Newsletters

Dear IFRTT subscriber It seems that every time I start to write an IFRTT newsletter there is an international crisis reaching the daily headlines. Currently the Coronavirus is of great concern – besides the rapidly increasing number of daily fatalities & infections and the impact on the economies of several countries, China in particular, there is the uncertainty of when (surely not “and if”) the virus will be brought under control. The devastating fires in Australia are also tragic from a number of perspectives. The weather in South Africa seems to be reasonably well-behaved at present; dam levels across the... Read More

Dear IFRTT subscriber, As another calendar year draws to a close, it is my pleasure to share a few truck-related notes that have recently crossed my desk. In this issue of the newsletter, you’ll find information about ongoing work to quantify truck loads on infrastructure and the challenge of accommodating trucks in urban areas. Truck loads on infrastructure For those of you planning to attend the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in Washington DC next month, consider attending Workshop 1086: Employing Weigh-in-Motion Data to Design, Rate, Manage, and Preserve Our Nation’s Bridge Structures. This workshop brings together... Read More

Dear friends of the IFRTT, We are now less than one year away from the HVTT16 in Qingdao. I am painfully aware that too little information has been communicated so far, but there is hope! Now the promotion film has been updated and uploaded to Youtube: https://youtu.be/3r4kH1pBvEU Have a look at it!! You will see a very dynamic country with regards to road transport and logistics. The promotion film may look like exaggerated advertising, but I can testify that it well reflects the reality in China. Please visit YouTube and share the video with your respective friend groups and please... Read More

Dear IFRTT subscribers, This newsletter is about a stormy autumn, but also contains information on the submission of papers for the HVTT16, 12-15 October 2020 in Qingdao, China (see below). John de Pont (HVTT16 Scientific chair) will inform you about the paper submission process. In the November Newsletter Mats Harborn (IFRTT Vice President Asia) will give more news on the HVTT16 in China. But first: a stormy autumn. Despite the fall in nitrogen emissions, about three-quarters of the Dutch nature reserve still receives too much nitrogen than is permitted under European legislation. This makes biodiversity poor. The highest general administrative... Read More

Step-by-step Hi everybody, Spring has arrived in Buenos Aires, and I love it! Lots of news to share with you in these past months in around South America. A mixed bag, as usual, but never a dull moment around here. Especially that most countries are undergoing presidential elections, some are doing financially better than others… it is not for the faint hearted. Starting from Argentina, the bitrain or B-double went from the bad hag that was too big/too dangerous to “best thing that could ever happen in road transportation”. From newspapers to tweets, authorities and associations were praising the higher... Read More

Dear IFRTT colleagues, I have two matters on which to report this month. Update on Australia’s Heavy Vehicle National Law Review I introduced the Heavy Vehicle National Law Review to the Forum in the November newsletter. The part of the review most interesting to me is easy access to suitable routes. This is because the ease with which road access is determined for restricted access vehicles will strongly influence the growth of the Performance Based Standards (PBS) fleet and, hence, the productivity and safety of road freight transport. The National Transport Commission (NTC) held an industry consultation workshop on Friday... Read More

Dear IFRTT Subscribers, As the new Vice-President Europe, please allow me to briefly introduce myself: I am a Senior Researcher in the Automotive Research Group at HAN University of Applied Sciences in Arnhem, the Netherlands. In the past 10 years, I have worked on numerous research projects on both national and international levels, in the fields of vehicle dynamics and control, related mainly to Heavy Goods Vehicles and driver support. In this issue of the newsletter you will find information about the evolving implementation of European Modular System (EMS) vehicles in Europe. High Capacity Vehicles in the form of EMS... Read More

Dear friends of the IFRTT As most of you are aware of by now the next HVTT16 will be held in China, organized by the Road Institute of Highways (RIOH), a policy institute under the Ministry of Transports (MOT). This event will be very meaningful as the impact of road transport on society is probably larger in China than anywhere else in the world (with the possible exception of India). If this symposium can contribute to China taking further steps in introducing efficient road transport solutions it will have global impact. The IFRTT President Loes Aarts and IFRTT Board Member... Read More

Dear IFRTT subscriber In my last newsletter, in March 2018, I referred to the protest action (including the burning of trucks and looting of payloads) on some of the national highways in South Africa. Many of these actions were a means of expressing dissatisfaction with the employment of foreign drivers by SA transport companies. Unfortunately this form of protest action has continued on and off during the past year. In most cases, particularly during the past number of weeks, the protest action has been related to the dissatisfaction with service delivery by some local municipalities. In terms of transport efficiency,... Read More

Dear IFRTT subscriber, It was a pleasure to attend HVTT15 in Rotterdam where I was appointed the new IFRTT Vice President, North America. I wish to extend my gratitude to John Woodrooffe for the leadership he provided to IFRTT in this role. I look forward to working with IFRTT more closely in the future! Being new to the IFRTT Board, please allow me a very brief introduction. I am an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering (Transportation) at the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg, Canada. Over the last 15 years, I have worked on numerous truck-related research and consulting projects in... Read More