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Anthony Germanchev ARRB Group

AusIntermodal Conference 9-10 October 2013

The evolution of trucks

In the beginning

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• Darwin published his theory of evolution in the book

“On the Origin of Species” in 1859

• He established that all species of life have descended

over time from common ancestors, and proposed the

scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution

resulted from a process called natural selection.

Theory of evolution

“preservation of favourable

variations, and rejection of

injurious variations”

“surrounded by barriers, into

which new and better adapted

forms could not enter”

“man can only act on external and

visible characters; nature cares

nothing for appearance”

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• Limitations of infrastructure

– bridges, pavements, road space.

• Maintaining safety standards

– stability, maneuverability.

• Appeasing the community

– public perception, road users, environment.

• Performing the freight task

– freight types, distance, last mile access, loading.

A truck’s environment

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Difficulties with the theory

• “longer heavier trucks are intentionally promoted…in biology, evolutionary theory is never intentionally promoted; rather, evolution occurs as the result of accident: a mutation occurs in gene(s) that favours an organism adaptation to an environmental condition”

• “Unlike organisms, trucks do not evolve by their own design, trucks do not carry genes, and trucks do not engage in sexual reproduction.”

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Truck species

Tri-axle Semi

A-double road train

A-triple road train

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A new species B-type combinations

B-double

B-triple

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Total road freight moved by vehicle type

0

10

20

30

40

50

60 B-doubles

Six-axle semi-trailers

Five-axle semi-trailers (or less)

Freight share %

1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006

Source: Adapted from Dept. of Transport (Victoria)

First B-double on Hume Hwy,

Sydney-Melbourne 500

10,000

Freight trends

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Freight trends

0

5

10

15

20

25Articulated trucks

Rigid trucks

1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006

tonnes per vehicles

Source: Adapted from Dept. of Transport (Victoria)

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Local advances in productivity

• Many advances in productivity over the years

Productivity improvement Year

Gross vehicle mass (GVM) increase 1950s

Trailer length increase 1989

Introduction of B-doubles 1990s

Increases in cubic capacity 1997

Truck and dog trailer improvements 1997

Introduction of PBS 2000s

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Types of heavy vehicles

1. General access – ‘as of right’ complying with ADRs and AVSRs

2. Restricted access Notices – exemption notices or gazettes. e.g. SPVs. – access and conditions can vary between states Permits – period or single trip permits with operating conditions – PBS with level of access based on performance – access and conditions can vary between states

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• Performance Based Standards, established 2008

• Innovative regulatory scheme for innovative vehicles

• Focuses on what the truck can do, not what it looks like

Source: NTC

The Effect of Regulatory Habitat

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The Standards

Vehicle Powertrain Standards

Vehicle Stability Standards

High speed dynamic performance

Vehicle Manoeuvrability

Vehicle Ride and Handling

Infrastructure Standards

Source: NTC

Startability

Gradeability

Acceleration Capability Static Rollover Threshold

Directional Stability Under Braking

Yaw Damping Coefficient

Frontal Swing

Low Speed Swept Path

Tail Swing

Steer Tyre Friction Demand

High Speed Transient Off Tracking

Rearward Amplification

Tracking Ability On A Straight Path

Ride Quality*

Handling Quality*

* Assessment against this standard is not required

Pavement Horizontal Loading

Pavement Vertical Loading

Tyre Contact Pressure Distribution

Bridge Loading

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PBS truck and 3 axle dog

6.5t 17.0t 9.0t 17.0t

GCM: 49.5t

PBS truck and 4 axle dog

17.0t

GCM: 57.5t

18380

4300

4950 4400

17.0t

20000

3000 3000

5800

Efficiency gain = new payload/old payload

= 40.0 t/33.0 t

= ~20% increase

PBS truck and 5 axle dog

22.5t

GCM: 63.0t

17.0t 22.5t

21900

3000

6100 6200

Efficiency gain = new payload/old payload

= 45.0 t/40.0 t

= ~10% increase

PBS truck and 6 axle dog

22.5t

GCM: 68.5t

23800

6900 7500

Efficiency gain = new payload/old payload

= 50.0 t/ 45.0 t

= ~10%

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Truck and trailer

• Rigid and 3-axle dog trailer Payload: Building materials

Length: 19.0 m

Gross mass: 45 tonnes

6.5 t

16.5 t 9.0 t

13 t

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Truck and trailer

• Rigid and 5-axle dog trailer Payload: Grain

Length: 23 m

Gross mass: 63 tonnes

6.5 t 17.0 t 17.0 t 22.5 t

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Payload: Sand and gravel

Length: 26 m

Gross mass: 68 tonnes

Six axle truck and dog

22.5 t

22.5 t

17.0 t 6.0 t

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Matching vehicles to the roads

General access

Bes

t

Most restricted access

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2

Level 1

per

form

ance

W

ors

t

Steerable Steerable

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Network access - NSW

< 4.3 m high bridge

Travel conditions apply on this route

Exception routes (not approved)

19m B-double routes (over 50t)

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Network access - WA

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Network 10

Network 4

Interactive mapping

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Network 10

Truck bay Network 10 (with conditions)

Network 4

Network 4 (with conditions)

Payload: Containers

Length: 30.0 m

Gross mass: 77.5 tonnes

‘40-40’ B-double

27.0 t 27.0 t 17.0 t 6.5 t

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Payload: Containers

Length: 30.0 m

Gross mass: 79.5 tonnes

‘40-40’ A-double

20.0 t 16.5 t

20.0 t

16.5 t 6.5 t

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Payload: Mineral sands

Length: 37.5 m

Gross mass: 136.2 tonnes

PBS approved – triple road train

6.7 t 17.0 t

22.5 t 22.5 t 22.5 t

22.5 t 22.5 t

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The National Regulator age

The NHVR will provide national:

• registration of heavy vehicles

• standards heavy vehicles must meet when on roads

• the maximum permissible mass and dimensions of heavy vehicles used on roads

• consistent network access and conditions.

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the next decade

Implementation:

• infrastructure assessment tools

• databases (bridge database)

• interactive mapping

• training, education, overcoming public perception.

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Thank you

Anthony Germanchev

Freight & Heavy Vehicles Team Leader

ARRB Group

anthony.germanchev@arrb.com.au

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