I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the most tech savvy person – my wife and daughter are much better than me at that stuff!

And technology hasn’t delivered everything I was promised. I distinctly remember being told in the mid ‘90s that computers would mean there would come a time when I’d only need to work four days a week. I’m not complaining, but I work longer and harder now than I did back then!

However, I am a firm believer that emerging technology is key to improving productivity and that, in turn, is vital in meeting strategic safety, environmental and economic goals.

The importance of this was clear while peer reviewing three academic papers submitted for presentation at the international Heavy Vehicle Transport & Technology (HVTT18) conference. The conference is organised by the HVTT Forum, an international group where I serve as board member, and have been actively involved throughout my career.

The first paper regards electric-powered dolly axles. These are powered driving axles on trailers, which is an emerging technology in Europe.

The use of e-powered axles can reduce the prime mover’s fuel consumption by 15 to 20%, which makes them a key part of the European Green Deal. One of the key challenges is the intelligent control of the e-drive axle so it delivers the correct amount of propulsion and braking power at the right time, ideally without over reliance on receiving detailed information from the towing vehicle. The paper I am reviewing involves using a force sensing kingpin. This system measures the longitudinal reaction forces between the kingpin and the fifth wheel which in turn provides a signal to manage the power requirements for the trailer drive axles.

Sceptics might say driven trailers will never happen, but bear in that last year we saw Fruehauf exhibit a reefer trailer in Auckland with its triaxle set including an axle that generates power which eliminates the need for a diesel generator.

E-powered driven axles on trailers are a natural progression from the power generating axle on the reefer that is already here, so I’m sure we will see powered axles on our shores soon enough.

Regular regulators

The next paper regarded Australia’s National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and its desire to enable greater acceptance and use of mature performance-based standards (PBS) vehicle designs and remove the bureaucracy around how those vehicles enter the fleet.

The issue is different but similar to one faced in New Zealand. Our rules are old and outdated, although fortunately, along the way we’ve had supplementary systems like proforma 50MAX and HPMVs which have enabled more productive vehicles to join the fleet.

Those vehicles have been well proven, and in some cases have become the norm. There is a strong case that continuing to use the administrative system that originally enabled them no longer adds value to similar new vehicles entering the fleet. That is why we’ve been advocating for 50MAX vehicles to been incorporated as of right in the VDAM rule.

Retractable axles

The final paper regards the use of high-speed weigh-in-motion (WIM) and a proposed method to detect and identify vehicles with retractable axles.

It is estimated that 15 to 25% of vehicles in Europe have at least one lift axle. In addition to ensuring that each axle weight is within its respective limit, there is also a desire to identify whether the vehicle has one or more lift axles. A similar demand could apply here because our legislation doesn’t allow axles to be retracted when the vehicle is laden, regardless of whether that can be done with the individual axles and the axle set meeting their respective limits.

Multi-modal in action

On other international matters, I have seen a version of how true multi-modal road rail works with a one-year pilot to be trialled in Germany.

It’s called the Eco Combi pilot project and involves an A-double operating on a 70km route between the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, and a rail terminal east of Hanover. Semitrailers will be transported by train from Hanover to Spain, where a single truck will reconnect with the two semitrailers for onward delivery. The vehicle combination is 31.7m.

We currently have a transport regulatory framework that fundamentally and philosophically relies on imposing restraints. It sets limits on what can be done with maximum speed limits, maximum weight limits, maximum this, maximum that.

These international activities clearly show that if we want to meet strategic safety and environmental goals, then improving productivity and using technology is the key to doing that.

In fact, unless we can access the tools and technology we need, I don’t think we will be able to meet society’s increasing demands in meeting those goals.

We need a regulatory framework that is agile and responsive to change and innovation. We need a framework that promotes progress rather than stifles and constrains it.

Shifting our regulators to agree, think and act this way is a major strategic goal for our team this year.

– By Dom Kalasih, chief executive officer, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand