Wednesday, Apr 04, 2018 at 09:53
It doesn't look like a lot has changed, in the new legislation, to me.
The legislation goes from manufacturers "self-certifying" a design, stating that it is compliant (with all relevant laws and regulations) - to having to register with the Dept (once they produce more than 4 trailers or 'vans of the same design in one calendar year), acquire a "type approval" from the Dept - and then "self-declare" that the item meets with all relevant laws and regulations.
Perhaps the only real change in the new legislation is the need for a trailer or 'van builder to register with the Dept - and the demand that the Dept be allowed to access, "all manufacturing and design facilities".
If a 'van or trailer or camper is designed and built in China, then I can't really see any Dept officials being allowed into a Chinese factory to examine all the pertinent "manufacturing and design facilities".
The language barrier alone would be enough - let alone the Chinese techniques of total authoritarian party control - and stalling and shuffling investigation efforts from one party official to another.
These clowns in Parliament drawing this stuff up fail to understand that the Communist Party of China is the majority owner of any Chinese business above anything more than a one-man, or family operation.
There's also the lack of information in the article, as to what constitutes a "Light trailer", and what constitutes a "Heavy trailer".
At the present moment, under VSB1, there are 3 trailer weight categories - up to Medium - but no definition of a "Heavy trailer".
The current VSB1 definitions are:
VERY LIGHT TRAILER (TA)—A single-axle trailer with a GTM not exceeding 0.75 tonne.
LIGHT TRAILER (TB)—A trailer with a GTM not exceeding 3.5 tonnes, other than a trailer of Category TA.
MEDIUM TRAILER (TC)—A trailer with a GTM exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 10 tonnes.
At present, it is my understanding that the current trucking definition of a "heavy trailer" is one over 4.5 tonnes gross.
Over that GTM, under trucking regulations, you need to revise your truck registration and pay more in registration, if you want to tow more than 4.5 tonnes.
For example, I own a 5 tonne Isuzu truck and it is registered to only tow a maximum of 4.5 tonnes.
Yet the truck is legal under the manufacturers rating, to tow 6.5 tonnes.
However, if I want to tow a 6.5 tonne trailer, I have to have the truck re-inspected, and pay more in rego fees, to be able to tow the 6.5 tonnes.
I don't know what the setup is, if you have, for example, a big U.S.-built "pickup" such as an F250 or F350, and you hook up a massive 'van to it, and the 'van weighs more than 4.5 tonnes (which is starting to become a feature of the larger rigs).
The only requirement then, is a need for air brakes over 4.5 tonnes - there's no requirement for another inspection or increased rego fees for the towing rig - as there is now, if the tow rig is defined as a truck.
As with all new legislation, there's a vast amount of discrepancies, gaps, poor wording, fuzzy definitions, and impractical and un-enforceable requirements in the legislation.
I trust someone from the trailer and 'van industry gets to the relevant pollies and blows in their ear about producing workable and anomaly-free legislation, in the new and revised Road Vehicle Standards Bill.
While they're at it, they could also look at removing the anomaly of not needing a truck or articulated endorsement to haul massive 'vans and trailers, with "pickups" that are basically trucks - on a car licence!
Cheers, Ron.
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