Australia’s first safety initiative to reduce dairy tanker rollovers has been delivered, with a range of training resources now available.
The training materials were developed by NTI after research showed that dairy tankers were 2.4 times more likely to be involved in a major crash than other freight-carrying heavy vehicles.
NTI’s executive general manager of strategy and supply chain, Chris Hogarty, said the resources were the culmination of nearly two years working with key stakeholders in the Australian dairy supply chain, and targeted research.
“Dairy tanker rollovers not only endanger the lives of drivers but can also lead to negative environmental impacts that, because of the specific challenges of cleaning and contamination, can be more detrimental than oil spills,” he said.
With highly dynamic loads, milk tankers can crash even at relatively low speeds.
Milk slosh can increase the risk of a crash as it raises a tanker’s centre of gravity and generates centrifugal force, pushing the tanker outwards on a curve.
As part of NTI’s research, the milk inside a tanker was filmed as it was being driven.
“We built a model dairy truck with a see-through tank to demonstrate how that milk moves and how the shifting weight impacts a vehicle’s stability,” Hogarty added.
The program was funded through the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, and NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto OAM said NTI’s initiative helps to address a safety gap in the transport and logistics sector.
“This innovative safety initiative is ultimately helping to reduce road trauma and save lives,” he said.
NTI’s training pack features a research report, videos and training modules.
All the above can be accessed via the NTI website here.