review panels or working 

groups dedicated to improving commercial motor 

vehicle size and weight enforcement? If yes, what 

legal authority is vested in such panels/groups?

24. What notable measures has the European Union 

taken to accommodate inconsistencies among 

member nations?

a. Does the European Union set commercial vehicle 

size and weight standards that national governments must adopt or otherwise comply with?

b. If yes, what actions does the European Union take 

when a sovereign state is not in compliance with a 

standard?

25. Describe the market/supply chain pressures that the 

European Union is facing with regard to heavier and 

larger vehicles.

26. How does the commercial motor vehicle industry 

manage differences in size and weight limitations and 

subsequent enforcement among nations?

a. How are complaints from commercial vehicle 

operators received? Is there a formal process available to carrier industry officials to voice concerns?

b. In cases where complaints are international by 

their nature, how is coordination across national 

boundaries conducted?

Commercial Motor Vehicle Industry

27. How does the commercial motor vehicle industry 

manage differences in size and weight limitations and 

subsequent enforcement among nations?
80 | CHAPTER ONE APPENDIX B

28. How are complaints from commercial vehicle 

operators expressed? Is there a formal process 

available to carrier industry officials to voice concerns?

29. In cases where complaints are international by 

their nature, how is coordination across national 

boundaries conducted?

30. In the United States, qualifying members of the 

commercial motor vehicle industry can pay a 

voluntary fee to participate in a weigh station bypass 

program. Does the commercial motor vehicle industry 

similarly invest or participate in commercial vehicle 

size and weight enforcement in your country? 

Describe your experiences.

31. Development is underway for fully automated 

commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

enforcement (to automatically identify noncompliant 

vehicles and issue citations). Is the commercial motor 

vehicle industry generally supportive of this strategy? 

Why or why not?
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 81

Scan Team Biographies and 

Contact Information

Biographies

Jeff G. Honefanger (AASHTO cochair) is the manager 

of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Special Hauling Permits Section. This position has statewide 

responsibility for issuing permits for every oversize and 

overweight permit vehicle traveling in Ohio. This section is also involved in all commercial vehicle activities in 

which ODOT has interest and involvement, including coordination with other State agencies, local governments, 

and Federal agencies. Before his current assignment, 

Honefanger was the deputy director of ODOT’s Division 

of Rail Transportation. Honefanger has a business degree 

and paramedic science degree from Clark Technical College and attended Wittenberg University. On a national 

level, Honefanger serves as vice chair of the American 

Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ 

(AASHTO) Subcommittee on Highway Transport and is a 

member of AASHTO’s Special Committee on International 

Activity Coordination, AASHTO’s Special Task Force on 

Commercial Vehicle Highway/Rail Crossing Safety, the 

Multi-State Permit Group Board of Directors, and the 

Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Vehicle Size and 

Weight Committee. In Ohio, Honefanger is a member of 

the PrePass Steering Committee, Commercial Vehicle 

Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) Committee, 

and Governor’s Motor Carrier Advisory Committee and 

instructs classes on oversize/overweight vehicles at the 

Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy and the Ohio Peace 

Officer Training Academy. Honefanger is a coauthor of 

Freight Transportation: The European Market. 

Julie Strawhorn (FHWA cochair) is a transportation 

specialist for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

at the Washington, DC, headquarters. Strawhorn works 

in the FHWA Office of Freight Management and Operations as the commercial motor vehicle size and weight 

expert. She is in charge of reviewing and approving State 

enforcement plans and certifications on size and weight 

and leads several project initiatives on weigh-in-motion, 

virtual weigh stations, and other technologies to improve 

and enhance size and weight enforcement. Before joining 

FHWA, Strawhorn worked as a program analyst for the 

Maritime and Land, Highway Cargo Security, Division 

at the Transportation Security Administration. She also 

worked as liaison on the International, Legal, and Regulatory Affairs; Vehicle; and Size and Weight Committees at 

the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. Strawhorn also 

has direct enforcement experience as a former patrol 

officer in Montgomery County, MD. Strawhorn has a 

bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from 

the University of Maryland. She represents the Federal 

government on many panels and conducts training and 

makes presentations on size and weight rules, regulations, and enforcement in the United States.

