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November 2008
Victorian Freight and Logistics counciLhigher productivity vehicles taskforce
HigHer Productivity veHiclesthe next generation in freight transport
'Reproduced with permission of Department of Transport, Ministerial Freight Advisory Council'
'Reproduced with permission of Department of Transport, Ministerial Freight Advisory Council'
aN iNformatioN kit developed by the victoriaN freight aNd logistics couNcil’s higher productivity vehicles taskforceto support reasoNed debateaNd public awareNess
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coNteNts4 WhatareHPVs?
6 Triplebottomlinebenefits
Social
Environmental
Economic
10 HowdoesdeploymentofHPVsrelatetoGovernmentpolicy?
12 WhataretherisksofnotdeployingHPVs?
12 Whohasbeenconsulted?
13 It’snotjustabouttrucks
14 LocalGovernmentandHPVs
15 CommonquestionsaskedaboutHPVs
17 WhatVFLCisproposingtoaddressconcerns
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what are hpvs?HigherProductivityVehiclesorHPVsaretruck-and-trailercombinationsthatprovidetheabilitytoshiftmorefreightmoreefficiently,withthespin-offofgreaterenvironmentalandsafetyperformance.
AlimitednumberarealreadyworkingonVictoria’sroadsandhavebeenpartofanapprovalandassessmentprocessbyVicRoadsandotherauthorities.HPVshavebeenrigorouslytrialledandapprovedundernationalPerformanceBasedStandardssetbytheNationalTransportCommissionandthoroughlyresearchedbymechanical,technicalandroadsafetyexperts.Already31differentdesignshavebeenreviewedandaccepted,andaccesstocertainroadsgranted.
Thediagramright,givesaquickcomparisonoftypesoffreightvehicletowhichtheNTC’sPerformanceBasedStandardsapply:
ColourfuldepictionsofHPVsas”monstertrucks”aremisleadingandinaccurate:theyaresimplydifferentfromtheB-doublesweareusedtoseeing.ManyoftheHPVshavebeencarefullydesignedforspecificfreighttasks,usuallyhighvolumetransitbetweentwopointssuchasaportandtransporthub,betweenamajorindustrialareaandaninterstatesite,orbetweenamineandport.
Theycannotandneverwillbeusedonresidentialstreetsandwilltypicallybeemployedonarterialroads,freewaysanddesignatedB-doubleroutes.Evenaccesstolocalroadswouldneedtobesubjecttolocalgovernmentapproval.HPVsarelikelytocompriseaquitesmallbuthighlyproductiveproportionofthefreightvehiclefleet.
ManyoftheHPVsdesignedforVictoria’sfreighttaskshavebeentestedandproventogeneratelowerorequivalentimpactonroadsandbridgesthanexistingB-doubles.ThebonuswithHPVsistheiradditionalsafetyandhandlingfeaturesandtheiradditionalpayload,meaningfewertripsareneededtomoveequivalentvolumesoffreight.Sometasksaretermed“volumetric”,meaningthefreighttakesupcubicspaceonatruckbutisnotheavy(egtoiletpaper).Thesetasksarelow-impact.OtherswillneedhighermasslimitsandVicRoadsandtheDepartmentofTransporthaveconsideredwhereanyupgradestoexistinginfrastructuremaybeneeded.
Inacomparisonofdifferenttrucktypesmoving1,000tonnesoftypicalfreight,HPVsenablesignificantsavingstobemade,throughreducedfuelconsumption,driverdemand,roadimpact,pollutionemissionsandtrucktrips,andincreasedpayload(seediagram,page10).
SourceVFLC2008,basedonearlierresearchconductedbyARRB2005-06
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higher productivity vehicle case studies: examples a to N.performance based standards road class clasifications:
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NaturalgrowthinlocalandinternationalsupplyanddemandwillseethePortofMelbournehandlingincreasedvolumesofcargo(seechartbelow).Combinedwithurbanfreightdeliveries,thiswillgeneratesignificantgrowthinvehiclemovementsthroughtheinnerwestofMelbourne.
Prudentmanagementisneededtoensureportterminalsandroadscanaccommodatethisgrowth.Thisincludesoptimaluseofexistinginfrastructuretomaximiseefficienciesand
reducecongestion.Portinfrastructureandroadspacearefinitephysicalassets,sothebestpossibleusemustbesought.
