General conditions of carriage (AVC)

The General Transport Conditions are the general conditions used for carriage of goods by road within the Netherlands. They do not apply to carriage of goods outside the Netherlands.

The AVC include the scope of the obligations of the carrier and shipper and the conditions for paying for carriage. It also describes special risks and when a carrier can be held liable for damage in a transport and when it cannot. The AVC must be officially declared applicable to the contract of carriage between client and carrier.

Convention relative au contrat de transport internationale de Marchandises par Route (CMR)

When transporting goods across borders, the rules of the CMR (Convention relative au contrat de transport internationale de Marchandises par Route) apply. The CMR is a treaty containing international rules on cross-border carriage of goods by road. It regulates subjects such as carrier liability and the consignment note in a uniform manner for the member states. For this reason, the CMR is compulsorily applicable to international carriage of goods by road.

Long Heavy Vehicle (LHV)

An LHV is a longer truck combination that is larger and heavier than a regular truck combination and can therefore carry more freight. The LHV may be up to 25.25m long and weigh 60 tonnes. The LHV is not allowed everywhere and may only drive on roads for which there is an LHV exemption. In the Netherlands, all motorways have been given clearance for the LHV; testing is currently underway in Belgium. Drivers driving an LHV must have a special LHV driving licence: the LHV certificate. This is only possible if a driver has at least 5 years of experience with a CE driving licence.

Ecocombi
The LHV is also called Ecocombi because, with the use of the LHV, more freight can be transported in one truck movement, reducing CO2 emissions per transport and making the logistics chain further sustainable. There are various types of LHV combinations:

Bakwagen + trailer
Bakwagen + dolly + semi-trailer
Bakwagen + centre-axle trailer + centre-axle trailer
Bakwagen + semi-trailer 
Bakwagen + centre-axle trailer (three-axle variant)
Tractor + semi-trailer + centre-axle trailer
Tractor + semi-trailer + centre-axle trailer