The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA), since its inception in 1985, has advocated for the interests of its members and the sector as a whole.
These interests have been challenged throughout its lifetime by a variety of issues – with one recent yet major problem being failures of Electronic Braking Systems (EBS) in rural and remote areas.
The mandating of EBS on prime movers and trailers was introduced by the Federal Government through Australian Design Rule (ADR) 35 as a way to reduce heavy vehicle road accidents and increase roll stability control. From 2014 to 2016, the ALRTA worked to seek an interim exemption to EBS mandates due to concerns about its longevity in rural and remote operations.
At the time, the ALRTA did not oppose the safety benefits of EBS and were a strong supporter of the need to improve vehicle safety. It was rather questioning its ability to be implemented and maintained in Australia’s harsh environments.
The ALRTA believe that this position has been justified as the requirement has been enforced without the appropriate supplied training or information on EBS installation which, in turn, has had a disastrous impact on the system’s fitment and its ability to prevent accidents from occurring.
Take third-generation livestock transporter and Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Victoria (LRTAV) President, Russell Borchard, who has been staunchly outspoken about the lack of proper EBS training and support.
“I bought a new set of trailers that had faulty EBS systems on them,” he says. “I eventually had to remove it because I couldn’t find anyone that could fix the installation errors. That was a long time ago, but we still have the exact same issue even now when EBS is being properly enforced – a lot of people don’t know how to install it properly.
“Most of the EBS failures that are occurring are due to improper installation. People are installing them in a way that doesn’t make them last as they’ve been designed to, but there has been no attempt from the Australian Government to instil any training or even a sense of how important the device is to protect drivers.”
The incorrect fitment of EBS is also having a steep financial impact on the transport industry.
“This whole issue is costing transport companies tens of thousands of dollars,” Russell explains. “EBS is very expensive to fix and operators aren’t covered under warranty if the system is fitted incorrectly. So, with people not understanding how important it is to get that fitment 100-per-cent right, businesses are having to pay ongoing costs.
“Operators need to spend time and money to find those who can actually fix EBS fitments, so it just gets to the point where it’s easier to just unplug the EBS. And that’s not the answer either. The whole situation is a systemic failure right through the industry.”
With the transport industry seeing a major absence of proper EBS training, knowledge and support, certain members and associations have taken it upon themselves to fill this critical gap. For example, the ALRTA, launched the Braking Habits project earlier this year in collaboration with key individuals such as Air Brake Systems Sales and Service Manager, Shane Pendergast, to improve safety and reduce truck roll-over crashes.
“Seventy per cent of EBS are shut down, unplugged, badly set up or simply full of fault,” Shane says. “And in addition to trailer builders installing this componentry incorrectly, the Australian Government doesn’t make any proper announcements about ADR changes. You’re just meant to know or hear it through the grapevine.”
Shane, the ALRTA and select partners such as Frasers Livestock Transport have worked extensively on the Braking Habits project to develop a myriad of resources that drivers can use to educate themselves on safe practice. This cause was particularly important to Frasers Livestock Transport which had to redesign its whole business following the Federal Government’s EBS mandate.
“Our entire operations have been changed,” says Frasers Livestock Transport Compliance and Central Queensland Manager, Athol Carter. “We were just given EBS as something that we had to implement one day, and it didn’t fit conveniently into our existing operations due to our pretty unique freight task.
“We had to re-engineer our processes and identify and understand issues all on our own. But through the ALRTA’s Braking Habits project, we worked with various stakeholders to create a package of resources for the entire industry to use and learn from.”
This suite of materials, now available to drivers and operators, includes informational documents such as a report on smart braking, case studies and practical tools (posters, handbooks, toolboxes, technical guides and videos) on the importance of smart braking systems like EBS and how to implement them.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of industry projects but this has been the best one yet,” Athol says. “The industry came together with many suppliers to identify an issue. We all worked in each other’s best interests to drive some real safety improvements across the space.”
Despite the best efforts of the ALRTA’s Braking Habits project, many agree that the issue of incorrect EBS fitment and its resulting faults is still pressing.
“We still have a long way to go to improve things,” Athol says. “We can’t rely on one or two people in all of Australia to be technicians for this technology. The industry needs more.”
Shane believes the EBS fitment problem is getting worse. He says change in the industry is needed now more than ever.
“I’ve been absolutely engulfed with a number of operators who have needed my help this year,” he says. “I haven’t been able to keep up. The fitment issues were all the same too – I could see them because EBS computers record the exact fitment failure as it happens.
“Australia builds the best trailers in the world, but the smallest oversight could be devastating. Fitting EBS must come with back-up support, training and education.
“We can’t let this failure in EBS installation continue. Roll stability control must be used and it must be functional.”
The ALRTA also sees a need for better communication capabilities within EBS platforms, between both trucks and trailers and the system and operator. Similar to how On-Board Mass (OBM) systems relay data to drivers via mobile apps, the association believes there is potential for EBS to provide proactive notifications and diagnostics that would assist in fault identification and real-time safety assurance.
“Fortunately, newer equipment and improved commissioning processes are showing positive results,” says ALRTA Executive Director, Anthony Boyle. “However, there remains an urgent need for better training for workshop personnel. In particular, frontline technicians must be supported to understand EBS systems, identify faults and resolve them effectively.”
The ALRTA has received invitations from several OEMs to engage directly on the EBS issues raised.
“Much of the challenge appears to stem from poor commissioning practices and the failure to establish effective communication between prime movers and trailers,” Anthony says. “While every EBS unit is ADR-compliant when assessed as an individual component – trailers being set to trailer standards and trucks likewise – the issues emerge when systems are brought together without thorough commissioning. This has significant implications for system workability and long-term reliability.”
With this type of engagement and further input from key players in the EBS field, the ALRTA is confident that it can help its member address the issues they are finding and ensure vehicle stability and safety can reach the level it needs to be.
.jpg)
