Limited to 80 km/h, Moroccan heavy trucks demand the right to accelerate

The request comes from the Union of National Transport and Logistics Associations and the General Union of Transport Professionals. In a statement reported by Hespress, industry professionals specifically denounce the failure to raise the speed limit for 40-tonne trucks.

Moroccan regulations currently set a maximum speed of 70 km/h outside built-up areas on ordinary roads and 80 km/h on motorways for goods vehicles exceeding 19 tonnes. These limits are set out in Decree No. 2.10.420 on traffic regulations.

For hauliers, these rules no longer correspond to the capabilities of modern vehicles. They point out that heavy trucks now have ABS systems, engine brakes and safety equipment that are far more advanced than those of previous generations.

Moroccan truckers already regularly denounce rules they consider unsuitable for their international routes, particularly when they travel through Spain.

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The president of the Union of National Transport and Logistics Associations believes that the closer economic relationship between Morocco and the European Union should also result in the gradual harmonisation of the rules applicable to road transport.

According to him, keeping trucks at excessively low speeds can also affect their fuel consumption and emissions, since modern engines are designed to operate within different engine-speed ranges from those of older heavy trucks.

In Europe, trucks are technically limited to 90 km/h

Professionals use Europe as a reference, but the comparison requires some nuance. European regulations require goods vehicles in categories N2 and N3 to have a speed limiter preventing them from exceeding 90 km/h.

In Morocco, a truck weighing more than 19 tonnes therefore remains limited to 80 km/h even on motorways. This is the gap that professionals particularly want to reduce in order, in their view, to improve the competitiveness of Moroccan companies carrying out international transport.

The issue goes beyond speed alone. The organisations are also calling for stronger action against overloading, more inspections, measures against unauthorised transport and the creation of rest areas meeting better standards.

Drivers’ working conditions are a recurring problem. At Tanger Med, truckers had already denounced the lack of space, parking difficulties and waiting conditions.

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The industry also believes that companies strictly complying with the rules may be penalised compared with those that circumvent speed limits, loading rules or the conditions governing transport operations.

Moroccan road transport also remains highly exposed to fuel costs, despite the aid introduced by the State, which explains why professionals are also highlighting truck consumption in their call for a revision of speed limits.

Hauliers are now asking the authorities to open the issue for discussion. Their objective is not merely to drive faster: they are calling for a broader modernisation of Moroccan road-transport rules to bring them closer to European standards, while strengthening checks on overloading and safety.