All trucks carrying full import containers leaving the DP World Fremantle Terminal by road are required to pass through the new Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) system prior to leaving from today.
DPW Fremantle “went live” with the WIM on July 8 as part of its Chain of Responsibility compliance efforts and has since been working with truck drivers to familiarise them with the WIM system, said peak body Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA).
In a note to members, CTAA director Neil Chambers said it’s vital that drivers know their axle-group and gross mass weight limits.
The WIM measures axle group weights calibrated to the General Vehicle Mass (GVM) limits in Western Australia.
If the WIM determines that any axle group(s) exceed the GVM weight limit, the driver will be prompted to select the mass limit under which they are operating (i.e. “GVM Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, or Permit”).
If the driver selects “Permit”, the axle-group weights will be displayed requesting the driver to confirm if the axle load(s) fall within the vehicle’s permit limit.
“There is anecdotal feedback from DP World that drivers aren’t fully aware of the axle-group mass limits they are allowed to carry – this view has been gleaned during the trialling of the WIM system since the beginning of July,” Chambers said.
“It will be imperative to ensure that drivers are aware of the weights that they can carry legally on the road for the configuration they are driving and the permits under which they are operating.”
CTAA said it will work with its alliance companies in Fremantle and with DP World to monitor any impacts on truck flows through the WIM system and any consequences for truck turnaround times.
In other terminals in Australia where WIMs are in force, there is no significant or prolonged negative impact on truck processing times (once drivers are used to the system), CTAA said.
DPW Fremantle has issued a Truck Driver Guide with instructions on how drivers should interact with the WIM system, including entering the WIM, proceeding at a consistent speed of 5km/h, printing the WIM weight docket at the end of the process, and confirming that they are legal (or not) to carry the axle-group weights indicated by the WIM.
Download a copy of the guide here.
The guide also includes instructions on the steps to be taken if the driver believes that the truck exceeds its permitted mass limits based on information provided by the WIM and needs to return to the yard for the “overweight return process” to commence.
DP World has also confirmed that Thursday, August 1, the “Chain of Responsibility (WIM) Fee” contained in the current DPW Fremantle Carrier Access Public Tariff Schedule will be applied to every import container delivered by road from the terminal.
CTAA wants to hear feedback from WA companies using the system so it “can continue to discuss its implementation and any potential refinements with DP World”.