When your business involves the movement of freight, goods or people by road using heavy vehicles, all parties in the supply chain share a responsibility to ensure that every vehicle is loaded safely and within its legal limits before it hits the road.
Under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) it is an offence to operate a heavy vehicle on the roads if the vehicle or the load does not comply with the HVNL loading requirements.
WIM Technologies – which is a Melbourne based company specialising in load mass compliance solutions through portable and semi portable scale systems – recently launched the ‘National Overload Awareness Campaign’.
The campaign is an initiative of WIM Technologies, funded by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), supported by the Australian Government.
The campaign aims to provide education and raise awareness to the transport and logistics industries, by highlighting the risks associated with overloading a heavy vehicle.
The campaign promotes information and awareness through its strong focus on KNOW YOUR RISK and KNOW YOUR LOAD and details guidance and steps for businesses to understand their legal obligations and implement processes, systems, and technologies such as weighbridge, load monitoring systems and transport loading plans.
Know your risk
Did you know that overloaded heavy vehicles pose a major risk to infrastructure and vehicle performance, such as:
• Damage to roads, pavements, culverts, bridges and utilities
• Increased stopping distances
• Compromised vehicle handling and performance
• Increased risk of vehicle roll-over
• Increased vehicle wear and tear
Know your load
As a party in the supply chain there are many ways that you can influence and control the transport task, such as:
• Having a method to determine the mass of every load
• Ensuring the appropriate vehicle is used for the transport task
• Ensuring the load is correctly distributed on the vehicle
• Ensuring correct load restraint
• Developing loading plans for the transport task
By launching this campaign, WIM Technologies hopes to encourage a cultural shift in the transport and logistics industries towards a greater emphasis on load safety and responsibility. Through education and awareness, businesses can take the necessary steps to reduce the risks that are associated with overloading, and ultimately create a safer and more efficient transportation system for all road users.
It’s simple, KNOW YOUR RISK, KNOW YOUR LOAD, because SAFE LOADS means SAFE ROADS.
For more information on the ‘National Overload Awareness Campaign’, head to the WIM Technologies.