Newsletter

Dear colleagues, It’s with pleasure that I bring you the HVTT Forum newsletter for May 2025. On the eve of HVTT18, I’ll cover some key developments and activities which are shaping heavy vehicle transport and technology in this part of the world. A big thanks to my fellow board members from Australia and New Zealand for helping to compile this newsletter! National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework A key development which is being implemented by Austroads is the National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework. The Framework aims to address inconsistencies in heavy vehicle driver licensing, enhance training quality nationally, and improve safety by: Strengthening driving skill and knowledge through redesigned learning and assessment requirements specific to each licence class, as well as setting minimum course lengths and minimum behind-the-wheel time. Introducing experience-based progression optionsenabling those drivers who can demonstrate driving and work experience to move to higher licence classes more rapidly. Strengthening... Read More

Lithium Mining in La Puna Argentina: working together on the road to safety In my August 2023´s newsletter I wrote about lithium mining in South America´s “lithium triangle”, and how multinational companies´ sustainable reporting requirements on their global supply chains might have just been the right trigger to motivate local transport companies in the use of safe and productive heavy vehicle transport technologies and systems. Today I went to an event hosted by the Education, Science and Technology of the Salta Province, in Argentina. In the event, besides giving the diplomas to all graduates from the High-Altitude Driver course, companies that have accompanied these changes towards productivity, road safety and the environment were recognised too. In the picture you may see, left to right, Rio Tinto Lithium Road Safety Advisor, Vilma Vacazur, one of the owners of Nuevo Bus & GVH, a logistics company specializing in the mining sector, one... Read More

Dear HVTT newsletter subscribers, For this month’s newsletter, we’re focusing on North America, particularly Canada as our upcoming HVTT18 symposium is heading there in May. The organization is going great! We have a solid scientific program, and amazing social activities planned. Check out our website and register soon! We cannot talk about Canada at this moment without mentioning the tariffs that the U.S. has, will, could, may or may not (who knows!) impose on Canadian products. These tariffs have a major impact on the economy and the trucking industry as more than 60% of all Canada’s commercial exchanges are made with the USA, with 54% of Canadian exports to the USA transported by truck and 72% of imports arriving by truck. This corresponds to approximately 5.5 million trucks crossing the border annually, carrying an estimated $33 billion in value. This uncertainty concerning tariffs has accelerated efforts to strengthen trade between provinces in... Read More

Dear HVTT Forum subscriber This month’s newsletter focuses on efforts to accelerate the transition to battery electric trucks on the African continent. My thanks to HVTT Forum Board member Abdool (AK) Kamdar (Manager: Decarbonisation and Drive to Zero, KDG Logistics, Durban), for providing the material. Last week, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and C40 Cities convened the Africa Electric Bus Workshop in Durban, South Africa. While the primary focus was on public transport electrification, AK was offered an electric truck session, which he had the privilege of co-chairing with Rudi Kriel of Better Rides. The session, entitled “eTrucks in Africa – Accelerating the Transition”, brought together key stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the electrification of road freight across the continent. A striking revelation from the discussion was that mass and dimensional regulatory allowances for electric trucks remain largely absent from the policy discourse of these organisations/countries.... Read More

Dear HVTT Forum subscriber, As the turbulent year of 2024 slowly comes to an end, I would like to share with you the final newsletter of the year and update you on some recent developments here in Europe. This edition focuses on the slow but steady progress in piloting new types of longer and heavier vehicles in Germany and the Netherlands, as well as updates on EU policy regarding vehicle dimensions and weights. The later contribution comes from our board member, Tim Breemersch. Tim is a senior researcher at Transport Mobility Leuven in Belgium and has been a member of the board since HVTT15 in Rotterdam. Super Eco Combi In Germany, the Association of the Automotive Industry has initiated a pilot project with the Super Eco Combi (SEC), also known as A-Double, which will operate on a 70-kilometer route between the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg and a rail terminal east of Hannover. The association has decided to launch the... Read More

Greetings HVTT family from the Antipodes, While many of you will know I like trucks and what they do, I thought I would focus this newsletter on money, and more particularly money for investment in roads. But firstly, some comment on heavy transport activity. With some softness in some of the global markets, such as meat and wood, and a quiet domestic market that has teetered around technically meeting the definition of an economy in recession, unsurprisingly the NZ heavy transport activity is quiet and a number of companies under considerable financial strain.  There are some positives though, comparing values to 2024 and July 2023, exports rose by 14 percent in value to $6.1 billion, however imports rose by 8.5 percent to $7.1b. And the challenge of finding drivers is less front of mind however, I suspect that is a situation that will be temporary. In some ways NZ has... Read More

Dear HVTT Forum subscriber, Earlier in October, I had the opportunity to travel to Québec City where I met with colleagues at Université Laval, the host organization for HVTT18, May 25 to 29, 2025. This newsletter begins by showcasing several of the exciting features of the upcoming symposium! Please check the HVTT18 website for regular updates. Robust technical program: We were pleased to accept 77 abstract submissions and look forward to receiving full papers. We anticipate offering a full double-track program exploring the future of S2MART (sustainable, safe, modern, adaptable, resilient, trustworthy) road freight transport systems. Authors should submit their papers via our on-line portal by November 22. Plenary sessions exploring key themes: To complement the technical program, we are planning daily plenary sessions designed to highlight key symposium themes. One session will focus on the challenges of developing resilient road freight transport systems in harsh weather/climatic conditions. Dr. Guy Doré, Professor of Civil... Read More

Hello everyone, It’s already September, marking the arrival of autumn in China. Autumn, a season that embodies harvest and the culmination of efforts, holds great promise for all of us. I sincerely wish that in the year 2024, each of you will enjoy a season of abundant blessings and rewarding achievements. According to the latest data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), China’s commercial vehicle market achieved robust growth in the first half of 2024. Production and sales of commercial vehicles reached 2.005 million and 2.068 million units respectively, marking a year-on-year increase of 2% and 4.9%. This achievement underscores the remarkable resilience of the commercial vehicle market and signals a gradual recovery from the downturn, embarking on a new phase of development. Notably, new energy commercial vehicles emerged as a standout performer, with sales surpassing approximately 220,000 units in the first half, a staggering 120% year-on-year... Read More

Dear HVTT Forum subscribers, Near the end of each month, you can usually find me pestering another HVTT officeholder to submit their newsletter on time… On this occasion, I have not done my job effectively! Nevertheless, it is my pleasure to write to you again in this, my second, newsletter. There is not much to report on the information officer front, other than a steady uptick in our LinkedIn readership and a few minor updates and corrections to our website. With that out of the way, I’ll dive into some updates on the UK front. The biggest development in the UK has of course been the election of a new Labour-led government in July, taking the helm after 14 years of the Conservatives. Leading up to the election, the Labour election manifesto had big ambitions to kick-start economic growth while accelerating the transition to a clean future, including the creation... Read More

Dear HVTT forum family, Much has been happening in this part of the southern hemisphere since we came together at Technology Convergence 2023 (HVTT17) last November. In Australia and New Zealand, we’ve seen major policy initiatives that signal future directions, strategies, and priority areas for transport reform. The road to net zero Australia is committed to achieving net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. In 2022, the Australian Government legislated Australia’s greenhouse gas emission targets: Net zero by 2050; and 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 (6 years away). In May this year, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts released a Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Consultation Roadmap. The Consultation Roadmap highlights that transport is currently the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, and without further action, it is projected to be Australia’s highest emitting sector by 2030. Current projections indicate that Australia’s... Read More