Richard (Ric) Athey is the assistant division director 

of the Enforcement Services Program for the Arizona 

Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Division. 

His is responsible for the operations of 22 ports of entry, 

size and weights, registration compliance activities, 

statewide enhanced vehicle inspection provisions, and 

six international ports between the United States and 

Mexico. Athey is a representative to the AASHTO Highway Transportation group and Western Association of 

State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO). He 

is the division liaison to FHWA, U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 

Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Arizona Auto Theft Task Force, 

Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, and the law enforcement community. Athey is chair of the Overdimensional 

Committee. He has a bachelor’s degree in business from 

Western International University. He is a retired commander with 29 years in law enforcement and a graduate 

of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy.

Dr. Jodi L. Carson (report facilitator) is an associate 

research engineer for the Texas Transportation Institute at 

the Texas A&M University System. She has more than 15 

years’ experience investigating various aspects of commercial vehicle size and weight enforcement, including 

(1) the nature and effects of administrative and operational disparities between States and across international 

borders, (2) the performance of size and weight enforcement technologies (i.e., weigh-in-motion) compared to 

Appendix C
82 | CHAPTER ONE APPENDIX C

each other and to national WIM system standards (ASTM 

E1318-00) under different traffic loading and weather 

conditions, and (3) alternative performance-based commercial vehicle size and weight enforcement programs 

with a focus on changing commercial vehicle loading 

behavior and reducing infrastructure damage rather than 

issuing citations. Carson has provided expertise on proposal review panels related to commercial vehicle operations for the National Science Foundation and the U.S. 

Department of Transportation. She received a Ph.D. in civil 

engineering from the University of Washington and is a 

licensed professional engineer in Montana and Texas.

George Conner is the assistant state maintenance engineer for bridges for the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) in Montgomery, AL. Conner is responsible 

for the maintenance, inspection, and rating of bridges 

for ALDOT, including the analysis of numerous superload permit vehicles. He has worked with the Southern 

Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 

(SASHTO) Multi-State Permit Working Group to promote 

more uniform rating and permitting practices between 

States. Conner has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from 

the University of Alabama. He is a licensed professional 

engineer in Alabama, a member of the AASHTO BRIDGEWare Task Force for Bridge Rating and Design Software, 

and a member of Technical Committee T-18, Bridge Management, Evaluation, and Rehabilitation, of the AASHTO 

Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures. He was a panel 

member for the National Cooperative Highway Research 

Program’s Project 20-5, Topic 36-01, “Bridge Evaluation 

Practices and Permit Policies for Overweight Vehicles.”

David Jones is a transportation specialist for the FHWA 

Office of Highway Policy and Governmental Affairs in 

Washington, DC. Jones has more than 16 years of experience with weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems and WIM data 

management. He manages the Truck Weight Study and 

Heavy Vehicle Travel Information System Program, which 

is part of FHWA’s national database for travel monitoring. Before his current position, Jones was an electronic 

engineering technologist for FHWA’s Office of Technology Application (OTA). He served as lead technologist for 

OTA’s Demonstration Project 76, which was conducted 

in 43 States to provide State highway administrators, 

pavement designers, weight enforcement personnel, 

and planners with an understanding of the various types 

of WIM technologies, their accuracies and reliability, 

installation costs and procedures, maintenance requirements, appropriate applications, limitations to their use, 

and cost-effective methods of coordinating WIM data. He 

studied computer and electronic technology at Northern 

Virginia Community College and obtained an electronic 

technician certificate from the Northern Virginian Industrial 

System. 

Tom Kearney is a statewide planner in FHWA’s New 

York Division. Kearney coordinates the division’s New 

York State Truck Size and Weight Program. His duties 

include working with enforcement agencies on equipment and resource issues, coordinating with State 

officials on preparing and submitting the annual certification of enforcement and annual enforcement plan, and 

providing technical assistance to trucking firms and local 

officials on commercial vehicle mobility issues. Kearney 

also oversees New York State highway data programs and 

coordinates the Statewide Transportation Improvement 

Program. Kearney is a National Highway Institute-certified instructor for FHWA’s “Highway Program Financing” 

course. Before joining FHWA in February 2000, Kearney 

worked in the New York State Department of Transportation’s (NYSDOT) Planning Division for 14 years, including 

serving as supervisor of NYSDOT’s Highway Inventory 

Program. Kearney has an undergraduate degree from 

Albany State University and a master’s degree in regional 

planning with specialties in urban and transportation 

planning from Albany State. Kearney is a trustee on the 

Village of Cambridge Board, a member of the Washington 

County Planning Board, and a member of the Community 

Advisory Board for Albany State University’s Graduate 

Planning Program. Kearney has been a member of the 

American Planning Association since 1983. 

