HVIA shows its hand on width limits

Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) National Policy and Government Relations Manager Greg Forbes says the Department of Infrastructure’s Discussion Paper on Safer Freight Vehicles generated a diversity of views, particularly between truck and trailer manufacturers.

“The paper proposes the relaxation of ADRs to incentivise safer and more productive heavy vehicles,” Mr Forbes said.

“HVIA is of the view that any increases in width should be considered in conjunction with increased steer axle masses.”

The Department’s paper is a response to the National Road Safety Action Plan 2018-2020 which called for removal of barriers to the uptake of safer vehicles.

The paper pulls together a range of initiatives around indirect vision devices, vehicle width changes and axle configurations which have been under discussion over the last couple of years and seeks feedback from all interested parties by 30 June 2021.

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“HVIA members do not want trailer widths increased due to the cost of retooling, transitional costs and potential loss of Australian manufacturing jobs which would far exceed any safety or productivity benefits,” Mr Forbes said.

“Our members are supportive of increasing truck widths to 2.55m to encourage adoption of the safety features.

“However, if steer axle masses are not increased, the potential safety and environmental benefits may not materialise by increasing width alone.

“Without increases to axle mass limits the additional mass of the safety equipment will reduce the payload of the vehicle.

“This reduced payload may act as a disincentive to purchase a new vehicle, directly reducing freight productivity, and slowing the uptake of the very safety equipment that the government is trying to mandate.”