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Less noise when loading and unloading

It is of the utmost importance for citizens that they get a sufficient night's sleep in our increasing 24-hour economy with the associated noise pollution. That is why in the Netherlands the Environmental Act - Quality of Living Environment Decree indicates how much noise may be made during certain periods of the day when supplying shops in the Netherlands.

Noise disturbance
Peak noises are short bursts in the noise level and often occur during loading and unloading. It is precisely these peaks that cause noise pollution and wake people up. To prevent noise pollution, the permitted peak levels during loading and unloading in Dutch residential areas have been determined as follows:

Maximum noise level LAmax caused by driving noise from transport equipment 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM 70 dB(A)
Maximum noise level LAmax caused by other peak noises 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM 65 dB(A)

The Dutch Environmental Act allows these values to differ per municipality and location. There is also a long transition period and the previously permitted peak levels may therefore still apply, these are:

Between 7am and 7pm: No restriction
Between 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm: Peak level 65 dB(A)
Between 11 pm and 7 am: Peak level 60 dB(A)

Certificate for quiet products and vehicles
The trucks and other means of transport used for loading and unloading must comply with the permitted peak levels. To make it visible that a vehicle or other means of transport is silent, BMWT and RAI run the Piek-Keur Foundation. The stichting Piek-Keur has a certification system for quiet products and vehicles. If a truck or other means of transport has a Piek-Keur sticker, everything has been done to ensure it is quiet during loading and unloading.
Piek is the Dutch word for peak the short bursts in the noise level

The PIEK-standard has been appliedin several projects in countries like the UK, France, Denmark and Belgium. All these projects use the testreport and the certificates granted by the associated bodies as the harmonized standard. On a national level the project can differ, but they all have the same goal: a solution for the ever growing congestion and its effects on society, that can only come with utilising that road space in off-peak times.

This website contains the central European database for all PIEK-approved vehicle(types)s and components. Please contact the national organization for further details on the national approval schemes.
In the Netherlands the retailers and shops are responsible and therefore liable for supplying stores within the noise requirements. If you experience noise nuisance during the loading and unloading of a vehicle, we advise you to contact the relevant retailer.