John Nicholas is a Commercial Vehicle Program manager 

with the Washington State Patrol. He works as part of a 

management team in the Commercial Vehicle Division 

headquarters responsible for operation of four ports of 

entry, 52 interior scales, and 200 enforcement officers. 

Nicholas is responsible for developing Federal size and 

weight certification and enforcement plans, managing 

State CVISN and weigh-in-motion commercial vehicle 

weigh station bypass programs, and planning new commercial vehicle weigh station facilities in conjunction with 

the Washington State Department of Transportation. He 

is a representative to the Western Association of State 

Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) and a 

voting member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance 

(CVSA) Vehicle Committee. Nicholas has a bachelor’s 

degree in political science from the University of Washington. He has been with the Washington State Patrol 

Commercial Vehicle Division for 27 years.

Pam Thurber is the bridge management and inspection engineer for the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), headquartered in Montpelier, VT. Thurber 

manages Vermont’s bridge inventory and management 
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 83

systems, develops the draft yearly bridge program, 

oversees the bridge inspection and fabrication programs, 

is project manager for several bridge projects under 

consultant design, and is responsible for statewide overweight and overheight permit reviews that support the 

Vermont Division of Motor Vehicles permitting process. 

After contributing to its development, Thurber presented 

Vermont’s self-propelled crane self-issuance permit 

process to the AASHTO Subcommittee on Highway 

Transport in June 2004, and is now involved in the development of a VTrans position paper on the effects of possible increased interstate truck weight limits in Vermont. 

Thurber has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from 

the University of Vermont. She is a licensed professional 

engineer in Vermont and has served on or contributed to 

various AASHTO user groups and technical committees.

Randy Woolley is the chief of the Systems Engineering 

Branch for the California Department of Transportation 

(Caltrans) Division of Research and Innovation. Woolley 

leads the division in integrating systems engineering into 

mainstream transportation research and is conducting a 

truck monitoring/safety project for the Federal Motor 

Carrier Safety Administration using the systems 

engineering “Vee” model. He led a team of transportation professionals developing a highly successful virtual 

weigh-in-motion display for the 2005 World Congress in 

San Francisco, CA. Woolley’s team developed the 

Systems Engineering Guidebook for ITS Projects and is 

now converting the guidebook to a Web-based format 

that will be hosted on an FHWA Web site. He is active in 

developing and presenting training in systems engineering, system integration, and configuration management 

and is an instructor for the “Systems Engineering 

Fundamentals” course for both Caltrans and the 

University of California, Irvine. Woolley has 26 years of 

experience in the electronics industry, including systems 

engineering, design, manufacturing, project management, 

and research. He is a registered professional engineer in 

California and has been with Caltrans for 14 years.

Contact Information

Jeff G. Honefanger 

(AASHTO Cochair)

Manager, Special Hauling 

 Permits Section

Ohio Department of Transportation

1610 West Broad Street

Columbus, OH 43223

Telephone: (614) 351–5520

Fax: (614) 728–4099

E-mail: jeff.honefanger@dot.state.

oh.us

Julie Strawhorn (FHWA Cochair)

Transportation Specialist

FHWA Office of Freight Management 

 and Operations, HOFM-1

Vehicle Size and Weight Enforcement

 Team

400 Seventh St., SW.

Washington, DC 20590

Telephone: (202) 366–4415 

Fax: (202) 366–7909 

E-mail: julie.strawhorn@fhwa.dot.gov

Ric Athey

Assistant Director

Motor Vehicle Division

Arizona Department of Transportation

1801 W. Jefferson, Mail Drop 500M

Phoenix, AZ 85007

Telephone: (602) 712–8735

Fax: (602) 712–3391

E-mail: rathey@azdot.gov

Dr. Jodi Carson, P.E. 

