Why other Australian government should follow NSW down the SPECTS road

Heavy vehicles have been granted greater access to the New South Wales road network at maximum weight provided they meet rigorous safety standards. The Safety, Productivity & Environmental Construction Transport Scheme (SPECTS) was announced by NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay. The scheme comes into operation on July 1, 2016.

In order to take advantage of the scheme and travel more efficient routes, transport operators will be required to use performance-based standards (PBS) approved vehicles fitted with approved electronic on-board scales and one of two government-approved telematics solutions.

Advantages for heavy vehicle operators

This is a positive step towards improving safety and productivity across the state’s transport and construction industries. The newer, PBS-type vehicles provide safer working environments as they have Euro-5 engines, giving drivers the ability to accelerate and brake more quickly. Euro-5 engines also reduce the environmental impact of road freight as they are fuel efficient and therefore they expel low emissions. Given the positive impact on driver safety as well as our environment, let’s hope we see other states and territories across Australia follow this lead.

While load restrictions aren’t increasing, gaining access to routes that have previously been denied means transport companies will have more flexible, cost-efficient ways to access customers. The NSW Road and Maritime Services indicates heavy vehicle operators could see a productivity benefit of up to $80,000 per vehicle in the first year alone.

This is particularly important as NSW is planning more construction over the next year than Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Queensland combined. For the transport industry and wider community, these new found efficiencies will decrease the number of heavy vehicles on the road, saving up to 1,000 trips per week, which in turn reduces safety risks.

"Trucks in the scheme will look and feel the same but deliver greater productivity - it means fewer but safer trucks doing the same job with fewer emissions and fewer break downs."

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay

It’s essentially a trade-off. Once drivers have vehicles that meet stringent safety requirements they can take advantage of greater road access and improved efficiency. This is a very forward-thinking approach on the state government’s behalf but technology has opened the door. With real-time mass management and driver behaviour data, everybody in the chain of responsibility is well placed to ensure a vehicle is not overloaded. This data is also used to assure road managers and bridge engineers that vehicles travelling at maximum weight are safe and within permit levels.

With SPECTS in play, now is the time to ensure your fleet is properly equipped to be immediately compliant. Although it only applies to transport operators throughout the NSW urban zone now, there’s no doubt other states will be looking closely and how it performs with the view to set up similar initiatives in their own jurisdictions. Is your business ready to take advantage?

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