TohelpmeetthesegoalsthePortofMelbourne’sDevelopmentPlanoutlinesastrategyforincreasingtruckutilisationbyencouraginguseofHPV-typevehicles,encouragingcargohandlingsystemsandpracticesthatdriveefficiencyandincreasinginboundandoutboundload-matchingthroughintegratedsupplychainsystems.
social Benefits
Less traffic congestion through fewer truck tripsIn2007theNTCpublishedacasestudyabouttheproductivitybenefitsofusingB-tripleson
inter-capitalroutes.Thestudypointedoutthatanationalline-hauloperatorwith60B-doublesandsemi-trailerscoulduseB-triplestoreducethenumberoftripsbyoneinfour,reduceoperatingcostsby22%andsave3.7millionkilometresoftrucktravelperyear.
triple bottom liNe beNefits of higher productivity vehicles
port of melbourNe coNtaiNer growth to 2035container forecast 2010–2035
Source:PortofMelbourneCorporation
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Keeping costs of products downRealroadfreightrateshavebeendecliningfordecadesduetoimprovedtrucks,roads,informationtechnology,logisticsmanagementandcompetition.Fuelefficiencyandlabourproductivityhavebothsteadilyimproved.1WideruseofHPVsisthenextevolutionarystep.
increasing professionalism in the transport industryAustralia’sroadsafetyrecordisgoodcomparedwithmostOECDcountries,especiallyconsideringthehighproportionofundividedroads.While10%ofAustralia’sroaddeathsinvolvelargetrucks,governmentfiguresandaccidentresearchshowsthatthetruckdriverisnotusuallyresponsible.2AustralianTransportSafetyBureaustatisticsshowthat80%offatalitiesbetweencarsandtrucksarethefaultofthecardriver.3(In75.2%ofserioustruckcrashesin2005,noothervehiclewasinvolved.4)
HPVsareoperatedbyhighlyexperiencedprofessionaldrivers.Theyarespecificallytrainedforthesevehicles.Tofindoutmoreabouttheirtraining,seewww.deca.com.au
1. trucking – driving australia’s growth and Prosperity, a report prepared for the australian trucking associa-tion, august 2004,aciL tasman Pty Ltd
2. trucking – driving australia’s growth and Prosperity, a report prepared for the australian trucking associa-tion, august 2004,aciL tasman Pty Ltd
3. australian transport safety Bureau, www.atsb.gov.au4. analysis of serious australian truck accidents recorded in 2005, national centre for truck accident re-search, May 2007, author: owen P. driscoll
high safety standards for hPVs lower risks on the roadHPVsarerequiredtohavethefollowingsafetyfeatures-
Front,sideandrearunderrunprotection•devices;
Spraysuppressiononallaxlessopassing•vehiclesarenotaffectedbywatersprayingupinwetweather;
Euro4&5standardengines,withreduced•noiseandparticulateemissions;
ABS,whichpreventsthewheelsfromlocking•whilebraking;
ElectronicBrakingSystem,whichimproves•stoppingdistancesandbrakingperformance;
ElectronicStabilityControl,activerollstability•systemsfittedtoeachtrailertoreducethepotentialforrollovers;
Strengthenedtruckcabins;•
Intelligentcruisecontrol;•
Lanerecognitiontechnologythatwarnsthe•driverofthevehiclesdeviationfromitslanewhentravellingatspeed.
Fewer drivers needed in an industry facing shortagesResearchintotruckdriveremploymentlevelsshowsthattheroadtransportindustryisfacedwithacriticalshortfallintruckdriverswithintentotwentyyears,thoughqualitativeresearchconcludesthatsomestatessuchasWesternAustraliaandSouthAustraliaarealreadyexperiencingashortage.5UtilisationofHPVsmeanslessdriversarerequiredforthefreighttask.
