ESTA represents associations and companies working in the abnormal road transport and mobile crane rental industries.
ESTA has represented the users of mobile cranes and abnormal transport companies at a European level since 1976. This combination of business activities in one trade association arose from the fact that both industries use vehicles or vehicle combinations that surpass allowed limits – and those limits can be different in every member state.
Since 1996, the European Union has had clear legislation on allowed weights and dimensions in road transport in Directive 96/53/EC.
Loads surpassing the allowed limits – called “abnormal loads” – constitute an economically important segment of commercial road haulage. They include anything from mobile cranes to exceptionally large and heavy indivisible loads such as electric transformers, chemical reactor vessels and wind turbine sections.
The combined turnover of the mobile crane and abnormal transport industries in Europe is estimated at €24 billion euros annually. An estimated €500 million euros is spent annually on the costs of applying for, obtaining, and complying with the provisions of exceptional transport permits.