A Wired OBM Solution

While many operators are using Smart OBM which uses some form of wireless connection to report mass on line, there is also a wired OBM solution system available, via electronic braking systems, or EBS.

Fleets or operators who need to meet Telematics Monitoring Application (TMA) compliance requirements to run Higher Productivity Freight Vehicles (HPFVs), have a choice of possible technologies on offer, all of which will need some form of Smart OBM.

All of these systems are monitored and validated by Transport Certification Australia TCA) which assesses SMART OBM and Telematics devices on offer to meet the TMA requirements. The TCA website has a wealth of information around TMA and what is required to meet the various obligations for HPFVs.

On the TCA website there is a matrix which shows the compliant SMART OBM and Telematics solutions and also which pairings have been approved. Fleets or operators should not be put off by providers who have not yet paired as sometimes the pairings are already happening in the background and the approval may be imminent.

There are roughly eight or so SMART OBM providers on the market, as of the beginning of 2024, which can be found on the website.

One of the systems which meets the standards comes from Knorr-Bremse, which, so far, is the only TEBS based SMART OBM solution available, however other providers may well follow.

Trailers fitted with Knorr-Bremse TEBS will need calibration and reprogramming, they must also be semis or dollies fitted with airbag suspension to work with the iMass product which is on offer at this time.

Prime movers will require a prime mover retrofit kit which will be able to automatically pick up TEBS Trailer information via the CANbus and hence interpret the trailer mass. The prime mover kit also allows for fitment of airbag sensors and a levelling sensor to measure the prime mover mass and meet the TCA SMART OBM requirements.

One benefit of a TEBS based SMART OBM system is the fact that the vehicle unit is able to automatically pick up and display trailer masses, when the TEBS power harness is connected.

This can benefit fleets who may not have dedicated truck/trailer combinations and require the flexibility to mix and match trailer and prime mover combinations.

As long as all trailers are fitted with the Knorr-Bremse TEBS and it is powered up, the iMass system will automatically pick up the mass information via the truck/trailer CANbus.