5. truck driver recruitment, retention and retirement research Project, www.advancerecruitments.com.au
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Lower emissions from more efficient enginesEmissionsofthenoxiouspollutantsknownasnitrogenoxides(NOx)andparticulatematter(PM)fromdieselvehiclesarecurrentlyfourtofivetimeshigherthanforpetrolvehicles.AnewstandardknownastheEuro5Directiveaimstomakedieselenginesbridgethegap.Euro5limitswillreduceemissionsofparticulatesfromdieselenginesby80%comparedtoEuro4.HPVsmustcomplywithEuro4and5standards.
greater concentration means less community impact on inner Western suburbs TheabilityofHPVstohandlegreatervolumeswillincreaseefficienciesatdesignatedfreighthubs.Thiswillencouragecompaniesundertakingstorageanddistributionactivitiestoco-locateatthesehubs,whichareseparatefromresidentialareasandaccessedviapurpose-builtrailandroadlinks.
environmental Benefits
Fewer truck trips per freight task reduces emissionsAccordingtotheVictorianFreightandLogisticsCouncil’sHPVcasestudiesof14transportcompanies,theintroductionofHPVs–byjustthissmallsampleofoperators-wouldresultinanestimated300,000fewertrucktripseachyeartocompletetheallottedfreighttasks.Thisrepresentspayload(deadweightorcube)improvementsofbetween12%and50%pervehicle.
energy consumption per tonne kilometre reducedInitsstudyoftheenergyandemissionsimpactsofoperatingHPVs,theAmericanTransportationResearchInstituteconcludedthatsignificantpercentageincreasesinfuelefficiency(measuredinton-milespergallon)wereobservedfornearlyeveryhigherproductivityvehicleconfigurationatvariousweightincreasesunderaweight-limitedscenario.Increasesinfuelefficiencywerealsoobservedforlongercombinationvehicleconfigurationsunderacube-limitedscenario.6
cleaner engines generate fewer emissionsTrucksaccountforonly21%ofAustralia’sgreenhousegasemissionsbyroadvehiclesandproducejust2.6%oftotalgreenhousegasemissions.Greenhousegasemissionsfromheavyvehiclesonabilliontonne-kilometrebasisareforecasttodeclinebyapproximately30%overthenext20years.
Inrelationtothefreighttask,emissionshavebeensteadilydecliningduetobetterenginesandgreateruseoflargertrucks.Truckengineemissionanddieselfuelstandardsaresteadilytighteninginordertofurtherreducepollutantemissions.Thesestandardswilleventuallyproducesmokelessemissions.7(ACILTasman)
supports growth for rail to intermodal terminalsHPVshavethepotentialtobuildupcapacityalongdedicatedroutes,whichwillencouragethedevelopmentofintermodal(rail-serviced)hubs.
Railinfrastructureandequipmenthasahighcapitalcost.Butwidespread,targeteduseofHPVswillenablegrowthinvolumeandcapacitytoprovidetheincreasedscaleeconomiestounderpingreaterrailinvestment.
Bothmodeswillbenefitfromefficienciesofsharedcostsandoperationalinfrastructure.
6. american transportation research institute, http://www.atri-online.org7. trucking – driving australia’s growth and Prosperity, a report prepared for the australian trucking associa-tion, august 2004,aciL tasman Pty Ltd
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economic Benefits
increased investment by transport companies in new equipmentTrucksprovidenearlyallurbanfreighttransportandaretheonlymodeavailableinmanycountryareas.Onlyabout15%ofroadfreightiscontestable(i.e.couldalsobecarried)byrail.Evenwhereothermodes(rail,seaorair)areusedforpartofthejourney,trucksprovidetheconnectionatoneorbothends.Trucksare,andwillremain,anintegralcoginAustralia’sdomesticandinternationaltradeandcommerce.Transportoperatorswillalwayspursuethemostefficientperformersofthefreighttask,suchasHPVs.
innovation in vehicle design supports Victoria’s role as the leader in this field in australiaHPVs’TrackAxle,road-friendly,steerableaxlesareanexampleofVictorialeadingtheway.Thewheelsofthesemi-trailersteertofollowthepathoftheprime-mover:thevehicletracksalongamuchnarrowerpathinacornerwithoutanysidestressontyresorpavement.
AnotherexampleistheHaulmarkextendabletrailer,asteerabletrailerwiththecapabilitytoextendtomorethandoubleitslength,from17.5mupto40m.
Productivity gains averaging 20%-30% on current transport operationsThetablebelowdevelopedbytheAustralianTruckingAssociationillustratesthehigherproductivityachievedbytheuseofHPVstoshift1000tonnesoffreight.
Keeping transport costs down and avoiding inflationary pressures from network congestion and inefficiency AlthoughVictoriaisacompactstatetransportcostscanbeasignificantpartofbusiness,whetherlocalorglobal,forstate-basedcompanies.Inturnthesecostsflowontothecommunityinthepriceofgoodsandservices.HPVsaccessworld-leadingtechnologyand‘nextstep’efficiencytokeeptransportcostslowandVictorianbusinessescompetitive.
extending the productive life of Victoria’s assets, including ports and rail yardsOver150yearsofinvestmenthasbeenmadebyVictoriansinState-ownedassetssuchastheportofMelbourneandtheDynonrailyards,aswellasourroadnetworks.
