Published by
Victor Trumper
In 2019, Advantia will be running an in-depth training course on Performance Based Standards (PBS). Known as the PBS Masterclass, this one-day course is designed for people who may have any role to play in PBS. Advantia has been involved in the PBS Scheme since it was conceived almost 20 years ago now, however a… Read more »
Published by
Victor Trumper
Advantia is pleased to welcome back Daniel Nolan and introduce Nicholas Schade into our team. This is what it means to our team structure: Returning to Advantia following a year of travel, Daniel Nolan has resumed his role as an Accredited PBS Assessor and now holds the position of Engineering Manager Saizo Takeuchi now holds… Read more »
Published by
Matthew Ainsworth
On the 1st of April 2019, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) expanded the Performance Based Standards (PBS) pre-advised (PA) design approval process. The changes allow three new types of vehicles to get faster Design Approvals (DA), mostly at PBS Level 2. This batch of changes is centred around expanding the process to include more… Read more »
Published by
Saizo Takeuchi
Around the world, the undisputed workhorse of the short-haul road freight system is the prime mover and semi-trailer. In Australia, our version of this key vehicle will typically be a 6×4 prime mover towing a tandem or triaxle semi-trailer, with a total length of no more than 19-metres. The combination is used for carrying all… Read more »
Published by
Victor Trumper
There is a ‘forgotten zone’ between PBS Level 2B and PBS Level 3A. This zone comes into play when a combination exceeding 30 metres overall length meets PBS Level 2 standards. I am concerned by the frequency with which I find road managers referring to a PBS Level 2 combination greater than 30 metres long as… Read more »
Published by
Victor Trumper
For the last 8 years, Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has approved 30-metre A-Doubles to operate between Toowoomba and the Port of Brisbane via Class 2 Permits up to Higher Mass Limits. Like all permit approvals, periodic renewal is required to maintain ongoing access approval. In a move that will reduce the… Read more »
Published by
Victor Trumper
Building on Victoria’s 30-metre A-Double Networks, VicRoads has published its first PBS Level 3A 36.5-metre A-Double Networks providing access up to 85.5-tonnes. This is a significant development for the road freight industry and High Productivity Freight Vehicle (HPFV) access in Victoria as it provides clear direction that HPFVs up to 36.5-metres can now access key… Read more »
Published by
Victor Trumper
The 15th International Symposium on Heavy Vehicle Transport Technology (HVTT15) was held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, on 2-5 October 2018. Rob Di Cristoforo attended the Symposium to present the findings of his recently published Austroads research on improving local road access for High Productivity Freight Vehicles. During the Symposium, Rob was re-elected to the Board… Read more »
Published by
Matthew Ainsworth
As vehicles get longer to increase the operational efficiency of Australia’s road transport industry, one of the points that an operator must consider is how much these longer vehicles will cut in during a turn. Excessive cut-in may restrict a vehicle’s ability to access certain roads. The amount of cut-in that a vehicle causes is… Read more »
Published by
Victor Trumper
Q: How long is an A-double? A: Well, it depends… An A-double is any heavy vehicle combination featuring a prime mover towing two semi-trailers that are connected to each other by a converter dolly. ‘A’ signifies a converter dolly coupling, as opposed to ‘B’ which signifies a direct piggy-back fifth-wheel coupling, as in a B-double…. Read more »