(Report Facilitator)

Associate Research Engineer

Texas Transportation Institute

1106 Clayton Lane, Suite 300E

Austin, TX 78723

Telephone: (512) 467–0946

Fax: (512) 467–8971

E-mail: j-carson@tamu.edu

George Conner

Assistant State Maintenance 

Engineer–Bridges

Alabama DOT

Maintenance Bureau, Room H–101

1409 Coliseum Blvd

Montgomery, AL 36110

Telephone: (334) 242–6281

Fax: (334) 242–6378

E-mail: connerg@dot.state.al.us

David Jones

FHWA Office of Policy, HPPI-30

400 Seventh St., SW.

Washington, DC 20590

Telephone: (202) 366–5053

Fax: (202) 366–7742

E-mail: david.jones@fhwa.dot.gov

Tom Kearney

FHWA-HOFM

400 Seventh St., SW.

Washington, DC 20590 

Telephone: (518) 431–4125, ext. 218

Fax: (202) 366–7909

E-mail: tom.kearney@fhwa.dot.gov

John Nicholas

Commercial Vehicle Program Manager

Commercial Vehicle Division

Washington State Patrol

PO Box 42614

Olympia, WA 98504–2614

Telephone: (360) 753–0281

Fax: (360) 586–8233

E-mail: john.nicholas@wsp.wa.gov

Pam Thurber, P.E.

Bridge Management and Inspection 

 Engineer

Vermont Agency of Transportation

1 National Life Drive, Drawer 33

Montpelier, VT 05633–0001

Telephone: (802) 828–0041
84 | CHAPTER ONE APPENDIX C

Fax: (802) 828–3566

E-mail: pam.thurber@state.vt.us

Randy Woolley, P.E.

Division of Research & Innovation

California Department of Transportation

c/o Caltrans District 12

3337 Michelson Drive, Suite CN380

Irvine, CA 92612

Telephone: (949) 756–4930

Fax: (949) 724–2219

E-mail: randy_woolley@dot.ca.gov
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 85

Host Country

Contacts

SLOVENIA

Ales Znidaric

Section Head, Dynamics and 

 Structures

ZAG

Dimiceva 12

1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Telephone: (011-386) 1-2804-207

Fax: (001-386) 1-4367-449

E-mail: ales.znidaric@zag.si

Robert Brozovic

Director-General Manager

CESTEL

Spruha 32

1236 Trzin, Slovenia

Telephone: (011-386) 1-568-1719

Fax: (011-386) 1-568-6099

E-mail: robert.brozovic@cestel.si

Igor Lavric

Researcher

ZAG

Dimiceva 12

1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Telephone: (011-386) 1-2804-293

Fax: (001-386) 1-4367-449

E-mail: igor.lavric@zag.si

Dean Herenda

Undersecretary

Slovenian Ministry of Transportation

Langusova 4

1535 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Telephone: (011-386) 1-478-8212

Fax: (011-386) 1-478-8148

E-mail: dean.herenda@gov.si

Ljiljana Herga

Undersecretary

Directorate of the Republic of 

 Slovenia for Roads

Trzaska c. 19

1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Telephone: (011-386) 1-478-8085