HPVsareeffectiveatprovidinghigh-volumelandtransporttoserviceportandrailfacilities,ensuringthevalueofpastandfutureinvestmentismaximised.WhilesomeproposedHPVrouteswillrequireimprovementtoextendtheircapabilitytohandlehighermasslimits,greatervolumesoffreightwillbeabletobetransportedmoreefficiently.
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Leadership in transport and logisticsThetransportandlogisticssectorrepresents15%ofGrossStateProduct(GSP).Thusenhancedefficiencieshavethepotentialtorepresentsignificanteconomicimpacts.
Wecompeteonoursupplychainsasmuchasontheproductitself,soanyefficiencyinthesupplychainthatcanreducecostswillenablecapacityforeconomicandsocialbenefits.
regional developmentManyofthefreighttasksbestsuitedtoHPVsaregoodsmovementbetweensitesofprimaryproduction,regionalmanufacturingfacilitiesandtheportsandmajorcities,hereandontheeasternseaboard.Examplesofsuchgoodsaretimber,dairy,mineralsands,grains,wine,meatandfruit.
TheVictorianGovernmenthassetanambitiousexporttargetforthestate’sFoodIndustry($12billionby2010)andfoodindustrycompanieshaveidentifiedHPVsasplayingamajorroleindeliveringthistarget.
Forinstanceinthegrainsindustrychangestomarketstructuremeanthatall-year-rounddeliveriesarereplacingseasonalpeaks.Thiswillgenerateadependencyonroadtransportforsmallerloadings.
ManufacturingVictoriaproduces65%ofAustralia’sdairyproducts8,particularlyforexport.Efficienttransportoptionsfromregionalfactoriestomajordistributioncentreandportarecrucialtocompetitiveness.
DistributionfrommajormanufacturingplantstointerstatewholesalersanddistributorscanbeachievedusingfewertrucksonlinehaultaskswithHPVs.
innovation Victoria’stransportindustryisrenownedforitsinnovationintechnology(egTrackAxle;taxiGPSsystems;theInternationalFoodChainIntegrityandTraceabilityProject)andHPVtechnologywillenhancethisreputation.
congestion ManagementTheVCECInquiryintotrafficcongestioninMelbourneconfirmedthelargecostburdengeneratedbycongestion.DeploymentofHPVsisonepartofthestrategytomanagefreightmovementinMelbourne.
8. department of Primary industries, www.dpi.vic.gov.au. Victoria dominates the australian dairy industry produc-ing around 6.6 billion litres of milk in2004/05 (dairy australia, 2005).this represented 65% of australia’s milk production and 84% of australian dairy exports in 2004/05 (tradedata international).
how does deploymeNt of hpvs relate to goverNmeNt policy?
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infrastructure capacityHPVswillsupportthestrategyofgaininggreatercapacityfromexistinginfrastructure.Forinstance,anHPVcantransfertwoFEU(forty-footcontainers),whicharethedominantimportcontainersuppliedtoAustralia,ontheonevehicle.Thiscouldaverttheneedfor150,000trucktripseachyear.Ifhighermassisallowedonselectedroutes,thiscouldrisetoover300,000trucktrips.Withgrowthofcontainertrafficsettodoubleoverthenexttwodecades,thisisaveryimportantbenefittogainingcapacityatthePortofMelbourneandacrosstheroadnetwork.Thiscanalsobeenhancedbyoff-peakoperationsandincreasedloadmatching.
DeploymentofHPVsrespondsto
TheVictorianInnovationStatement2008•
Victoria’sNextGenerationFoodStrategy•
MovingFrowardinProvincialVictoria•
MeetingourTransportChallenges•
MakingtheRightChoices:Optionsfor•ManagingTransportCongestion
VictorianPortsStrategicFramework•
InvestinginTransport:East-WestLinkNeeds•Assessment
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Foregoingproductivityimprovements•
Increasingvehicleemissions•
Ageingoffleetsandequipment•
Bottlenecksatourportsandrailterminals•
Increasingcostoffuelpassedonto•customers,reflectedinretailprices
Labourshortagesexacerbated,pushingup•drivercosts9
Increasingtrafficcongestion•
9. truck driver recruitment, retention and retirement research Project, www.advancerecruitments.com.au“in 2005/2006 employment experienced a decline. if the road transport industry is unable to recruit and retain truck drivers there is potential that in less than twenty years time the workforce will have halved.”
