A prosecution, tyre pressure monitoring, an expansion for Scania and a new braking calculator are all part of a quartet of industry updates this week.
$65,000 Infringement Fine
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator says its investigations unit has charged a company after analysing National Driver Work Diaries, fuel records, GPS data, and heavy vehicle sightings, revealing systemic issues with fatigue management, scheduling, and speed management, leading to a breach of Section 26C of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, a Category 3 Offence.
The investigation revealed 543 total infringements between 28 August 2020 to 22 September 2020 and 28 March 2022 to 6 April 2022. These breaches, largely attributed to four drivers, included 44 work and rest offences, 93 instances of providing false or misleading information, and 406 speeding violations.
Following a plea of guilty, the company was convicted and fined $65,000. Additionally, a Supervisory Intervention Order was ordered for 12 months, necessitating significant operational reforms, including the adoption of Electronic Work Diaries and enhanced Fatigue Management Training.
TPMS on the Horizon
The Federal Department of Infrastructure and Transport has raised the prospect of mandating tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). According to the Heavy Vehicle Industry Association, the department sees mandating the system as an opportunity to improve safety, efficiency, and environmental outcomes in heavy vehicle sector
The proposal was tabled at the September meeting of the Vehicle Standards Consultative Committee (VSCC) in Canberra.
Scania to Expand in the West
Scania’s company-owned network of sales and service branches will expand in 2024/5 with the opening of a brand-new purpose-built facility at Hope Valley, WA. The facility will comprise a new parts warehouse to distribute throughout the state (opening in 2024) and a sales and service workshop, due to commence trading in 2025.
The selection of Hope Valley reflects the rapid growth of Perth’s southern corridor and positions Scania close to major arterial roads for ease of customer access.
The workshop and parts warehouse will be based on a 19,000 m2 block and the multi-purpose facility will include a 3500 m2 central parts warehouse to service the WA market, while the workshop will be able to accommodate multi-combination vehicle sets up to 36.5 m long.
New Braking Calculator
The ARTSA Institute has developed an advanced Braking Calculator to assist vehicle technicians, engineers such as Accredited Vehicle Examiners (AVEs), and regulators to assess and potentially improve the braking performance of multi-heavy vehicle combinations.
The beta version of calculator is user friendly and free to use for accredited users and can be used to design and check heavy vehicle service-, emergency- and parking-brake systems. A feedback button will allow users to make suggestions on how to improve the calculator – visit www.artsa.com.au for further information.
Because of the complexity of brake design, only accredited users that have been through two half day web-based training and assessment sessions will be given access.
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