In an industry and world first, the ARTSA Institute, Australian Trucking Association, Truck Industry Council and Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) are investigating dynamic loads on the couplings on heavy high productivity freight vehicles and PBS combinations vehicles.
The safety of couplings project is funded by the Commonwealth Government through the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative and will fill a gap in knowledge and provide evidence to update relevant Standards and Rules.
“Coupling failure on high productivity vehicles has the potential to lead to death and injuries, major traffic disruption and reduced public confidence in heavy vehicle safety,” said HVIA CEO Todd Hacking said. “It is important for regulators and industry to be confident in the relevance and integrity of the Standards that guide the safe selection of components.”