Investmentinefficiencygeneratesongoingconfidenceandgrowth.BuyersofHPVequipmentwilllooktooptimisethatinvestment,increasingoutputsandprofitability.Benefitsarenotonlycapturedbythetransportoperator,theyaresharedwithVictoriansthroughexternalitybenefits(feweraccidents,emissions,trucksontheroad).
RegulatorsandgovernmentbodiessuchasVicRoadsandtheNationalTransportCommissionhaveundertakenvariousconsultationinitiativesregardingHPVs.
TheVictorianFreightandLogisticsCouncil’sownHPVTaskforceconsistsoftransportcompanies,freightcustomers,equipmentsuppliers,regulators,technicalspecialists,localgovernmentrepresentativesandunions.
However,theVFLCrecognisesthereiscommunityconcernaboutlargetrucksandalowawarenessofthefactsassociatedwiththesevehicles.WebelievethecommunitywouldbenefitfromgreaterefforttoexplainthefreighttaskandhowitrelatestotheeverydayexperienceofVictorians.
TheHPVTaskforcehassetupawebsitewww.hpvtaskforce.com.authroughwhichcommunity,industryandanyinterestedpartycanquestionexpertsaboutanyaspectofHPVs.ThewebsitealsoprovidesablogandforumforcommentaryonissuesregardingHPVs,andarangeofinformationgatheredonHPVsasaresourceforVictoria.
PeakbodiesareplanningseminarsandopportunitiestoexperiencingHPVs(realandsimulated),tomeetdrivertrainersandtransportcompanies,andfortheexperiencesfromotherAustralianjurisdictionstobecanvassed.
what are the risks of Not proceediNg with hpvs?
who has beeN coNsulted?
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It’saboutjobs,qualityoflife,sustainabilityanddeliveringthegoods.WeareatawatershedinrelationtotransportinVictoria.
the pressures
Decliningworkforce
Lossofmanufacturing
Constrainedinfrastructure
Energysupply
trafficcongestion
population
portcontainertrade
freightvolumes
in the next decade
Carboncapandtradesystem
Globaltradingcompetition
Searchfortransportefficiencies
outcomes
Innovation/improvedtechnology
Productivity–morewithless
Improvedindustrypractices
Investmentininfrastructureandequipment
Economiesofscale
Multi-modalism
Customerfulfilment
it’s Not about trucks
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local goverNmeNt aNd hpvsLocalgovernmentunderstandstheproductivitybenefitsofincreasedpayloadsonheavyvehicles.Councilswithbulkfreight,suchastimberproducts,mineralsandsandgrains,areparticularlyconsciousoftheimportanceofefficienttransportforexportmarkets.
TheprospectofdeploymentofHPVsinVictoriahasraisedanumberofconcernsexpressedbylocalgovernmentrepresentatives.ThefollowingmaterialreflectsconcernsraisedwithVFLCtodate.
impact on local infrastructure for first and last kilometre accessCouncilsinVictoriaexperienceawideningasset-renewalgap,asassetlifecyclesexpireandrateincomeisinsufficienttocatchupwithreplacementschedules.TheconcernisthatdeploymentofHPVswilldecreasethelifespanofassetssuchaslocalbridgesandexacerbatetheproblem.
Wherehighermasslimitsareneededforafreighttask,upgradesoflocalroadsandbridgestocaterforlocalaccesswillnecessitatefundswhichlocalcouncilsdonothaveavailableorinprospect.Fundingprogramseitherrequirefundmatching,orareexhausted/fullycommitted.
Amenity and public safety concernsLocalcouncilsaretherepresentativesoflocalcommunities.Inrecentyears,somelocalcommunitieshaveexperiencedtheimpactofheavyvehiclesaccessingindustrialsites,on-farmgrainstorages,coolstoresandtransportdepotsalongroadslinedwithresidentialproperties.
Noise,dustandfearofcollisionsaffectlocalpeople.Themediaimageoflargervehiclesplyingtheseroadshaslocalpeopleconcerned.