Fax: (011-386) 1-478-8070

E-mail: ljiljana.herga@gov.si

Mladen Loncar

Special Unit for Traffic

Traffic Police Station Ljubljana

E-mail: mladen.loncar@policija.si

SWITZERLAND

Christoph Kaeser

Section Leader, MISTRA

Bundesamt fuer Strassen ASTRA

Muehlestr. 2

3063 Ittigen, Switzerland

Telephone: (011-41) 31-323-8862

Fax: (011-41) 31-323-2303

E-mail: christoph.kaeser@

 astra.admin.ch

Roland Aellen

Federal Roads Office FEDRO

Muehlestr. 2

3063 Ittigen, Switzerland

Telephone: (011-41) 31-323-4248

Fax: (011-41) 31-323-4321

E-mail: roland.aellen@astra.admin.ch

Lily D. Poulikakos

Senior Scientist

Empa

Ueberlandstr. 129

8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland

Telephone: (011-41) 1-823-5511

Fax: (011-41) 1-823-4479

E-mail: lily.poulikakos@empa.ch

Martin Arraigada

Empa

Ueberlandstr. 129

8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland

E-mail: martin.arraigada@empa.ch

Ewald Weber

Chef Verkehrsabteilung Zurich

Zeughausstr. 5

8004 Zurich, Switzerland

Telephone: (011-41) 1-247-3780

Fax: (011-41) 1-247-3782

E-mail: webe@kapo.zh.ch

Walter Baumgartner

Dienstchef Verkehrszug Wintherthur

Schaffhauserstr. 215

8400 Winterthur, Switzerland

Telephone: (011-41) 52-208-1700

Fax: (011-41) 52-208-1720

E-mail: bga@kapo.zh.ch

GERMANY 

Martin Rickmann

Head of Communications

Toll Collect, GmbH

Linkstr. 4

10785 Berlin, Germany

Telephone: (011-49) 30-74077-2400

Fax: 30-74077-2221

E-mail: martin.rickmann@

 toll-collect.de

Harald Lindlar

Satellic Traffic Management GmbH

Linkstr. 4

10785 Berlin, Germany

Telephone: (011-49) 30-259-236-200

E-mail: harald.lindlar@satellic.com

Christian Silzer

Geokoordinator

Toll Collect, GmbH

Appendix D
86 | CHAPTER ONE APPENDIX D

Gerlachstr. 14

14480 Potsdam, Germany

Telephone: (011-49) 331-6009-699

Fax: 331-6009-697

E-mail: christian.silzer@toll-collect.de

Siegfried Klar

Toll Collect, GmbH

Linkstr. 4

10785 Berlin, Germany

Telephone: (011-49) 30-74077-7100

E-mail: siegfried.klar@toll-collect.de

Ralf Meschede

Highway Operation Section

BASt

Bruederstr. 53

51427 Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany

Telephone: (011-49) 2204-43-551

Fax: 2204-43-633

E-mail: mesched@bast.de

THE NETHERLANDS

Hans van Saan

Road and Hydraulic Engineering 

 Institute

Van der Burghweg 1, PO Box 5044

2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands

Telephone: (011-31) 15-251-8345

Fax: (switchboard–8518)

E-mail: hans.van.saan@rws.nl

Hans van Loo

Road and Hydraulic Engineering 

 Institute

Van der Burghweg 1, PO Box 5044

2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands

Telephone: (011-31) 15-251-8328

Fax: (switchboard–8518)

E-mail: hans.van.loo@rwa.nl

Dr. P. Stienstra

Director-Infrastructure

Road and Hydraulic Engineering 

 Institute

Van der Burghweg 1, PO Box 5044

2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands

Telephone: (011-31) 15-251-8350

Fax: (011-31) 15-251-8555

E-mail: pieter.stienstra@rws.nl

Bert de Wit

Head, Construction and Maintenance

Road and Hydraulic Engineering 

 Institute

Van der Burghweg 1, PO Box 5044

2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands

Telephone: (011-31) 15-251-8326

Fax: (011-31) 15-251-8555

E-mail: bert.de.wit@rws.nl

Dr. J. M. T. Stam

Road and Hydraulic Engineering 

 Institute

Van der Burghweg 1, PO Box 5044

2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands

Telephone: (011-31) 15-251-8423

Fax: (011-31) 15-251-8555

E-mail: jean-marie.stam@rws.nl

C. P. A. Kees

Unit Manager

Inspectie Verkeer en Waterstaat

Nieuwe Uitleg 1, PO Box 10700

2501 HS Den Haag, The Netherlands

Telephone: (011-31) 70-456-2204

Fax: (011-33) 70-456-2776

E-mail: cees.hersbach@ivw.nl

Gerben Visser

Division Manager

Kalibra International, B.V.

