General access length will be increasing from 19m to 20m under the NTC’s recommendations, as revealed at the ARTSA Conference.
“This is subject to the NHVR determining the most appropriate controls to mitigate damage to road infrastructure,” says Aaron de Rozario, the Executive Leader of Regulatory Reform at the NTC.
Written work diaries will be simplified, removing some mandatory requirements to make them optional instead. Drivers will no longer have to total up their rest hours.
Warnings will also be issued from now on from the NHVR for fatigue related offences. There will also be formal education introduced for infringements on work diary offences, as opposed to fines every time.
A new National Audit Standard will be developed by the NHVR and approved by ministers.
“If the audit regime for NHVAS has the appropriate robustness, then customers will be able to recognise their particular audit for transport activities that the operator is doing,” Aaron says.
Codes of practices will also be developed and approved by the NHVR, as well as changes coming to ministerial powers.
OEM perspective
Gavin Hill from Transport Certification Australia hosted a session which allowed the biggest truck manufacturers to present their plans for the transition to zero emissions.
Representatives from Volvo, PACCAR and Daimler took a look ahead at their manufacturing future, and their unique paths to decarbonisation.
First was Aaron Lewis, Product Manager of Volvo Trucks.
The European brand is looking at a number of possible applications and paths they are weighing up when it comes to the transition.
“Our long-term vision is to become fossil-free,” Aaron says.
“We want to be more productive, but we have to do it within the confines in front of us. The most meaningful effort we can deliver in the transition is to help drive the decarbonisation of the transport industry.
“We’re aiming for 100 per cent CO2 reduction by 2040. This is our timeline that we’re working towards.”
Volvo is looking down three pathways when it comes to the production of alternatively powered vehicles – battery electric, fuel cell electric and combustion engines.
It has already recently introduced the new FH model to Australia, which is available as an electric model, as well as biodiesel options becoming available in Europe.
This is a part of its ‘product pathway’, which will help Volvo to reach its carbon emissions goals.
“Fuel cell electric is the new one we’re working on, which won’t be available until the end of the decade,” Aaron says.
“Australia is unique in its challenges, its environment. We have high temperature, high average speeds. This all makes a difference to how we build our trucks.
“To build development, sustainable solutions is what we start with and work on. Fuel cell electric is still out a couple of years, but combustion engines are here to stay with biofuels.”
One common thread between the three OEMs was that they have all identified that different types of sustainable fuels will be applicable to different areas of the freight task.
Battery electric is typically suited to smaller travel distances, like last mile delivery and inner city driving. Hydrogen, fuel cell and combustion will then be more suitable for prime movers, and trucks that don’t have to stop and refuel, or charge, as often.
Jonathan Crellin, Product Program Manager at PACCAR Australia explained that these options are all being considered for the future of their truck production.
“We are technology agnostic. Through our Kenworth and DAF brands, we are developing battery electric solutions, hydrogen fuel cell trucks, hydrogen combustion through Cummins and DAF,” he says.
“But how do we focus on the Australian context, build zero emissions trucks that suit our customers going forward? The zero emissions solutions you need for your business will focus on what exactly you’re doing.
“However, we don’t think diesel is going anywhere, whether that is fossil fuel diesel or a HVO biodiesel fuel.”
Jonathan says that PACCAR is focusing on the payload impact that fuel cells and batteries will have on trucks.
While mass increases are being pursued, there is always going to be the fact that these alternatively fuelled trucks will be carrying more weight by design.
He says that impact can’t be ignored by manufacturers.
“Without any axle mass concessions, that weight is coming off your payload, and your payload is money,” Jonathan says.
“Hydrogen comes with heavy fuel tanks. While hydrogen and diesel are similar, electric wins out. The challenge lies in charging time for batteries.
“The big killer will then be the cost of the prime mover. The early adopters are going to have a big cost, and that might be where ARENA funding is required to get alternative fuel trucks in the early stages.
“We need hydrogen hubs to come further before you can confidently run hydrogen-fuelled vehicles in road transport. Unless you can get government financial support, the cost of freight in this country is going to get significantly higher.”
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