Improvedcapacityforlanduse/freighttransportplanning
Manylanduseplannersadvisinglocalcouncilshaveafocusonresidentialdevelopmentplanningandfewhaveexpertiseinlanduse/transportintegrationforfreightmovement.AneedhasbeenidentifiedforgreaterguidanceandaccesstoexpertiseinthisareaforlocalgovernmentstaffacrosstheState.
education for local decision-makers, advisers and investorsHigherproductivityvehiclesarenotallB-triplevehicles.TheyarenotalllargerorheavierthanB-doublevehicles–theyarecustomisedforspecificfreighttasks.Findingoutmoreaboutthesevehiclesandtheirspecifictasksisvital,sothatlocalgovernmentcouncillors,staffchargedwithassetmanagementandplanningresponsibilities,andlocallandusedevelopers,investorsandbusinessescangainaclearerunderstandingoftheirrole.Localcommunitiesneedexternalsupporttoachievethis.
Roadtransportsuppliersandequipmentmanufacturersandthecustomerstheyservehaveagreatdealofknowledgeaboutthesevehiclesandtheiroperationinlocalcommunities.Theexperienceofmunicipalitiesinotherjurisdictionswherethesevehiclesaredeployedcanbedrawnonaswell.
ThiseducationandawarenessprocessneedstobeproperlyresourcedandbeinclusiveofcommunitiesacrosstheState.
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some commoN QuestioNs asked by commuNity members“Trucks will come through local residential areas at all hours of the day and night”
HPVsaredesignedfor“pointtopoint”high•volumefreighttasks,sotheyaremostlikelytomovebetweenfreightnodes,suchasrailyards,portsandmajorindustrialprecinctswithdistributioncentresandwarehouses
Theyprefertooperateonfreewaysandmajor•arterials
Anylocalsiteaccessmustbeapprovedby•localcouncilsandwillbelimitedtosuitabletruckroutes
ItistruethatmanyHPVoperatorspreferto•workatnight,awayfromcommuterpeakhours,whentheydon’texperiencetrafficcongestion
“Big trucks are intimidating to other road users”
NotallHPVsarelargerthanexistingtrucks•orbusesontheroad
HPVsarefittedwithspecialisedequipment•
Spraysuppression–makingitsafertopass−
Sideandrearunderrunprotection–inan−accident,thepassengervehicleisnotabletodriveunderthetruck
Steerableaxlesandtrailertracking–so−thatthetruckstaysinitslaneandmovesaroundcornersandthroughroundaboutswithoutimpingingonothermotorists
SpeedlimitersandGPSdevicesarefitted−toenabletrackingandspeedcontroltoalertauthoritiesifthetruckentersanunapprovedroadorexceedsthespeedlimit
“How noisy are these trucks?”
HPVshavetopassstrictapprovalprocessesandmusthavequieterengines
Driversmustobeyrulesandrestrictionssuchasbansonairbrakesbeingusedinresidentialareas
“I live in a rural shire. Will these trucks be used on our gravel roads? How will this be safe?”
YourlocalcouncilwillconsidersuitableroutesforHPVs
Itisimportantforthefreightownersandtransportoperatorstoundertakegoodoperationalplanningwithfarmersandresidentsalongthoseroutes,sothatcommunicationandcooperationcanwork.OneexampleisTimberCorp’sTransportOperationsManagementPlan,whereSMSmessagesanddriverUHFcommunicationswillalertneighboursandschoolbusesoncountryroads.Agreedroutes,timesofoperation,driverbehavioursandmonitoringcanallbedecidedbycompanies,localPolice,VicRoads,councilsandresidentsworkingtogether
Timbercompaniesacceptaroadconditionauditandwillbringtheroadbacktooriginalconditionafterharvestingoccurs
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some commoN QuestioNs asked by commuNity members“Will this mean fewer trucks on the road?”
HPVscandeliveranincreasedpayloadofupto25%pertruck.SoforinstancewhereaBDoubletruckmaytake26tripstomove1,000tonnes,anHPVwilltake20tripstomovethatsametonnage.
However,thefreighttaskisgrowingalongwithourpopulationandglobalisationofoursupplychains.Tocopewiththisgrowth,HPVswillbeamajorimprovement.Inthepastdecade,BDoubleshavehelpedlimitthegrowthoftrucksontheroadandweexpectHPVstosupportthis.
