Industry Insider : ARTSA
Peter Hart
ARTSA
The Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association was formed in the mid 1980s with the vision of being the technical resource for the road transport industry in Australia. It seeks to bring together manufacturers and suppliers of equipment, parts and services to the road transport industry to promote safety, productivity and the general reputation of the industry. Current Chairman is Peter Hart.
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Welcome and unwelcome brake applications
By: Peter Hart
April 2018
This article is about the effectiveness of parking brakes and emergency brakes on heavy vehicles. It is also about road crashes. I recently investigated a rollaway incident involving a prime mover and semi-trailer combination. Anecdotally, on average one heavy vehicle rolls away every day in Australia. Of these incidents, one per week requires emergency services intervention. How does this happen? The driver forgets to – or doesn’t want to – apply the parking brakes.
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The National Baseline Roadworthiness Survey and its implications
By: Peter Hart
March 2018
During the second half of 2017, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) conducted a ‘baseline’ survey of the roadworthiness of the Australian fleet. Authorised mechanical roadside inspectors inspected about 11,000 individual heavy vehicles in the jurisdictions operating under the NHVR umbrella. The assessments were made against the latest version of the National Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual, which gives guidance on roadworthiness standards.
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Workplace Health & Safety rules with heavy vehicles
By: Peter Hart
February 2018
I recently had to find out about the Workplace Health & Safety rules that apply to heavy vehicles with plant bodies. Obligations exist for vehicle owners, suppliers, body builders and drivers. The goal of WHS rules and practices is to avoid accidents and long-term injuries.This laudable goal should underpin all business activities, because the alternative is painful, costly and destroys reputations. This article is a first-pass guide to the WHS landscape for heavy vehicles that have plant equipment attached.
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Does age matter? ARTSA’s analysis of the heavy vehicle fleet
By: Peter Hart
December 2017
The Australian Road Transport Suppliers’ Association has been analysing the Australian heavy- and medium-duty vehicle fleet for the past five years using raw data we obtain from the National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System. This article presents my assessment of trends that affected the fleet and the size of the market in 2017 – but first, some suggestions that would improve the heavy vehicle logistics industry’s knowledge of itself.
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Trucks must use low gear – but what does it mean?
By: Peter Hart
November 2017
The two most challenging aspects of heavy vehicle driving are driving on windy narrow roads with sharp bends and going down long steep hills. Often the two aspects occur together. Drivers need to use skill and experience to choose a safe entry speed to a sharp corner or long slope, which will vary depending on the vehicle that is being driven and the load being carried. This situation is stressful and tiring, so I have written this article to hopefully provide guidance about the safe starting speed for long downhill descents.
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Weld quality
By: Peter Hart
October 2017
A flowing weld of constant width can be admired – a lumpy, discontinuous weld not so much (I have a friend who refers to the latter as a haemorrhoid weld). In simple terms, a welded joint has adequate quality if it performs satisfactorily throughout its design life. But how can this be predicted? This article is intended to educate the observer about the factors that determine weld quality.
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How Australia reformed its heavy-vehicle access rules
By: Peter Hart
September 2017
Australia can claim to be the world leader in allowing access of high-productivity heavy vehicles onto public roads. A milestone was reached recently when VicRoads released a bulletin setting out the conditions for 30m A-double access to the Victorian level 2B Performance-Based Standards B-double road network. This follows a previous bulletin concerning access by 30m 85.5t A-doubles on the more restrictive HPFV network. I want to describe the 25-year reform history that has led to these significant developments.
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Fire and flame retardant conduit
By: Peter Hart
July 2017
ARTSA recently proposed that polymer conduits that are used to protect main electrical cables should have flame retardant properties.
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Hooray for the Braking Guide
By: Peter Hart
June 2017
The Brake and Stability Guide for Heavy Vehicle Combinations was released at a ceremony at the Brisbane Truck Show in May.
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Some key requirements in the modifications code – VSB6
By: Peter Hart
May 2017
ARTSA, in conjunction with the Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Australia (CVIAA), recently ran a ‘Modifications and VSB6 Review Conference’. We did so with the active support and participation of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) office.
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