Queensland introduces digital mass management for heavy haulage

Queensland has revised its Class 1 heavy vehicle access regime, with telematics monitoring and Smart Onboard Mass Management (Smart OBM) to replace the current labour-intensive permit system.

The state’s transport department worked alongside Transport Certification Australia (TCA) to make the revisions, with Class 1 load platforms and low loaders greater than 59.5 tonnes to be the first to transition to the new access regime. This will require fitment of Telematics Monitoring Application (TMA) by the fourth quarter of 2024, and Smart OBM installed within 12-18 months.

The integration of telematics allows for real-time monitoring of vehicle mass and performance.

The current Queensland Class 1 vehicle access regime is very dated, initially introduced in 1987 and, like most states and territories, based on allowable mass tables developed using 1970s engineering.

The exponential evolution of heavy haulage vehicle designs and configurations over this time has been significant. As a result, many Class 1 vehicles operating today did not exist in the 1980s – or were exceedingly rare – and only made infrequent trips when Queensland introduced the current access regime.

Today, demand for movements of large loads in Queensland is growing significantly in the mining sector and across renewable energy infrastructure projects. In many cases, Class 1 vehicles are not operated over bridges as designed (such as in-lane travel instead of centre-line travel) and indivisible loads are not made indivisible.

The current permit application and approval processes are also time intensive, and there’s a lack of network usage visibility (vehicles, mass, and structure crossings) to make sound management and investment decisions.

And according to a recent Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads report, access conditions and restrictions on the road network are inconsistent throughout the state and are not easily accessible or understood by industry operators.

“The revised Class 1 access regime represents a critical step forward in improving the safety, efficiency and compliance of heavy haulage operations in Australia,” said Grant Elphinstone, the technical director at Elphinstone Weighing Systems.

“With the recent approval of our Easyweigh system for smart on-board mass we find ourselves currently the only onboard board weighing system which meets the OBM requirements to weigh heavy haulage vehicles fitted with conventional spring suspensions.

“This is due to our system utilising fifth wheel load cells to accurately weigh the prime mover rather than other systems which will only work with air suspensions.”

Elphinstone Weighing Systems developed its Easyweigh system in 1989, which was the first on-vehicle weighing system in the world to store calibration data in each individual truck and trailer. This feature allows trucks and trailers to be interchangeable without requiring any adjustments or identification of trailers.

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The system automatically detects the trailers during the power-up and displays them in the correct order, providing a seamless and efficient operation for heavy haulage operators.

By integrating with telematics systems, Easyweigh provides valuable data that operators can use to improve their logistics and transport strategies. This data can inform decisions about route planning, load optimisation and fleet management.

As the transport industry moves toward greater digitalisation and regulation, systems like Easyweigh help operators stay ahead of the curve. By adopting TCA-certified Smart OBM systems, companies can future proof their operations against evolving regulatory requirements.