Won’t HPVs make it harder for rail to compete? Why can’t the extra freight go by rail?
HPVsarenotcompetingwithrail.Thetaskstheyareappliedtoarealreadyroadtasks-theysimplymakedoingthattaskmoreefficient.
Notallfreighttasksaresuitedtorailbecauseorigin/deliverypointsarenotlocatednearrailterminals,orajust-in-timelogisticsoperationisdemandedbycustomers.
However,manyfreighttasksaresuitedoradaptabletorailandthisisthereasonthefreighttransportindustryissupportinginvestmentinrailandintermodalhubsandterminals.
Atthemoment,25%ofAustralia’sfreighttaskismovedbyrailandaround15%ofcontainersmovetoandfromthePortofMelbournebyrail.HalfofVictoria’srailnetworkissharedbetweenpassengerandfreightservices,sodemandforpassengertrainpathwayslimitstheavailablepathsforfreighttrains.Theresimplyisnotenoughcapacitytoputallourfreightontotrains,especiallywhenmuchofitismovingonthebusymetropolitanlines.
Asinvestmentinrailinfrastructureandintermodalterminalsimprovesefficiencyandreliabilityofrail,volumeswillgrowanditwillbecomeamoresustainableoption.
HPVsplayarolealongsiderailconnectingproductionsitestorailheadsandintermodalterminals,helpingtogrowvolumeforinterstate,regionalandportshuttlerailoperations.
WestgatePortshasinvestedinarail-connectedlogisticscentreatVictoriaDockinthePortofMelbourne,andtwointermodalhubs(AltonaandLyndhurst),todeliverasystemthatwilldeliverfreightefficientlybyrailandspecialisttruckstointermodalterminalsinsuburbanMelbourne.
“Thewholecommunityshouldsupportusinusingtheselargevehiclesonmajorarterialsatnight.Theydoapoint-to-pointtransferoffreight.TheytrackwithGPS,arelitup,andwillbesaferthananytruckontheroad.Theywillreducecongestion,pollutionandenergyandwillimprovelabourefficiencyandsafety.Thecompanywillincreasinglytransferfreighttorailonceithasbuiltvolume,fortranshipmenttoinlandhubs.”
michael haines, ceo, westgate ports.
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what is vflc proposiNg to address these coNcerNs?LocalroadaccessrestrictedtotheB-double1.routes(L1,L2A),providingaccessforHPVsthathavenogreaterimpactthanaB-double
Wherehighermasslimitissought,aprogram2.ofassetassessmentbeundertakenbyaState-levelbodyskilledinthetask
Aprioritylistoflocalaccessimprovementsbe3.prepared,basedonthesizeandvalueofthefreighttasktheinfrastructurewillsupport
Aprogramforassetrenewalbedevelopedby4.theFederalGovernmentthroughtheAusLinkprogram,specificallyforfirst/lastkilometreaccesssolutions
The“First&LastKilometreAccess”fundbe5.targetedtoinfrastructurewheremeasurableproductivity,regionaldevelopmentandcongestionreductionbenefitscanbedelivered
TheStateGovernmentplanning,environment6.andtransportagencies(DPCD,DSE,EPA,DOTandVicRoads)undertaketoprepareguidancenotesforlocalcouncilengineersandplanningstaffonintegratedlanduseandfreighttransportplanning.Thiswouldincludeguidesforpreparingstrategiesforfreightmovementandfreightplaces,protectionoflocalfreightaccesscorridors,bufferingfromadjoiningsensitivelanduses,andplanningfor24/7transportoperations(road,rail,intermodal,seaandairport)
Abureauofexpertiseonfreightandlogistics7.beestablishedbytheStateGovernmenttoprovideadviceandguidancetolocalcouncilsworkingthroughissuesassociatedwithfreightmanagementandassociatedlanduseeg:distributioncentres,accesstoretailpremisesafterhours,railoperationnoise,hoursofoperation
Actions6and7beundertakenasapriority8.inputtonewlocalstrategicplanstobepreparedwithinsixmonthsofthe2008municipalelections
TheHPVTaskforce,supportedbyStateand9.Federalgovernments,leadsaneducationandawarenessprogramtoprovideaccurate,balancedinformationregardinghigherproductivityvehiclestodecision-makers,localcommunities,freightcustomers,suppliersandregulators.Thiswillincludeasuiteofinitiativestofacilitateinformeddebateandaddresscommunityconcerns.
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