May 2025 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:

1. 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.
2. Introducing experience-based progression optionsenabling those drivers who can demonstrate driving and work experience to move to higher licence classes more rapidly.
3. Strengthening training governanceand assisting providers with training and assessment support material.

The Framework is scheduled to be rolled out from 2026.

Zero Emission Heavy Vehicles and Road Pavements

While we’re on the subject of Austroads, a report on Zero Emission Heavy Vehicles and Road Pavements – which compared Australia and New Zealand approaches to pavement design, heavy vehicle mass limits and decarbonisation of the heavy vehicle fleet with approaches in Europe and North America – was released in February.

This is a topic which has attracted attention at recent HVTT symposia, and is of particular relevance to Australia and New Zealand, and for many other regions.

As members of the HVTT Forum will be aware, Australia has a long history of engineering cost-effective road networks to link our small, dispersed population across large geographic areas. These challenges have led to innovations such as Performance Based Standards (PBS) and Intelligent Access reforms, not to mention the large multi-combinations vehicles which have long connected our primary industries to local and international markets.

The interplay between productivity, safety and asset sustainability comes into even sharper focus with the transition to low and zero-emission heavy vehicles (LZEHVs). As these vehicles are often heavier, they place additional strain on pavements and bridges, potentially increasing maintenance costs and accelerating road deterioration.

The report highlights that we (as a collective across multiple stakeholder groups) will need to navigate complex trade-offs between sustainability, infrastructure and productivity in the years to come. And although some challenges are unique to Australia and New Zealand, we all share common interests when it comes to balancing productivity, safety, sustainability, resilience and environmental outcomes.

ARTSA-i – evaluation of forces exerted on road train couplings

The ARTSA Institute has recently published the results of a world-first research project which examined the forces exerted on road train couplings. The project involved measuring the coupling forces on quad-trailer 160-tonne road trains during routine daily journeys of hundreds of kilometres while underway in the Northern Territory.

Key findings from the research project include:

1. The forces experienced by the couplings were similar whether the dolly was at the front, middle or rear locations within the road train. These results were contrary to previous understandings, which anticipated lower forces for couplings further from the centre of the train.
2. The most common occurrence of high forces did not occur when the road train was operating at speed, but when the road train was travelling slow or coming to a stop.
3. Notably, shunting (1.5 to 2 seconds) within the coupling connection when braking at any speed resulted in high coupling forces, due to the delay in air braking signal between the front and rear trailers.

Several recommendations have been made based on the findings from the research, including a proposal for Electronic Braking Systems (EBS) to be used on road trains over a certain mass, to coordinate the brake application for all trailers to reduce shunting. Although further research is needed to better understand worst-case peak loads, the findings highlight the potential cost and logistical advantages of using regular coupling sizes on larger heavy combinations.

Brisbane Truck Show

A major event which was held last week, and one which only occurs every two years, was the Brisbane Truck Show. I had the privilege of attending this event with fellow HVTT Forum Board members from Australia.

Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA), the organiser of the event, reports that it was the biggest show yet, with 54,790 attendees attending the show over four days.

In partnership with the HVIA, Transport Certification Australia and the National Transport Commission (NTC) hosted consultative sessions on Vehicle-Generated Data for Safety. These sessions brought together representatives from the transport industry, vehicle manufacturers and telematics providers to share insights into both the inhibitors and enablers associated with the collection of data to improve safety outcomes. It is anticipated that actions collected from the sessions will be taken forward through collaborative pilots and proof-of-concepts.

A few photos of a few HVTT board members attending the Brisbane Truck Show have been included at the end of the newsletter.

Developments in New Zealand

As reported in my last newsletter, the New Zealand Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (2024-34) was released in June 2024. It highlights how new ways of pricing roads are being considered in response to the emergence of low and zero-emission vehicles. These vehicles are challenging the sustainability of customary methods of collecting revenue to fund roads through Fuel Excise Duty (FED).

Legislative changes are now being introduced to enable time-of-use schemes, which promise to improve traffic flow and shorten journey times by charging road users at certain times or locations.

Industry representatives are conveying the need to take supply chain considerations into account. A key area of concern is the potential for time-of-use schemes to create upward pressure on road freight transport, which flows through to consumers.

Coupled with this is the work being progressed on changes to the Road User Charges (RUC) system in New Zealand, which is being led by the Ministry of Transport. In November 2024, the Ministry released a request for information (RFI) to explore how digital technologies and contemporary business models could support a fleetwide transition of petrol vehicles into the New Zealand RUC system. According to the Ministry, the RFI revealed strong support for the use of in-vehicle technologies and telematics. In this context, there are opportunities to use in-vehicle technologies and telematics simultaneously for time of use schemes, RUC and road access reforms.

And finally, to the weather…

We’ve had an unseasonably warm start to Autumn across Australia. According to reports, the month of March 2025 was the warmest on record, with temperatures exceeding the long-term average of between 1 and 2 degrees Celsius.

Also, during March, the host city for HVTT17 (Brisbane in Queensland) experienced its first tropical cyclone in over 50 years. Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred caused major erosion along parts of the coastline, significant property damage, and left over 200,000 residents without electricity for up to five days.

At the time of finalising this newsletter, parts of New South Wales have experienced a low-pressure system, which has led to significant rain and flooding. In some regions more than 200mm of rain was recorded within a period of less than 24 hours.

Major rescue operations are currently underway to manage communities and households isolated by rising flood waters. This is being compounded by roads being flooded, which is impacting the movement of freight and produce.

Finally, and on a more positive note, I look forward to seeing those attending HVTT18!

Regards,

Gavin Hill

HVTT President

 

Below are some photos of HVTT board members in attendance at the Brisbane Truck Show: Gavin Hill, Les Bruzsa, John Gordon, and Rachel Michaud.