PO Box 283

2600 AG Delft, The Netherlands

Telephone: (011-31) 15-278-0126

Fax: (011-31) 15-257-2728

E-mail: gvisser@kalibra.nl

BELGIUM 

Xavier Cocu

Belgian Road Research Centre

Blvd. de la Woluwe 42

1200 Brussels, Belgium

Telephone: (011-32) 10-23-6526

Fax: (011-32) 10-23-6505

E-mail: x.cocu@brrc.be

C. E. Davy Decock

Researcher

Belgian Road Research Centre

Blvd. de la Woluwe 42

1200 Brussels, Belgium

Telephone: (011-32) 2-775-8249

Fax: (011-32) 2-772-3374

E-mail: d.decock@brrc.be

Charles Surmont

Principal Administrator, Road Safety

EU, Directorate-General for 

 Energy and Transport

European Commission (DM28 01/08)

1049 Brussels, Belgium

Telephone: (011-32) 2-295-9837

Fax: (011-32) 2-296-5196

E-mail: charles.surmont@cec.eu.int

Eddy Greif

Chief Commisar-Operational 

 Coordinator

Federal Politie (DGA/DAC/VPC)

Fritz Toussaintstraat 47

1050 Brussels, Belgium

Telephone: (011-32) 2-642-6531

Fax: (011-32) 2-642-6528

E-mail: eddy.greif.9581@police.be

Jo Goossens

Assistant Director

Traffic Inspection-Control

Ministry of the Flemish Community

Koning Albert II-laan 20 (bus 4)

1000 Brussels, Belgium

Telephone: (011-32) 2-553-7930

Fax: (011-32) 2-553-7925

E-mail: wegeninspectie@

 vlaanderen.be

Steve Phillips

Secretary-General

FEHRL

Blvd. de la Woluwe 42

1200 Brussels, Belgium

Telephone: (011-32) 2-775-8238

Fax: (011-32) 2-775-8254

E-mail: SteveP@fehrl.org

FRANCE 

Daniel Stanczyk

CETE de l’Est

1, blvd Solidarite

Metz Technopole–BP 85230

57076 Metz, France

Telephone: (011-33) 3-8720-4550
COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT IN EUROPE 87

Fax: (011-33) 3-8720-4591

E-mail: daniel.stanczyk@

 equipement.gouv.fr

David Gil

Chief-Traffic Meteorology

CETE de l’Est

1, blvd Solidarite

Metz Technopole–BP 85230

57076 Metz, France

Telephone: (011-33) 3-8720-4536

Fax: (011-33) 3-8720-4591

E-mail: david.gil@equipement.gouv.fr

Roger Bour

Chief-Metrologie Exploitation

CETE de l’Est

1, blvd Solidarite

Metz Technopole – BP 85230

57076 Metz, France

Telephone: (011-33) 3-8720-4516

Fax: (011-33) 3-8720-4591

E-mail: roger.bour@equipement.

 gouv.fr

Bernard Jacob

Chief Engineer, Bridges and Roads, 

Technical Director for Road Operation

 and Safety

Laboratoire Central des Ponts et 

 Chaussees (LCPC)

58 Bld. Lefebvre, 75732 

Paris cedex 15, France

Telephone: (011-33) 1-4043-5312

Fax: (011-33) 1-4043-6520

E-mail: bernard.jacob@lcpc.fr

Victor Dolcemascolo

Head, Road Operations and 

 Equipment Unit

Laboratoire Central des Ponts et 

 Chaussees (LCPC)

58 Bld. Lefebvre, 75732 

Paris cedex 15, France

Telephone: (011-33) 1-4043-5373

Fax: (011-33) 1-4043-5499

E-mail: victor.dolcemascolo@lcpc.fr

Charles Thiounn

Charge d’Etudes

Ministry of Equipment of Transports

Department of Ground Transport

Arche Sud

92055 La Defense cedex, France

Telephone: (011-33)1-4081-1611

Fax: (011-33) 1-4081-1066

E-mail: charles.thiounn@equipement. 

 gouv.fr


90 CHAPTER ONE

OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

FHWA/US DOT (HPIP)

400 Seventh Street, SW

Washington, DC 20590

Tel: (202) 366-9636

Fax: (202) 366-9626

international@fhwa.dot.gov

www.international.fhwa.dot.gov

Publication No. FHWA-PL-07-002

HPIP/7-07(3.5)EW