VI-GST recognised for crucial role in improving Germany’s transport regs

ESTA has presented a 2025 ‘Gino Koster special award’ to the Verbändeinitiative Grossraum und Schwertransporte (VI-GST) from Germany, a pan-industry grouping that has successfully lobbied the German government to make a series of improvements to the country’s heavy and abnormal transport regulations. The award was presented at the climax of the 2025 ESTA Awards dinner … Read more

Tribute to crane experts Gerhard Kaupert and Martin Lottes on their retirements

ESTA has paid tribute to two respected mobile crane experts who are retiring after many years’ service in their respective companies and industry organisations. Gerhard Kaupert from Manitowoc and Martin Lottes from Tadano Faun have both represented FEM – the European Materials Handling Federation – in the European Regulations Working Group, working alongside ESTA on … Read more

Fabio Belli unanimously re-elected as ESTA President

Fabio Belli has been unanimously re-elected as ESTA’s President for a second three-year term by the association’s General Assembly at its meeting in Munich held during the Bauma exhibition. Belli currently holds the positions of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Kerry Project Logistics Group and is Senior Advisor to the Board … Read more

ESTA releases new Lifting Operation Risk Management Guide

ESTA’s much-anticipated Lifting Operation Risk Management (LORM) best practice guide has been published and is freely available to everyone involved in lifting operations. It was presented at ESTA’s Spring meeting in Munich in April by Blanca Claeyssens, managing director of ASA France and a member of ESTA’s LORM working group. The guide is in English … Read more

EU defence white paper reopens debate on transport corridors.

ESTA has renewed its call for Europe to develop a network of abnormal transport corridors to support the needs of both the military and industry. Details were contained in a new ESTA background paper sent to MEPs this week. This was a response to the European Commission’s White Paper on Defence Readiness 2030 in which … Read more

Brussels backs new rules to help boost young truck driver numbers

New rules on driving permits and related regulations across the EU have been provisionally agreed by the Council and European Parliament. The changes are contained in planned reforms to the EU’s driving licence directive and include the accompanied driving scheme for trucks and vans which is intended to help ease the shortage of professional drivers. … Read more

ESTA steps up lobbying in Brussels to ensure reforms stay on track

ESTA stepped up its lobbying work in March with a series of top-level meetings in Brussels with the aim of ensuring that the recent progress on reforming the rules and regulations government heavy and abnormal transport continues. The meetings were arranged by ESTA’s lobbyist and EU adviser Margareta Przybyla and were attended by ESTA Director … Read more

Germany amends rules on heavy transport following industry pressure

New rules and regulations governing heavy and abnormal transport in Germany will come into force on July 1 following concerted pressure and criticism from hauliers and wider industry. The changes were published in the Federal Gazette on March 10 in an attempt “to facilitate and accelerate oversized and heavy goods transport” and will include increased … Read more

ESTA Awards 2025 – finalists announced

The finalists of the 2025 ESTA Awards have been announced and they include projects and companies from 12 different countries. Of the 34 finalists, Hareket from Turkey claimed three slots, as did Sarens from Belgium and Mammoet Europe from the Netherlands. Two companies were double finalists – Collett & Sons from the UK and Dutch … Read more